Thip is the first record of the trio of Henry Fraser, John McCowen, and Sam Weinberg. By the time McCowen moved to Brooklyn in 2017, Fraser and Weinberg had already played together in a number of contexts – duo, a trio with Weasel Walter, Maestro Day, et al. When they met McCowen, both were instantly struck not only by his virtuosity on both contrabass and B flat clarinets, but also his depth and seriousness.
All three became close personal friends and the trio emerged from that friendship and the shared understanding that had already been forged. Thip was recorded in April of 2019 at Issue Project Room and that space’s eminent and notorious natural reverb is heavily reflected in the document – and dictated some of the aesthetic decisions that were made throughout the album. While there’s a density to the music on Thip, there’s also a kind of elasticity and patient suspension; a confident sense of form and a deliberate unfolding.
1. Ayeda 10:00
2. Arunae 12:38
3. Nur 07:44
4. Thaanps 12:35
5. Sklyse (digi Bonus w/ Joe Moffett) 11:30
Henry Fraser - double bass
John McCowen - Bb and contrabass clarinets
Sam Weinberg - tenor and soprano saxophones
Joe Moffett - trumpet (track 5)
Tracks 1-4 recorded April 2019 at Issue Project Room, Brooklyn, NY
Engineered by Jeremiah Cymerman
Track 5 self-recorded October 2020 in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, NY
Mastered by Ryan Power at Perfect Pets, Brooklyn, NY
