Trevor Dunn's Trio-Convulsant

Best known for his work with Mr. Bungle and Fantmas, Trevor Dunn also has an impressive pedigree as a jazz bassist. Sister Phantom Owl Fish features Dunn, guitarist Mary Halvorson and drummer Ches Smith, but you won't hear this jazz trio playing "Begin the Beguine" or "Night and Day." Influenced...

By Eryc Eyl

September 30, 2004

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Best known for his work with Mr. Bungle and Fantmas, Trevor Dunn also has an impressive pedigree as a jazz bassist. Sister Phantom Owl Fish features Dunn, guitarist Mary Halvorson and drummer Ches Smith, but you won't hear this jazz trio playing "Begin the Beguine" or "Night and Day." Influenced more by Coltrane and Coleman than Cole Porter, Dunn's compositions sprawl across free jazz, rock and more. The opener, "Liver-Colored Dew," shows off the act's ability to traverse styles: Smith's brush drumming suddenly gives way to straightahead rock, while Halvorson's Derek Bailey-esque improvisation transforms into distorted power chords. And for something completely different, check out the threesome's take on the Ellington/Strayhorn piece "The Single Petal of a Rose," in which the band gives Tortoise a run for its money. The atonal and arrhythmic Trio-Convulsant, though challenging, breathes new life into every genre incorporated into its jazzy mélange.

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