Tin Hat Trio

• Helium [Angel, 2000] B+
• The Rodeo Eroded [Ropeadope, 2002] B+

Consumer Guide Reviews:

Helium [Angel, 2000]
Somewhere in the general vicinity of Astor Piazzolla, the Penguin Cafe Orchestra, and Cyrus Chesnutt, it's dinner music that won't make you blow chunks: accordion-piano-organ plus violin-viola plus guitar-dobro-banjo. Lite jazz that's more filling. Chamber music improvised off-the-cuff. Tango checking its knife at the door. B+

The Rodeo Eroded [Ropeadope, 2002]
This rodeo features a new event: bandwagon riding. Gallic-not-Polonian accordion still dominates, as accordions will. But Willie Nelson replaces Tom Waits on guest vocal, a dobro chimes in, and that's no violin, it's a fiddle. In short, Euro-avant background jazz configured to stroke bluegrass dabblers and beguile their dinner guests. B+