Tempest is Over
compact disc of duo with Kevin Davis
2006
"On The Tempest is Over, his new improvised duo record with cellist Kevin Davis, former Chicagoan Woody Sullender continues to find unexplored terrain for the banjo, weeding out any reference to bluegrass or old-timey music. In his hands the instrument sometimes evokes those of other cultures - the oud on "Strata Collide," the pipa on "Knocking Dust" - but his MO is singular: wonderfully strangulated tangles of notes arrive in brief bursts, then recede into gentle arpeggios or ominous single-note runs. Davis is a wonderful accompanist cushioning Sullender's brittle sound in mahogany chords and spectral harmonics."
-Peter Margasak, Chicago Reader
The duo with classically trained Kevin Davis, began in 2004 within the fertile Chicago free improvisation community. The project resulted in several tours of the United States, including a trio performance with Pauline Oliveros. Following their 2005 tour, they recorded The Tempest is Over, which received acclaim from Wire Magazine, Signal to Noise, and other publications.
There is the obvious cultural collapse occurring with the instrumentation of cello and banjo; a rare combination, as each instrument points to a very specific historical trajectory. Via improvisation, the duo attempts to navigate a common ground where new meanings can emerge. There is the occasional play towards the romantic, incorporating simple major/minor melodies, but these gestures do not necessarily point to "folk" or 19th century classical - they seem rooted in much larger cross-cultural currents. While searching for mutuality, real differences are discovered. Is it possible to create a space where our similarities and differentiation can co-exist and if we are excluding anything within our natures (musical or personal), why does it not fit?
"Beautiful, dynamic stuff." - Byron Coley, Harp Magazine
"A world of delicate tinkles, rapidly comforting strokes and telepathic gestures, all beautifully recorded" - Eugene Chadbourne, All Music Guide
"Sullender is as good at finding the right notes as he is at discovering timbres on the venerable banjo you never thought existed... Good stuff" - Dan Warburton, Paris Transatlantic
