From Seed To Stone /
by Timothy Stout, glidemagazine.com. February 2005
There's a good portion of me that wants to proclaim County Road X's second release From Seed to Stone the most groundbreaking jazz album since Bitches Brew. I won't do that for two reasons; one, I haven't heard the band's debut album yet, and if it sounds anything remotely close to this then it was that record that would have broken any ground, and two, as was the case with Bitches Brew when it was released, it's hard to say that From Seed to Stone contains jazz at all, really. It's much more organic, if you will, than what we traditionally consider to be jazz.
Before I confuse you further, digest the instrumentation on this album and you may begin to see what I mean: keyboards (Eric Deutsch), pedal-steel guitar (Glenn Taylor), bass (Doug Anderson), cello (James Hoskins), drums (Todd Vancil), trumpet (John Gray) and reeds (John Stewart). When was the last time you can honestly say you heard of such a lineup, or imagined such an unlikely casserole even possible? But what County Road X does with this release is break one impossibility after another, so eventually it will seem less surprising.
All six band members contribute equally, as what is painted is truly one cohesive masterpiece of audible pleasure. The music triumphs over and over again as the album moves through a mixture of folk, rock and experimental jazz mini-operas. Maybe only Bill Frisell has even touched the vibrant and exciting waters that County Road X has completely immersed themselves in. After many listens no songs manage to stand out over the others, the album flows from track to track with the rhythm of a great cinematic Broadway production. Although now that the album has completely engulfed my bloodstream as it hasn't left my player for a week, the one tune that has managed to separate itself from the pack, but by the slightest of margins, is the celebratory "Natchez Trace" which probably features Gray's most inspired playing of the set.
Really though, every track makes sense by itself and could stand out on its own but when married with the other songs on the album in such a way that can stop time the way From Seed To Stone can, that's when you've got the recipe for a timeless classic. Unfortunately, I fear there isn't much of a market for what the band has dubbed "trailer park jazz." I'd like to hope I'm wrong. I'd like to think there are tens of millions of independent-thinking music lovers eager to eat this stuff up, because it sure tastes a lot better than what most people are eating these days.