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Jeff Elbel + Ping - The Threefinger Opera

I have one album in my collection that is actually new - not old new, NEW new. It's an album I got because I took part in a fundraising campaign to help Jeff realize his dream of putting out an album on vinyl. I also got it because I felt guilty for making fun of his desire to release an album that was recorded digitally and then put out on plastic to have that "warmth" only vinyl can deliver.

He took offence at this (and rightly so) and defended his desire, explaining how it was recorded and mixed specifically to enhance the vinyl experience. Incidentally, quite a number of my favourite albums from decades ago were fully digital recordings that sounded awesome on record - yeah, I'm specifically thinking of In Transit by SAGA. It was also one of the first CDs, so there. He may have a point, or it may just be an ear placebo.

What REALLY enhanced the experience was having a big old album cover to hold on to, with a nice insert. I also have the CD (which is just as lovingly packaged, just smaller), and it delivers the pristine audio experience. For giggles, I'll sometimes put his album on the turntable, turn it on, and then play the compact disc really loud. It's a compromise ... and yes, I am aware that I can be a bit of a dick at times. Not one of my favourite attributes, but I own it.

So here it is, my new NEW record: The Threefinger Opera.

Despite trying to avoid another love letter to the year 1978, Jeff does it for me by including his own little nod to "Mr. Blue Sky" with "Unstoppable Me." Now, if you're a purist, you'll argue that it wasn't 1978. Sure, the album actually came out in 1977, but the single was released in 1978.

Jeff, or Mister Elbel, or "Sir," as he prefers to be called, seems like a normal man-about-town kind of guy, but in reality he's a living, breathing Clark Kent. He's an honest-to-goodness raconteur. He's actually kind of irritating in that regard, but in a good way.

I remember, many years ago now, interviewing him about his (still feels new) 2004 release The Eleventh Hour Songbook, and we traded emails for a few days. Being a fanboy and not a journalist, I tended to ask a lot of goofy questions, then wait for answers and try to edit them into something fun to read—or at least something that made sense. Jeff was a saint and patiently edited my questions and polished his answers.

So here I am in 2022, listening to his finally released vinyl record, and again I am kind of blown away. (I am actually fully blown away, but I have to say "kind of" because I'm not really objective at this point and want to seem at least a little objective.)

I was expecting the songs to be along the lines of stuff you'd hear on the more depressing Depeche Mode releases - think Black Celebration but less cowbell. Instead, The Threefinger Opera is a somewhat cheery retelling of Jeff's journey through rehab to regain the use of a hobbled left hand that stopped functioning properly due to a spinal injury - or it could've been a work injury from banging his head against his desk, or something like that. I'm not a doctor, I don't know what it was.

Over the years, Jeff has quietly assumed his place on the periphery of a lot of great music. His knowledge and depth of musical minutiae is rather humbling. The number of odd little guest cameos here makes me want to drop to my knees: "I'm not worthy!"

I mean, he got Cy Curnin from The Fixx, Derri Daugherty, Mister Glenn Kaiser, Phil Madeira, Michael Roe, and Martin Wenk from Calexico. There are many more.

This isn't to discount the contributions from his band. This is top-shelf stuff, honest. I love a lot of what John Bretzlaff does throughout - he's a very tasty player - but honestly, I'm blown away by Stacey Krejci, whose monster bass playing is a highlight throughout the album. Of course, Jeff himself is no slouch, even without all of his faculties ... I mean, digits. One of the coolest things throughout the album is the vocal interplay with Maron Gaffron.

Jeff calls his style of music "progressive roots pop." I just call it music - then again, I'm not good with genres. I like it, or I don't.

Earlier I mentioned I had one new record - technically, that's true - but I also have a new vinyl copy of Jeff's 2001 release No Outlet. As that's over twenty years old now, I'll count it as old, but new to me.

Jeff Elbel + Ping

 

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