Forged by Elliott Sharp's Terraplane

Forged is remixed and 24-bit remastered versions of the songs from the 2007 album Forgery. From the name one might think that this must be a collection of "fake blues" - imitation feelings, counterfeit riffs, artificial lyrics - perhaps some smug post-modern irony or an attempt to pass as "the real thing."

But it takes just one listen to realize that the only forging going on here is the sound of hands making music (with the help of ears, hearts, and souls.) To forge is to form by hand, to improvise, to sculpt, to adapt, to carve out of raw materials something deep and powerful, which is exactly what E# and cohorts have done here. Terraplane continues to be uncompromising in its power and breadth and this new CD also shows an attention to songwriting with a wide appeal across the spectrum of modern blues, rock, and jazz.

Terraplane's Forged is certainly blues but also something else which is to be expected given E#'s reputation as one of the founders of New York City's "Downtown scene" and a visionary composer and improviser equally at home jamming with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Jack deJohnette; playing with blues legends Hubert Sumlin and Pops Staples; and writing for the Ensemble Modern or the Radio-Sinfonie Frankfurt. Sharp has said that a musician should "keep one foot in the past and one foot in the future which puts your ass right in the Now" and he applies this rule to Terraplane with a vengeance. The new songs on "Forgery" echo the glories of Howlin' Wolf, Otis Rush, Robert Pete Williams, and Elmore James but always with a twist and with unimagined sound, much of which originates with Sharp's unique and burning guitars, steel guitar, and tenor sax. The powerful vocals of Eric Mingus here unveil incredible range and melodic subtlety. Standouts for him include "Why Why Why", a blistering indictment of arms merchants, and "Long Long Way to Go" with sweet-and-gruff vocals evoking both Marvin Gaye and Big Joe Turner. Fronted by Mingus, the band blazes through "The Lance Dance" a joyous mourning of the loss of Terraplane drummer Lance Carter to myeloma. Poet Tracie Morris, who also appeared on Terraplane's "Secret Life", returns on "Blues For The Crescent City", revealing a gorgeous and emotional singing voice in her devastating commentary on the effects of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans.

The drum throne for Terraplane is now occupied by Tony Lewis, a veteran of the bands of Vernon Reid, Nancy Wilson, Ashford & Simpson,24-7 Spyz, Carla Thomas and Little Richard.

David Hofstra continues to hold down the bottom on electric and acoustic basses and tuba and the picture is completed with baritone saxophonist Alex Harding (Sun Ra, Julius Hemphill) and Curtis Fowlkes (Jazz Passengers, Elvis Costello.)

"Forged" is dedicated to the memory of Lance Carter

Elliott Sharp’s Terraplane is certainly blues but also something beyond. Begun in 1991, Terraplane has been through many permutations and synthesizes the intersection of country and urban blues with Mississippi fife & drum bands, post-Ayler jazz, Hendrixian guitaristics, the sonic innovations of Sharp's long-running ensemble Carbon and the rhythmic force of the groove,