| Hammond and Monson were members of a jazz trio with the late bassist Erik Kleven, who was killed in an auto accident this past July.
Rather than find another bass player, the two of them decided to continue as a duet. Ironicially, their first formal gig as a duet was opening up for guitarist Robin Trower at the Fillmore.
"I got the call the night before the show," says Hammond. "Apparently they wanted an opening act and without thinking about it I confirmed it. I figured that Tom and I know each other so well that we could find something interesting to play."
Hence the birth of a new project. V Neck's title is a tribute to Kleven's signature T shirts.
The guitar and drum duo's music relies heavily on free jazz improvisation with elements of polyrhythms and electronic textures to shape its sound. Together they have played with Ken Vandermark and Peter Brotzman, Good for Cows, Nels Cline and Jeff Tweedy, Robin Trower, Medeski, Martin and Wood, and Sonic Youth. |