Eugene Chadbourne, René Lussier

Victo 40th Anniversary Super Sale. Pairing the idiosyncratic guitar styles of Eugene Chadbourne and René Lussier, this live set recorded in Paris and at the Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville captures the duo weaving country and folk influences into a playful free improv dialogue, with acoustic and electric guitars and banjo driving a spirited exchange of twang, rapid picking, and irreverent musical wit.

One of the unexpected pleasures of the festival came from a duet meeting that could have been merely slight and entertaining but proved to be much more. Eugene Chadbourne found the perfect partner in René Lussier. Chadbourne has phenomenal technique, a precocious sense of humor, and a willingness to spar with just about anyone. Lussier has the technique and wit to match Chadbourne and also shares his love for folk roots. So after the two retreated to Lussier’s farm for a few days to work out a set, they came up with a blistering mix of thorny free improvisation, blinding flat-picked duets, refracted bluegrass, warped country blues, and skewed country swing. Their set had the relaxed feel of a front porch party as the two switched off from steel string guitar, electric guitar, National Steel, and banjo. Licks were traded back and forth, full of crackling energy and stoked abandon. Musical genres were gobbled up and shredded through a cracked sensibility shared by the two.

Michael Rosenstein, Cadence, July 2002