Second Earth by Jim McAuley and Scot Ray

Jim McAuley - classical, 6 string, 12 string, high-strung dobro, prepared parlor guitar
&
Scot Ray - lap steel guitar, effects

"When these two guitarists got together, their tuning techniques and natural symbiosis produced something beyond melody and scale. It's the sound of interflashing synapses -- delicate, intuitively beautiful, original, spontaneous. The fact that this recording happened without scores or planning makes the magic even more startling. This isn't just two extraordinary musicians, it's 2 exponentialized."- Metaljazz, L.A.

“Second Earth, a recent release on Long Song Records by Jim McAuley and Scot Ray, satisfies my cravings for the peculiar and strange. Since its release in mid-September 2019, I’ve continually returned to its 11 completely improvised tracks, finding something new to discover upon every listen. (McAuley and Ray) found a bizarro common ground or, rather, a common ether where their individual distortions melded into something akin to what Terry Riley long ago titled “a rainbow in curved air.” Imagine a mash-up of Joe Pass and Herb Ellis, John Fahey and Glenn Jones, and Jimmy Bryant and Speedy West. Together they got into a zone, a “twilight zone” as it were, and tested the “outer limits” of their instruments’ sonic capacities. But neither is a particular noisy player, and there is a sweetness and gentleness to their delirious explorations. Their collaborative curiosity is contagious. As a listener, you are—or at least I am—drawn into their dryly psychedelic, labyrinthine twists and turns, and each trip through the maze unravels new musical mysteries. If you find them as absorbing as I do, you’ll want to plunge down the individual McAuley and Ray rabbit holes. It’s a weird and wonderful world down there, courtesy of the way these players integrate their technical virtuosity and screwy imaginations.” - Peghead Nation, Derk Richardson

“Second Earth is a record that loves silence, listening in silence, concentrated, without brain malfunctions or stylistic short circuits. Through layers of sound, flowing phrases, open call and response, Ray and McAuley find a thousand ways to involve us, facilitating even our most intimate ability to focus.

The result, in fact, goes beyond all expectations. Two different musical lines that intersect without collision, with a unique sense of poetry and a fascinating timbre delicacy. We are at a level that goes beyond pure guitar nirvana, we are in the field of “deep listening”, in the ability to channel a musical discourse made of sound intuitions. It is a kind of magic, a magic based on an intuitive knowledge gained through years of study, practice, collaborations which leads to an incredible interplay created by two unique artists, unable to copy from anyone, not even from themselves.” - Neuguitars, Italy

"These two sound really great together. The opening track is the title and that lap steel has a haunting ghost-town like pedal steel vibe with layers of intricate acoustic guitar fragments spinning on top. What works so well here is that while Mr. McAuley plays swirls of notes and subtle harmonics, Mr. Ray is able to add sublime harmonies with his steel guitar, carefully bending notes as a magician or magic partner. Much of this music is refreshingly melodic yet still haunting with careful craft and spaciousness or suspense floating around it. Mr. McAuley actually sounds like he is playing a harp at times, spinning a lovely web that only angels and serious listeners would appreciate. Modern guitar fans/freaks, this one is for you!" - DMG, NY

"I have repeatedly stated that the act of channeling the profoundness of a musical discourse transcends the instruments through which the sonic intuitions materialize. The actual significance of an album like this resides in its capacity of attracting both camps of what’s known in the trade as “deep listening”. It’s definitely a guitarist’s nirvana, yet the music created by McAuley and Ray goes well beyond that level. We’re bathing in the kind of improvisational sublimity that happens – not just by magic but via intuitive knowledge – in extremely infrequent occasions.

I won’t dwell on the timbral exquisiteness and sense of poetry in motion conveyed by the performances; these gentlemen are famous for the sensibility of their touch. What must be pointed out instead is the truly amazing “in between-ness” inhabited by the artists, either in terms of pitch/harmony or audience-involving psychological feedback. In essence, one feels at home wherever the sounds decide to stand. Layered, interlaced or in call-and-response settings, Ray’s sliding idealism (occasionally enhanced by intelligent processing) and McAuley’s savvy picking always find ways to involve while also facilitating our innermost focusing. Not to mention the sudden wish to grab the old steel-stringed companion lying on the sofa, and tune it differently once again in order to achieve what mere words will never, ever be able to express.

Accordingly, you should listen to this record in silence. The core meaning of vibration – unfortunately – can exclusively be shared at this altitude, the only tonality to be respected that of an unfeigned inside blossoming. The truth shifts, oscillates, sometimes breaks your heart. But the path is still clear enough for us not to get lost in senseless behaviors dictated by cerebral misfiring." - Touching Extremes, Italy

"McAuley plucks an acoustic spectrum...fingertip on wire, piquant sparkling, virtuosic dancing to Ray's cheering swing, psychedelically curved tones and whistling loops. So do not imagine a loggerhead rage that has fallen out of time, but rather headstrong dreamers with mischievously sparkling eyes and power connections, where the shimmering time glides like a magical curling stone following a good guiding star towards the 'Outer Banks'. Any resistance melts away in the face of overwhelmingly sweet melancholy tenderness." - Bad Alchemy, Germany

"A culmination of the talent and creative imagination of the two musicians, which touches upon stunning dimensions. McAuley and Ray's ingenuity is something else - psychedelic directions that brought to my mind a diamond from the past, the "Intensifications" of Gene Estribou and Jean-Paul Pickens from 1965. Completely freeform, with constant rollovers, strange color tones, lush nocturnal growth - indefinable evolution itself. Impressive!" - Phontas Troussas, Diskorycheion, Greece

"Their intertwined and communicative playing...opens a very musical universe that is pure joy." - Vital Weekly, Netherlands

Liner notes:

"On one hand--no, make that four hands--we have a pair of wide-ranging, improvising guitarists who can play with/within a multitude of genres one moment, then tickle the sweet spots between the notes the next. On another, I'm looking for artists to perform on KXLU's Trilogy new music program. An idea is born.

So I toss the idea into Jim's lap at first. He catches it and appears to consider the possibilities. "Ya think?" Well, that's not a "no" so I approach Scot who smiles agreeably, even though he commits to nothing on the spot. I know he's particularly busy when he comes to LA these days but then I hear that Scot's sister Vicki has graciously opened up her home so the duo can test out their compatibility.

A few days later, Jim shared the results with me, chuckling underneath his breath as he saw my eyebrows go up. Spontaneous jams aren't usually as inviting as they are challenging but these guys communed with the Muse from moment one. "This is good enough to be an album by itself," I gasped, as the final notes trickled out.

And everyone agreed. And everything fell into place. Scot named the pieces. Wayne tweaked the mix. Kio worked his visual magic and Fabrizio wasted no time in saying, "Yes." Me, I'm still hoping we can get 'em to play on KXLU, but at least the music exists."

- Michael Davis AKA Kid Methuselah on KXLU's Trilogy

Jim and Scot live on Trilogy Radio:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T28aDAwpChg

Top Top Guitar Albums of 2019 - Bret Sjerven
https://www.facebook.com/bphresh/posts/10156726265401299

Brothers From Another Planet - Derk Richardson
https://staging.pegheadnation.com/news-reviews/recordings/brothers-another-planet/

A Long Song Records release.
http://www.longsongrecords.com/en
Recorded February 28, 2019, by Scot Ray.
Mixed and mastered by Wayne Peet at Newzone Studio.
Album artwork and design by Kio Griffith
Thanks to Fabrizio Perissinotto for his support and enthusiasm.

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