Volume 12 - Issue 9 - June 2007

tive Michael Mc­Clennan has put fortha fine effort with hisdebut CD "Sing in MeMuse". The fine cast,(featuring Tara Davidson,Kelly Jefferson,Pol Cousse, John~------~ Macleod, WilliamCarn, David Braid and Sly Juhas) chums out primarilyoriginal tunes by McClennan, with the inclusionof two "standards"- a quirky take on theLerner and Lowe classic, On the Street WhereYou Live and a languid and sensual interpretationof the rarely performed Jimmy Dorsey ballad, f 'mGlad There is You - both highlights on this dynamic,self-produced recording.Other stand-outs include the joyous Celtic-flavouredtitle track, featuring solid, full-throttle workfrom Kelly Jefferson on tenor and Tara Davidsonon soprano, the inspired tribute to Benny Golson,Good as Golson (with seamless and swingingperformances from the ensemble), and the downand funky closer, Mr. D s New Shoes.Mike McClennan possesses a gorgeous basssound- fat, resonant and melodic - which makesme wish that perhaps there had been a few morebass features - but perhaps Mike was more interestedin the development of his material utilizinga tight group format, than he was in presentinghimselfas a soloist.McClennan's compositional style is complexand emotionally turbulent, reminiscent of the greatGil Evans (particularly Gil's "Nonet" period). Hiscompositions are not just tunes, but melodic journeys.However, at a certain point, even with theinspired arrangements and top-flight musicianshipa hint of sameness was palpable. Nonetheless,Sing in Me Muse is a work of complex beauty,and Michael McClennan is one of the most interestingbassist/composers on the scene today.Lesley Mitchell-ClarkeConcert Note: Tara Davidson is featured in theCAMMAC Sunday Concert Series at the Mc­Michael Art Gallery on June 17.NohFram;ois Carrier QuartetAyler Records aylDL027 (www.ayler.com)Extending and expandingin-the-momentimprovisationsover more than 67fram,:ols carrierquartet oohminutes, Fran9oisCarrier's quartet ~-1creates five memorabletracks whilenegating the old clicheabout Montreal-Toronto rivalry.ngs.chr:l ~ nrl1llllt:11:1111mkhtUamAlthough three of the four musicians are Montrealers- drummers John Heward and MichelLambert plus alto and soprano saxophonist Carrie- the fourth is Hogtown guitarist Reg Schwager.More surprising is the plectrumist's inclusion,in that he usually works the mainstream side ofthe street.) UNE 1 - ) ULY 7 2007Here however, especially on the more-than-20-minute Noh Three, Schwager's knob-twistingdistortions, heavy down strokes and serpentinenote placement perfectly match the expositionsof the other three, who singly or in tandem haveexperience with such outside players as saxophonistSteve Lacy and pianist Paul Bley. When,for instance, Schwager's slurred picking stretcheshis strings every which way, Carrier respondswith supple, heavily vibrated counter tones andtongue-fluttering. For their part, the percussionistslimit themselves to full-bore thumping accentedwith bell-rattling.Moving from thin-toned soprano sax trillsto full-bodied alto split tones and reed slurs, Car-LAUNCH YOUR CD OR BOOKwith WholeNote's new 1/6page ads (shown here),available In black-and-whiteand In colour. To advertise,call 416-323-2232.UndesirablesDoghouse DreamsCD RELEASEJune 23Hugh's RoomAlso available In our Listings,In "photo Insert" size (above)WWW. THEWHOLENOTE.COMrier's inventive timbres often invoke Camatic asmuch as Cool jazz styling. His sprightly legatolines sometimes call forth dual backbeats fromthe drummers, while squeaky reed interludes demandhearty electronic reverb from the guitarist."Noh" is also quintessentially Canadian in thatthis Montreal-recorded session can only be purchasedby downloading it from a Swedish label'sWeb site (URL above). Classily, the buyer canalso download full-colour art and complete notesalong with the music.Ken WaxmanConcert Note: Reg Schwager performs at theMezzetta Restaurant on June 27 & 30.DISCOVERIES CONTINUES NEXT PAGETWOih~ROADARLENE SMITHwith MARK EISENMANA pure and simple approachto jazz standards selectedfor the stories they tellLaunched May 3rd atOpal Jazz LoungeCD available through www.arlenesmith.ca,CD Baby.com or by contacting Arlenedirectly at asmb@i-zoom.netCage Tai k ~~~1~~:;ewith and aboutEdited by Peter DickinsonRevealing unpublished interviews with John Cageand some of his closest colleagues, including VirgilThomson, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Pauline Oliveros,Merce Cunningham, and David Tudor."A valuable and enjoyable read which I unreservedlyrecommend. " . .- Roger Thomas, BBC Music MagazineUSO $49.95, 296 pp., 10 b&w illus.,ISBN: 1-58046-237-5Available from the University of Rochester Presswww.urpress.com (585) 275-041959