Fresh from their collaborations on the recent album from Macie Stewart, the trio of Stewart, Lia Kohl, and Whitney Johnson are prepping a new record as a trio. The first track, the striking "BODY SOUND (STONE PIECE)" is out this week and it's our Track of the Week.
On one level, this is a string trio -- Johnson on viola, Kohl on cello, and Stewart on violin -- but on another, it's more. The players are all adept at using other methods, other styles to make bracing music that straddles a line between Neo-Classical and jazz fusion. But what good are labels anyway?
"BODY SOUND (STONE PIECE)" is elegiac, with a glacier calm that belies the emotions here. Things seem to be moving in slow motion, but there's discordant noise filtering in via tape loops, and snatches of vocals in the air around the strings. The whole thing is haunting in its simplicity, and precise in its presentation and pacing. Having been a fan of recent albums featuring these musicians, I'm really looking forward to their 2026 album on the esteemed International Anthem imprint.
"BODY SOUND (STONE PIECE)" by Whitney Johnson, Lia Kohl, and Macie Stewart is out now via International Anthem. Details on their upcoming album there soon too.
[Photo: Leah Wendzinski]