Snorkel – Bootleg 4/7/96 S.F. “Cues and Miscues”

SNORKEL
BOOTLEG: Cues and Miscues
Live at the Elbo Room 4/7/96

1. March 20
2. Pool Game
3. Tangle
4. C.F.I.
5. Infection
6. Thought House
7. Thump…

Ben Goldberg clarinet, bass clarinet
Trevor Dunn bass
Scott Amendola drums
John Schott guitar

Why We Did This / What This Is
You are holding an imperfect document of a very, very good night. Snorkel has been playing at the Elbo Room on and off (mostly off) for a couple of years. During these performances much new material has been developed. Each night has been a link in a chain. This CD records the first set of our (as of this writing) last performance there. I feel it is the strongest 50 minutes of music I’ve ever been inside. Whether my comrades felt that way, I don’t know, but we all agreed it was an exceptional set. The pacing, flow of ideas, the harmonic coherence, and the hearing of the musicians was at a very high level. No real effort was made to capture this music; Scott was merely trying out his new DAT machine. Even though we’ve worked hard to improve the overall sound, the result leaves a lot to be desired. The carinet is often off-mike, the bass is sometimes hard to distinguish. But shining through the dim circumstances of this recording, for me, is the music, radiant and pure. This is not a commercial product; it is a gift. I wanted you to hear this.
— John Schott