Kevin Kastning & Bruno Raaberg - 2024 - Silent Dimensions

(32:43; Greydisc)

I have long been a fan of Kevin Kastning and his incredible mastery of massively stringed guitars (here he plays 36-string Double Contraguitar, 16-string Subcontraguitar, 24-string Subcontraguitar, and 28-string Contraguitar), but also what makes his music so interesting is the way he continues to find different musicians to improvise with. Here we have his first work (although it will not be the last) with double bassist Bruno Råberg, a Swedish musician who has been living in the States for more than 40 years and is a teacher at both the Berklee Global Jazz Institute and at Berklee College of Music. He has also recorded 12 albums as band leader and another 30 as a sideman, so he has quite a reputation, and deservedly so.

Bruno has a wonderful tone, and there are times (such as “Memory Present Echo”) where Kevin sits back and waits for the right moment to come in and add his nuances. There are times when so many strings sound less like a guitar and more like a harpsichord or harp, and the frequencies being produced are very different to that of the bass, so it is intriguing to hear how they combine. Bruno is a master of sliding, and if I didn’t know better I would say he was bending the strings to get the results as he switches between notes. He is generally less staccato than Kevin, which means we get mixing and matching between styles, with Kevin often far more frantic across the neck and Bruno being far more languorous in style.

The result is one of the most intriguing albums I have ever heard from Kevin, as the two very different styles work together incredibly well, making for a compelling listening and if you have never come across any of his albums prior to this then this is the perfect introduction.

Kev Rowland, October 2024

Links:
http://www.kevinkastning.com/
https://www.brunoraberg.com/
http://www.greydisc.com/