The San Francisco-based trio 2 Foot Yard distinguishes itself through an audacious and innovative handling of classical instrumentation. Violinist and vocalist Carla Kihlstedt joins percussionist and guitarist Shahzad Ismaily along with cellist and vocalist Marika Hughes to merge these elements with visceral, pounding rock or energetic pop at one moment, while at another they stretch compositional limits by attaching e e cummings poems and additional unconventional texts to compact avant-garde compositions.
Visibility within the group falls most readily on Kihlstedt because of earlier partnerships with the similarly intrepid John Zorn and her membership in the all-acoustic Tin Hat Trio, another San Francisco ensemble. Hughes and Ismaily nevertheless maintain substantial résumés of their own: Hughes performs with the art-funk trio Red Pocket and lends her voice to the a cappella trio Charming Hostess, both of which issued recordings on Zorn’s Tzadik imprint, while Ismaily, an American of Pakistani descent, has scored works for film and live theater and collaborated with Laurie Anderson.
Within 2 Foot Yard—the moniker referencing an urban organic garden—the collective output emerges as swaggering and adventurous, remaining artful without becoming impenetrable.
