Asterballoo 22 by Rob Clutton Trio featuring Karen Ng and Nick Fraser

available on Rat-drifting https://rat-drifting.bandcamp.com/

Clutton, Ng and Fraser are some of my favourite musicians on the planet, all of whom remain greatly underrated on the international scene, most likely due to their somewhat under-the-radar Toronto existence, but also perhaps because their understated and unpretentious music, at least to my mind, requires a discerning audience - one that can fully appreciate the music’s subtlety, spaciousness, patience and investigative nature without the allure of a flashy in-your-face bravado.

In May of 2022, the trio made their way to Berlin, my 2nd home, where I got to hear them for the first time outside of our collective home base Toronto. As I bore witness to them presenting their music in Berlin, I recall the feeling of simply sitting quietly and letting the effortlessness and beauty of their music flow through and over me… I felt proud, and I was moved. I was moved at the time, and again upon listening to the recording of these performances. I recall hearing Clutton’s piece ‘Spa’ for the first time and was both captivated and inspired.

Sonically, this is clearly a live recording, but in the best sense of it, bringing the listener almost physically into the intimate, cozy venues where the performances took place. The addition of the track with Berlin guests Attias and Rößler, who joined the trio in the 2nd set, offers a lovely document of the community feeling that pervaded at Sowieso that night with a meeting of musicians from different, albeit connected communities. Thank you for listening to this music.

- Lina Allemano, January 2024

Rob Clutton is a bass player who works in the spaces between composition and improvisation. Rob composes for solo bass, duo with Tony Malaby, the Cluttertones, Rob Clutton Trio, and Sweet Session.

robclutton.com