Land Of Plenty

Description

Drag City is celebrating the ten-year anniversary of Land of Plenty, the debut album from guitar duo Bill MacKay & Ryley Walker, with a highly anticipated re-release. Recorded in January 2015 during a residency at Chicago’s Whistler, the album documents the fluid encounter of two musicians freshly connected by common influences as diverse as Albert King, Nick Drake, and Ali Akbar Khan. From their first sessions, the two artists explored a free instrumental dialogue, blending traditional music and psychedelic improvisations. The result of a series of weekly concerts, Land of Plenty captures the alchemy of a repertoire of original compositions played live. The stereo recording, true to the live spirit, places one guitar per channel to better highlight their interplay. This cross-play, constantly attentive to the other, traverses genres and continents with astonishing fluidity. The sound is rich, textured, imbued with a controlled spontaneity that makes the listening experience as immersive as it is vibrant. Initially released in August 2015 on Whistler Records, the album established itself as a singular work in the acoustic music landscape. Drag City is enthusiastically re-releasing it today, reminding us how precious this musical encounter was. An invitation to rediscover a rare live recording, and perhaps to hope for a new collaboration on stage — because as they say, lightning can strike twice.