Elkington

Fans of the new wave of trad-folk are no doubt familiar with the music of James Elkington, even if they've never heard his name. The London transplant cut his teeth in the Chicago Thrill Jockey scene, moving his band The Zincs to the city before collaborating on projects with Tortoise's Doug McCombs, Wilco's Jeff Tweedy and Steve Gunn. Drawing from British folk, avant-rock, and jazz traditions alike, Wintres Woma (Old English for "the sound of winter") is James Elkington's debut solo record. His assured album, recorded at Wilco's Loft, is baroquely detailed and beautifully constructed, featuring both his baritone vocals and some of Chicago's finest, including Tomeka Reid.

The second album of astonishing duets by guitarists James Elkington (who has toured and/or recorded with Jeff Tweedy, Richard Thompson, and Steve Gunn, among others) and Nathan Salsburg (an accomplished soloist deemed by NPR “one of those names we’ll all associate with American folk guitar”) is a sublime suite of nimble, filigreed compositions by two singular stylists. Belying its title—“ambsace” is the lowest throw of dice; snake eyes—the record thrives on a gentle empathy and generosity of spirit, sitting sneakily protean original compositions alongside gorgeous arrangements of songs by Duke Ellington and The Smiths at the same big hand-hewn table.

Me Neither is a 29 track double album of instrumental guitar music. While juggling a number of other projects James Elkington began writing "music for which there was no purpose." It became a new way of working for him - waking up each morning and improvising and recording the first thing that came into his head. "The only rules I gave myself were that I should make most of the sounds with a guitar, changing the speed or processing the recordings afterwards to get the effect I was looking for." Before long he had an albums worth of material. About mid-way through the second album Elkington had a liberating thought: he was making his own version of library music "if you’re writing library music, you don’t have to know what it’s for - that can be someone else’s job.

Drawing from British folk, avant-rock, and jazz traditions alike, Wintres Woma Old English for "the sound of winter"– is James Elkington's debut solo record, but you've likely heard his masterful guitar playing and arranging, even if you didn't realize it. Elkington (an Englishman living in Chicago) is an inveterate collaborator who brings his lyrical compositional and improvisational sensibilities to any group. He has toured, recorded, and/or collaborated with Jeff Tweedy, Richard Thompson, Steve Gunn, Michael Chapman, Joan Shelley, Nathan Salsburg and Brokeback, to name just a few of his many enthusiastic admirers. His assured album, recorded at Wilco's Loft, is baroquely detailed and beautifully constructed, featuring both his baritone vocals and some of Chicago's finest, including Tomeka Reid.

The duo's third album of instrumental guitar recordings pushes their sinuous compositions into labyrinthine new shapes, interlocking and interlocutory, supported by a cast of stellar collaborators. Interwoven among the dazzling original pieces is a fascinating array of covers, ranging from traditional Breton dance tunes to a deconstruction of Neneh Cherry's "Buffalo Stance." Their melody-first sensibilities are perfectly suited to each other… playfully complex guitar work that sounds as if it was tossed off in an afternoon of whiskey and laughs. - NPR - An intoxicating, intricate web… Wherever Salsburg and Elkington go, it's always a pleasure. - Aquarium Drunkard - Sounds like winter has always been approaching, like Indian summer never quite fades, like fall isn't built around loss. - Stereogum