Electric guitars

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dans la grande tradition d'orchestres composés uniquement de guitares électriques (on pense à Glenn Branca et Rhys Chatham, entre autres), celui qu'a fondé le célèbre Bill Orcutt - leader du fameux trio de rock-noise "Harry Pussy" - relève d'une grande intelligence, clarté et précision. 

Composé de Wendy Eisenberg, Ava Mendoza, du brillant Shane Parish, qui a transcrit les différentes 4 parties, et de Bill Orcutt lui-même, les 4 membres du Bill Orcutt Guitar Quartet utilisent leurs guitares (Telecasters and Jazzmasters) sur 4 cordes seulement. Leur répertoire composé de pièces courtes écrites par Bill Orcutt combine les aspérités du punk et l’inventivité du jazz, avec ce qu’il faut de blues entre les lignes. J'ai eu la grande chance de les entendre en trio seulement (Wendy Eisenberg était absente) dans un concert organisé par les Banlieues Bleues à la Dynamo de Pantin: c'était superbe!

 

In the grand tradition of orchestras composed solely of electric guitars (remind Glenn Branca and Rhys Chatham, among others), the one initiated by the famous Bill Orcutt—leader of the famous rock-noise trio "Harry Pussy" - exhibits great intelligence, clarity, and precision. 

Wendy Eisenberg, Ava Mendoza, the brilliant Shane Parish,, who transcribed the various four parts, and Bill Orcutt himself, are the four members of the Bill Orcutt Guitar Quartet use their guitars (Telecasters and Jazzmasters) with only four strings. Their repertoire of short pieces written by Bill Orcutt combines the rough edges of punk and the inventiveness of jazz, with just the right amount of blues between the lines. I had the great fortune to hear them as a trio (Wendy Eisenberg was absent) in a concert scheduled by the Banlieues Bleues in the Dynamo de Pantin: it was dazzling!

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Would you want to explain why at some point you decided to remove the A and D strings?  "It happened during a time when I was drumming mostly, around 1990. Started playing a 4-string guitar, wrote a set of songs around it and then formed a two-piece band (Watt) to perform them." source

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 enjoy this Tiny Desk Concert in 2023, with the Bill Orcutt Guitar Quartet

 

more links:

more Bill Orcutt's music for four guitars on bandcamp

"Repertoire" is a Shane Parish's opus with acoustic guitar

& a solo performance by Ava Mendoza in Brooklyn in 2016

!!!_!!!