OPEN

Stick Men improvises like no other.

OPEN is a departure from the band’s previous releases. This recording is all improvised. Improvisation is an integral part of the band’s live shows and this release gives space for their spontaneity. But have no fear! Stick Men don’t wander off a “jam band cliff” here. Each band member brought, to the recoding sessions, a collection of his own unique musical themes. These themes, melodic and/or rhythmic kernels, were tossed into the Stick Men soup pot and toyed and played with. Thankfully these sessions were meticulously recorded so we can listen in to how these giants think and play. Anyone who has heard Stick Men in concert – with hundreds of shows worldwide – will know what to expect here.

Stick Men is created from musicians with extensive experience playing together. Pat Mastelotto and Tony Levin are the rhythm section of the legendary band King Crimson. Mastelotto is in demand all over the world as the premier drummer for progressive rock. Levin plays an unusual instrument — the 12 string Chapman Stick – and has played with King Crimson, Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon, John Lennon, David Bowie and others. Markus Reuter (who is debuting a work with the Colorado Chamber Orchestra in April 2013) is a composer/guitarist who designs and plays his own unique touch style guitar. With all these unusual instruments, this does not sound like three guys!