Kevin Kastning & Phil Grenadier - 2026 - Unreal City

(35:07; Greydisc)






















Recorded on 28th April 2024 here we have Kevin (6-string Double Contraguitar, 30-string Double Contraguitar, 24-string Double Sub-Contraguitar, 18-string Contraguitar) recording with Phil Grenadier (Trumpet, Flugelhorn) for their second album together. I note this was mixed and mastered by Sandor Szabo, with whom Kevin has a long relationship, and that has certainly assisted in what is one of his finest releases to date. Neither musician is constrained in any way, and this never feels like an improvised piece of work as the two work seamlessly in the way they bounce off each other.

Phil is often the melodic lead, but it is the nuances and additional runs from Kevin that makes them work so well. A trumpet and guitar (no matter how many strings) do not seem like natural bedfellows, but here they combine incredibly well, and when this is playing, I feel the world drop away so that all that exists is the music and the images being created in my mind. I feel like I am walking through a forest, mournful calls in the distance, dappled light coming through the leaves as I am entranced by my surroundings, being carried through to a destination I know not where. At times the music feels like it is being woven into a fragile net, at others it is forceful like chain mail, there is a hidden strength deep inside and one feels compelled to listen to discover the treasures within. 

If this is the first time you have come across the name Kevin Kastning then I urge you to discover this and use it as a starting point for a musical voyage like none other. Currently available on Kevin’s Bandcamp site for just $9 USD this is a solid musical investment. 

Kev Rowland, August 2026

Links:
https://www.kevinkastning.com/
https://www.facebook.com/philgrenadierjazz
http://www.greydisc.com/

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