1982 & B.J. Cole

While the pedal steel guitar has long provided a spacious ambience to country and rock, it hasn't had a significant role in improvised music. With this release, veteran pedal steel player B.J. Cole (John Cale, Björk, T-Rex Eno, etc.) finds himself in the company of Sigbjørn Apeland (harmonium), Øyvind Skarbø (percussion) and Nils Økland (Hardanger fiddle, violin). The music is spacious and meditative, culled from a day of improvising after literally meeting for the first time as trio and soloist. The sound evokes comparisons to some of John Cale's extended work, as well as a distinctly Norwegian/Scandinavian pensiveness, replete with references to folk forms and hymnals. The music breathes and occasionally stands still, but never so much as to become static, while each track/event retains the singularity often displayed by the ambient work of Brian Eno. This is well-played and well-conceived ensemble music.