Artist : Telergy

Album : Black Swallow

Release Date : 23-07-2020

Added : 22-09-2020

I had discovered the 'Telergy' project of 'Robert McClung' with his latest concept album 'Hypathia' and 2020 sees the release of a new studio recording to measure (I should say the excess) of the previous one since if you look at the guests for 'Black Swallow', once again, he surrounded himself with an impressive number of artists from different musical scenes (see below) and whose you have the list on his site with their respective projects here. This new baby, from a long gestation of five years tells the story of a great American hero, 'Eugene Ballard', the first African-American fighter pilot of the First World War and part of the funds raised by the Sales of the album will go to the 'Wounded Warrior Project' which is an association that supports veterans and service members who have been physically injured or have post-traumatic stress.

Musically, given the diversity of the guest artists, 'Robert McClung' has concocted a kind of work for us that goes far beyond a particular style with ten tracks almost all instrumental that contain multiple influences and with an integration of spoken passages between each musical composition to be able to follow the story. The long progressive development 'Georgia' which begins the album takes us on a progressive saga containing all kinds of ambience ranging from country to gospel through rock, hard rock, film music and jazz, all this with very accessible melodic lines and taking into account the diversity of genres, always keeping an overall homogeneity. Impossible to make the title by title so much there would be to say about each one but the great strength of each composition is to mix in a very intelligent way classical music with modern music with a surprising result at each time, the classical instruments and electrics are always used wisely. Of course, the longer titles like 'Infantry', 'Take The Sky' or 'All Blood Runs Reed' are more progressive in the approach with constructions in several drawers which open and reveal themselves one after the other, keeping the listener in suspense from beginning to end. Whether in the instrumental or sung parts accompanied by classical or electric instruments, there are beautiful people and the interpretations often provoke this so characteristic thrill like these choirs in the second part of 'Take to the Sky', very 'Floydiens '(album' Atom Heart Mother ') or this passage from 'Troy Donockley' in 'Infantry' which is followed by a touching part on the violin or this magnificent muffled jazzy atmosphere of 'Marcelle' or even this passage from saxophone in 'Spy' and I could quote quite a few more.

In summary, with this last baby of 'Robert McClung', we are far beyond a simple album release because we can simply speak of a timeless musical work that takes us on a wonderful journey and which shows all the talent of this very complete multi-instrumentalist and composer who brings together several musical worlds for the best and who is a bit of a mix between a 'Hanz Zimmer' and an 'Arjen Anthony Lucassen' (new album tocome soon). 'Black Swallow' is therefore recommended for audiences who like to mix styles that we use to put in opposition (but what nonsense !!) such as classical music and rock or metal music because, in this case , it is this mixture of genres that makes it an exceptional work fill with a great richness. Let’s also hope that ‘Robert McClung’ will one day have the offer us his concepts album into a real show as the two artists mentioned above regularly do...

Line Up / Musicians

Robert McClung (Vocal, Guitar, Bass, Keybords, Flute, Violin, Mandolin, Vocal, Percussions) + Guests : Acteurs : Bryan Hicks (William Bullard), Pete Peterson (Eugene Bullard), Champ Hollins (Eugene jeune), Rev. Robert Thompson (Eulogy preacher, Church goer), Nadine Thompson (Church goer), Emmanuel De Saint Méen (Nightclub MC), Jordan Hall (Attacker 1), Tim Clarck (Attacker 2), Durga McBroom (Marie-Madeleine Fourcade), Lorelei McBroom (Choirs), Lara Smiles (Choirs), Emily Lynn (Choirs), Stephanie Slabon (Choirs), Dustin Brayley (Choirs, Radio newscaster), Martyna Halas-Yates (Growls), Chris Bonito (Drums), Todd Sucherman (Drums), Tony Levin (Bass), Michael Manring (Bass), Steve Di Giorgio (Bass), Tony Dickinson (Bass), Mike LePond (Bass), Pete Trewavas (Bass), Dave Meros (Bass), Caith Threefires (Bass), Charles Cormier (Guitar), Vernon Reid (Guitar), Phil Keaggy (Guitar), Gary Wehrkamp (Guitar), Timo Somers (Guitar), Stephan Lill (Guitar), Andy LaRocque (Guitar), Jimi Bell (Guitar), Jeff Rapsis (Piano), Rachel Flowers (Piano), Jeremy Heussi (Keybords, Organ), Vikram Shankar (Keybords), Basil Bunelik (Accordion), Troy Donockley (Bagpipe), Magic Dick (Harmonica), Tina Guo (Cello), Adam Nunes (Cello), Tim Nunes (Violin), David Ragsdale (Violin), Mattan Klein (Flute), John Cardin (Trumpet), Mitchel Bailey (Trombone), Gus Sebring (Cor Anglais), Tracy Crane (Cor Anglais), Chip Brindamour (Tuba), Edie Brindamour (Euphonium), Katrina Veno (Clarinette), Thomas Gimbel (Saxophone ténor), Nils Crusberg (Saxophone alto et ténor), Bryan Campbell (Saxophone bariton)