reviews

"As tight and polished as it is improvisational and exuberant."
- Acoustic Guitar Magazine
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The Creaking Tree String Quartet are a ridiculously talented Canadian four-piece who take the string band sound that is the root of bluegrass and proceed to shatter one's preconceptions. The Soundtrack, their third album, is a technically brilliant and often stunning collection that sees the quartet bringing jazz, classical and avant garde styles to the table and blending them seamlessly into their own irreverent but extremely listenable style. With mandolin, violin, bass and guitar all able to perform their own little flights of fancy, in the hands of lesser mortals it may easily have ended up as a musical dog's dinner; that it doesn't is testament to the skills and ingenuity of all concerned.
- Rock 'N' Reel (UK) _______________________________________________
The Rise of the Great Canadian String Bands
Why here? Musicians say audiences are more willing to enjoy a form that can encompass everything from free jazz to tango
The Golbe and Mail
J.D. Considine
December 8, 2007

The Creaking Tree String Quartet doesn't look like a typical jazz combo. There are no drums, for one thing, nor is there a piano. No trumpet or saxophone, either. And despite the name, it doesn't really look like a string quartet, either, as the sole violin is backed by mandolin, guitar and double bass, not violin, viola and cello, as in classical music.

The Creaking Tree String Quartet is a string band, a type of combo so archaic that it was dubbed "old-time" as far back as 1923. Although string bands were once incredibly common - the music they played would eventually form the basis of what is now known as country music - the format was mostly ignored in jazz, apart from the popularity enjoyed by Django Reinhart and the Quintette du Hot Club de France in the 1930s.

Somehow, though, the string-band format has become quite hot in Canada. The Toronto-based Creaking Trees landed two trophies at last Saturday's Canadian Folk Music Awards ceremony at Gatineau, Que., where its third album, The Soundtrack, was recognized in the "Pushing the Boundaries" category...

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"Listen to this album at the first snow fall from a warm indoor place by a window, with a hot sweet drink at hand and a sketchbook at the ready. Let the images burble up from the music, and let yourself be carried away."
- The Live Music Report _______________________________________________
Wood, Wires and Whisky
Exclaim! Magazine
Kerry Doole
November, 2007

Categorising the sound of this Toronto-based instrumental acoustic ensemble is an exercise in futility. They simply pay no heed to stylistic boundaries and have the technical and creative skills to convince in a multitude of settings. They earned a Juno nomination with their eponymous 2003 debut and have since won numerous awards in Canada and internationally. Expect similar accolades to be heaped upon this adventurous and appealing disc...

Read the full article from the EPK page.

"The music is demanding, articulate and feels effortless. Rich in dimension and mood, the players bring their original voices to each instrumental song and infuse them with personality."
- Bluegrass Now Magazine