Forgery

• Artist: Elliott Sharp's Terraplane
• Rating:
• Release Date: October 29, 2007
• Genre: Avant-Garde

Review

While guitarist, saxophonist, and occasional vocalist Elliott Sharp has been projecting innovative, oddball, and completely original avant-garde craziness for three decades, Forgery is authentic to one of his greatest passions, the blues. Terraplane's lead vocalist, Eric Mingus, screams the title of "Smoke and Mirrors" like a Hendrix-possessed madman on the title track, but the tune is actually a fun, hard-driving blues-rocker, punctuated by his band's jazz-inflected horns. Take his primal screaming away, and it's a mainstream track. Mingus -- the son of jazz legend Charles Mingus -- tones down the odd registers on "Tell Me Why" just enough for the track to come across as a forceful expression of angst-ridden urban blues. There's no beating around the Bush (capital B intended) on "Katrina Blues/How the Crescent City Got Bleached," a retro-soul and blues-funk lament that blends New Orleans jazz with vocalist Tracie Morris' pointed vocal prayer. "Dance 4 Lance" is another Hendrix-happy, distorted vocal blast that's crazy but also somehow toe-tappin', while other tracks like "Long Way to Go" show Terraplane's slightly more sensitive side, albeit still in an edgy rock context. The free-form, percussion-driven, and Eastern-influenced guitar-plucked "Haditha" lets the avant-garde creep in, but for the most part, Forgery is just left-of-center aggressive American blues. ~ Jonathan Widran, All Music Guide

Credits

Dave Hofstra (Bass), Cy Fore (Engineer), Curtis Fowlkes (Vocals), Elliott Sharp (Producer), Bryce Goggin (Engineer), Curtis Fowlkes (Trombone), Tracie Morris (Vocals), Eric Mingus (Photography), Tony Lewis (Drums), Alex Harding (Vocals), Alex Harding (Sax (Baritone)), Curtis Fowlkes (Vocals (Background)), Eric Mingus (Vocals), Dave Hofstra (Tuba), Janene Higgins (Cover Photo), Alex Harding (Vocals (Background)), Cy Fore (Photography)