Chadbourne doesn't always find players fully prepared for the ride, but the players on (A) are ready and willing to hop in the bumper cars. On "Band of Gold" they leave Chad as alone as Martina Topley-Bird on a Tricky mix, rolling along as if life were but a dream against their wobbly, noisy accompaniment. They concede slightly to the blues on (2 or 3), but squall through "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay." On the instrumental passages, Chadbourne's ever-ready banjo submerges into their blunt anarchy. On dozens of records, Chadbourne has played in front of or, more recently, with a revolving door of musicians. Here he seems to play despite them.

Chadkytrapp is culled from two sets at New York's Knitting Factory in January 2003, the second of which opened with the piece that begins this disc. After a first-time meeting of the trio (none had played together before) in which Chadbourne led the majority and saxophonist Evan Rapport blew dissent, Julian Kytasty issued a compromise on his bandura, letting loose the Ukranian folk melody that begins the disc. Chadbourne vamped until he found room for some Appalachian blues. It could have been released as Country Music in the Former Soviet Bloc.

The string players become fast friends across the disc, with the younger Rapport there to ensure things don't get too comfy. Rapport is due to star in an off-Broadway production of Skronklemania but hasn't forgotten his Rahsaan; his dual horns urged the elders into a fine rendition of "Volunteered Slavery."