On
The Hand of Dog
, Seattle-based artist
PJ Newman
puts himself to work creating a series of innovative sets. At times reminiscent of
Zappa
, and at times simply playing with the sounds of his samples,
Newman
puts together a nice collection of works. His guitar is the centerpiece of the majority of the pieces, often in interplay with a pair of saxes, courtesy of the highly able
Jessica Lurie
and
Sue Orfield
.
Ben Smith
provides a solid drum backing on the necessary tracks, and fiddle star
Martin Hayes
and bluegrasser
Danny Barnes
each provide their talents for a track or two. It's
avant-garde
music on the side of
jazz
, with notes of
the Doors
, synth
rock
, and
Ornette Coleman
thrown in for good measure. Tread with caution as it's somewhat uncharted territory, but there are rewards to be reaped in this album for the curious listener. ~ Adam Greenberg