All Gist

by James Elkington and Nathan Salsburg

One of my favorite and most listened to records of 2024. All Gist is discursive. James and Nathan “speak” to each other throughout; trading licks and ideas. Building songs that tell stories via melody and repetition. More than that, All Gist speaks directly to me. It tickles something deep and awakens a profound connection to something I cannot name, even after countless listens over the last eight months.

My weird feelings for All Gist are best encapsulated in the final song, “Buffalo Stance.” This song always stops me in my tracks. I put down whatever I’m doing, whether I’m at work, doing the dishes, or playing with the kids, and listen. Buffalo Stance makes me want to make music more than anything else I’ve heard. If I could make a lifetime’s worth of music, I’d want it all to be Buffalo Stance.

Here are some other songs on All Gist that are worlds unto themselves, or lives lived within themselves, or just nice to listen to: All Gist Could Be Yours, Fears of This Nature, Numb Limbs, and Long in the Tooth Again.

If you’re up early one morning and looking for something quiet to enjoy with a nice cup of coffee, give this a spin.