Loren Connors And Alan Licht - The Blue Hour

Released: 12/07/24

Best known as an avant-garde guitarist whose work abstracts blues and folk styles, the US artist Loren Connors has been blazing a trail for over four decades, during which time he has collaborated with the cream of the experimental world, including Japanese noise legend Keiji Haino, Thurston Moore, Jim O'Rourke, David Grubbs, and the feted avant-garde guitarist and composer Alan Licht. It is the latter with whom Connors teamed up, in May last year, to perform at cafe OTO, in celebration of their 30 years of collaboration, the result of which spellbinding improvisatory set has now been released asThe Blue Hours.

Among the many extraordinary things about the two surprisingly melodic long-form tracks that comprised the performance, is that as well as the guitar, Connors also plays the piano, one of only a few times he has played the instrument live at all. As one would expect for two men who have played together for three decades, the understanding between them is profound, with both artists seemingly aware of what the other is about to do, no matter how protean the shifts “ a perfect example being the moment Connors picks up the guitar for the first time to meet a lilting, iterative Licht melody with sharp, glassy washes of colour, the open strings darkening the space with shades of blue and black that conjure the transcendent peace of Rothko's Chapel.