Picks Up The Thread is the fifth album of the American, once Chicagoan, genre-defying trio of cellist and electronic player Fred Lonberg-Holm (now traveling between Kingston, NY and Portugal), double bass player Nick Macri and drummer Charles Rumback (both Marci and Rumback still remain in the 606 zip code). The album was recorded live by audio specialist Ken Christianson at Pro Musica in Chicago, using a unique set of microphones that capture a distinct, fly-on-the-wall sound quality that places the listener amidst the band, in the room where it happened.

Stirrup played in this session two fresh pieces of Lonberg-Holm and four more new pieces by Macri, when the trio was still in search mode, getting into a huddle, then scattering to the far corners of the tune to find the corners and edges, then reporting back to the center with varied definitions of what the shape of the thing is. Lonberg-Holm’s cello playing is upfront and in the center, leading the commotion with a torch, or an arc welder; Rumback’s powerful drumming intensifies the dense dynamics with disruptions and surprises while Marci’’s bass attempts to keep the way up, over and out.

The music flows naturally between the lyrical, the distorted and noisy, and the chaotic. The trio acts as a true collective that enjoys exploring the music through conversational and extended structures but never settles on familiar courses. The extensive experience of Lonberg-Holm, Marci and Rumback as improvisers and as a trio that has been working since 2009 and performing in art museums, indie rock clubs and European jazz festivals, pays off. Stirrup shape-shifts constantly from a soulful, chamber jazz trio to a fierce, free jazz unit or a band aiming for post-roch, sound-oriented territories.

Eyal Hareuveni 

Fred Lonberg-Holm (cello, electronics), Nick Macri (double bass), Charles Rumback (drums)