Ut Gret: Ancestor's Tale

Reading the history of Ut Gret is like opening a can of worms. Feel free to head to their website and read up (URL below). The current incarnation includes Joee Conroy (guitars, bass,violin, viola, cello, mandolin, sitar guitar, bouzouki, effects), Steve Roberts (piano, electric piano, synths, mellotron, trumpet), Gary Pahler (drums, percussion), Steve Good (clarinet, bass clarinet, tenor sax), Jackie Royce (voice, bassoon, flute).

Ut Gret's Facebook indicates "Progressive Rock?" Another location lists "RIO" or "rock in opposition." The instrumentation listed above may provide a hint as to what the group sounds like. There's a jazz fusion ingredient, some Zappa playfulness, progressive rock time-signatures and a pinch of psychedelics.

Suppose Genesis had a female vocalist and the guitar solos were replaced by clarinet, sax, flute, and bassoon? Perhaps Gong replaced the space rock with chamber music?

The uptempo opening track provides a nice window into the remainder of the CD. Jackie Royce's alto voice is interspersed with keyboards and clarinet melodies all above quick jazz-rock drums. "The Departure" is a short free-jazz explosion that leads into "The Hopperknockity Tune," an instrumental reminiscent of Gong. Jackie's layered vocals on "Selves Unmade" are one highlight of the CD. Ample space is given for a clarinet solo before some fun improvisation and a recap of the beginning.

"The Raw..." has a spacy second half that's worth listening to the first half. "An Elephant in Berlin" features very rhythmic riffs and some inspired woodwind solos. A bass clarinet solo does make the sound of a "Dinosaur on the Floor." Royce's voice provides some contrast with her smooth vocals. "The Grotesque Pageantry of Fading Empires," the longest track clocking in at 9:17, is a progressive rock/jazz fusion romp with complex rhythms and multiple solos. The orchestration around the 7-minute mark with swelling guitar notes remind me of Steve Howe and Yes.

"Zodiac" contains some Mahavishnu-esque melodies and the guitar/mellotron combination turn up the prog a few notches.

The instrumentation is different than what I'm accustomed to, however, a break from distorted guitars is a nice change. There is no production wizardry in that the recording seems pretty live without any special bells or whistles so what you hear is what you get. There is a certain awkwardness at a few points where the group seems to be hesitating - like when a band first learns a song and doesn't quite have the tempo and rhythm down. I'd imagine after spending more time with the material it would sound more natural.

Definitely something to try if you tire of the common distorted guitar often featured in modern progressive rock and if you want a greater classical influence in your fusion, Ancestor's Tale by Ut Gret is a pleasant surprise.

Track Listing
1. Ancestor's Tale 5:24
2. The Departure :56
3. Hopperknockity Tune 4:00
4 Selves Unmade 5:55
5. The Raw, The Cooked, and the Overeasy 5:27
6. An Elephant in Berlin 8:39
7. Dinosaur on the Floor 3:50
8. The Grotesque Pageantry of Fading Empires 9:17
9. Zodiac 7:17
10. Walk the Plank 7:37

Added: September 9th 2014
Reviewer: Ryan Good
Score:
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 2041
Language: english

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