Eugene Chadbourne and Friends -- Jan. 18, 2002

Friday, January 18th, 2002 -- 6.0000

Eugene Chadbourne and Friends

One of the most crucial figures in the American musical avant-garde, Eugene Chadbourne may never get the rewards his virtuosity, musical breadth, and exuberant spirit deserve. The reason is that Chadbourne is a true iconoclast whose eclecticism does not end with "the latest" thing but simply and unpretentiously traverses all the music he loves--a lot of music that usually can't be seen together in public. So it is that the same man who inspired John Zorn and released crucial documents of 80's free improvisation on his Parachute label (check out Polly Bradfield solo violin, for a shock) is also able to disrupt an avant-garde concert by breaking into Willie Nelson or The Byrds.

Lest he become a victim of his own thickly coated schtick, it should be noted that Chadbourne has many more subtle sides than even his most ardent fans usually know about, and all his work yields a tremendous amount of secrets to careful listeners. Satie recast for Banjo, anyone? Ask Dr. Chadbourne.