Nick Millevoi’s Desertion is the newest project from intrepid Philadelphia-based guitarist/composer Nick Millevoi, exploring the sonic space between Neil Young’s expansive work with Crazy Horse, late 60s free jazz, and the NY Downtown scene. Millevoi’s Desertion Trio features Johnny DeBlase of Many Arms and Zevious on bass and Kevin Shea, best known for his work with jazz assassins Mostly Other People Do The Killing and Talibam!, on drums.
Nick co-leads noise-jazz trio Many Arms, makes one half of the duo Archer Spade, plays guitar in Chris Forsyth & the Solar Motel Band, and, with guitarist Matt Hollenberg, co-leads a quartet that exclusively performs extreme versions of John Zorn’s Bagatelles. Nick’s music has been released by labels such as Tzadik, New Atlantis, Gaffer, and The Flenser, and has been reviewed by Pitchfork, SPIN, NPR Music, The Onion AV Club, Wire magazine, and many others.
In May 2015, Shhpuma, part of the Clean Feed label, focused on releasing music that goes “beyond, below and above the jazz realm,” released the debut record by Desertion, featuring bassist Johnny DeBlase, keyboardist Jamie Saft, and drummer Ches Smith. In a track premiere for NPR Music, Lars Gotrich said Desertion “hits the sweet spot between Neil Young’s exploratory Crazy Horse jams and a spaghetti western soundtrack,” and Aquarium Drunkard said, “Desertion is well worth getting lost in.”
