Gary Peacock's duo album with
Bill Frisell is rewarding, though a bit repetitive. Most interesting is the sonic contrast between
Peacock's imposing upright bass and
Frisell's quirky electric guitar. After eight tracks, however, the appearance of
Frisell's acoustic guitar -- on the standard "Good Morning, Heartache" -- comes as a welcome change. Most of the pieces are free improvisations, and while they all have their moments, some wind up treading water. "In Walked Po," an oblique take on the blues, is an exception. "Reciprocity" and "N.O.M.B." are the only originals credited solely to
Peacock, leading one to believe they were written before the session. Perhaps not surprisingly, these two tracks are the most coherent on the record. The duo also plays two versions of "Home on the Range" (one would have sufficed), and
Peacock renders "Red River Valley" as an unaccompanied solo. For
Frisell, at least, this could have been a sign of things soon to come: His Nashville album was released about a year later.