Short Reviews [Kevin Kastning / Mark Wingfield - 2021 - "Rubicon I"]

Over the years I have been fortunate enough to hear quite a few albums by Kevin Kastning, but they are always either solo or working with musicians I have not otherwise come across. However, here we find him collaborating with Mark Wingfield, another musician whose work I have been enjoying, so this is a first for me. Recorded at Studio Tramwauld in Massachusetts 16-17 August 2018, the day after Kevin and Mark performed live in New York City for WNYC radio, here we find two extraordinarily talented guys pushing music to new limits. Both Kevin (36-string double contraguitar, 17-string hybrid extended classical guitar, piano) and Mark (electric guitar, live electronics (software processing)) have reputations for working in improvisational and “free” music, and one would certainly not expect anything different when they combine their resources. The largest difference for me in this instance is the importance of delicate piano throughout, which often acts as a cornerstone for Mark to take the music in quite different directions. There is a certain amount of discord and disharmony within, yet there is also a fragile beauty with delicate notes being played with some force and power. There is a passion and emotion within this, very different to music which is carefully constructed and only in play when musicians have trust in their own ability and that of their partner to create something that is both ethereal and robust. Kevin always records his albums very quickly, capturing the time and essence before moving on, and that is the same here with it being fully recorded in just a few days. This is music designed to take the listener to another time and place, to join the musicians on a journey where even they have no idea of the final destination or the route they are going to follow on their travels.