"In a band where a guitar and a saxophone can use one another as camouflage, what good is absolute allegiance to six strings, anyway? Extra Stars is Uhlmann's most inquisitive and assured record yet, a 14-track playground where he uses every instrument at his disposal to pursue an obsession with curious sounds and the memories and emotions they can quickly conjure."
"In the Los Angeles improvisational scene that has steadily taken shape around Parker, Uhlmann has grown beyond his primary instrument while also growing with it. Yes, he has long toured and recorded as a guitarist with Perfume Genius and made a string of his own records as a promising singer-songwriter. But he's also put himself into situations where the role of any instrument is elastic and mutable, meant to be interrogated and reconsidered."
Gregory Uhlmann, a mid-30s guitarist and musician, has discovered that his most vital music extends beyond the guitar. Beginning as a pianist in Chicago who later took up bass and guitar, Uhlmann was mentored by Jeff Parker in jazz and has become integral to the Los Angeles improvisational scene. Beyond his work as a guitarist with Perfume Genius and as a singer-songwriter, Uhlmann has explored instrumental ensembles like SML where instrument roles remain fluid and interrogated. His album Extra Stars represents his most assured work, featuring 14 tracks where he employs every available instrument to pursue curious sounds and their emotional resonance. While guitar remains present in standout tracks, it functions as one tool among many to frame interconnected scenes forming a compelling portrait.
Read at Pitchfork
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