Volume 24 Issue 4 - December 2018 / January 2019

Dream. Joining Yamanaka are drummer
Bill Stewart, vibraphonist Steve Nelson, and
bassist Orlando le Fleming, all three of whom
are veterans of the New York jazz scene, both
as bandleaders and sidepeople.
Miki begins with Mr. Pancake, a swinging,
medium-up song, with a concise, intelligent
bass solo, playful trading between Yamanaka
and Nelson, and a strong drum solo over a
vamp that follows the final statement of the
melody. Monk’s Dream starts with an evocative,
tastefully Monk-ish solo piano section
before the band enters with an arrangement
that juxtaposes sections of 3/4 with the song’s
typical 4/4 feel. Stuffed Cabbage, performed
in trio format with Stewart and le Fleming,
is a groovy, straight-eighths composition that
gives plenty of room to all involved to stretch
out, and A Fake Hero is anchored by tight
melodic playing from Yamanaka and Nelson
over propulsive rhythm section shots. For All
We Know, played as a ballad and arranged as
a duet with Nelson, is treated with sensitive,
communicative maturity, and stands out as
one of the album’s highlights. Overall, Miki is
a success, both on the merits of Yamanaka’s
playing and on the compelling group dynamic
that she has cultivated.
Colin Story
Vol. II
Onze Heures Onze Orchestra
Onze Heures Onze ONZ 027
(onzeheuresonze.com)
!!
Skilled in
notated as well as
improvised music,
the 14-piece Parisbased
Onze Heures
Onze Orchestra
(OHOO) takes
themes from 20thand
21st-century compositions and bends
them into stimulatingly expressive tracks.
Since two percussionists are part of the
collective, a forceful rock-like beat adds to the
thematic dislocations.
No component overpowers the others,
however, which is why for instance From
Crippled Symmetry uses Morton Feldman’s
creation as basis for a lusty big-band swing
piece driven by Magic Malik’s muscular
flute, Alexandre Herer’s piano clipping and
dramatic eloquence from one of the alto saxophonists.
Just as dynamic, but spared from
novelty, Conlon Nancarrow’s Study for Player
Piano No. 20 throbs as patterns bounce
between piano and Stéphan Caracci’s ringing
vibes, as graceful brass and burly percussion
give it more orchestral shape than the
original.
Europeans aren’t neglected either. Two
tracks inspired by Olivier Messiaen boomerang
among marching band riffs, electric
rock and mellow horn motifs, with one
featuring a dissected piano solo and the
other now titled Kung Fu 37. Not surprisingly
though, the most expressive arrangement
is Densite 11.11 inspired by Edgar Varèse.
Expanding the original’s lofty intent, the
OHOO harmonizes whinnying trombone,
growling trumpet, rolls from both drummers
and paced kinetics from vibes and piano into
a unique recasting.
Unlike efforts to jazz up the classics or
elevate improvisation, Vol. II creates a durable
synthesis of contemporary sounds that
should attract those from every part of the
musical spectrum.
Ken Waxman
POT POURRI
Felix Anima
Jeff Bird
Independent (jeffbird.com)
!!
Canadian multiinstrumentalist
Jeff Bird, familiar
to many as the
harmonica player
for the Cowboy
Junkies, describes
his interpretations
of the music
of Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) as “Man
plays 800-year-old music on the harmonica.”
And so he does, with passion, clear musical
understanding and respect on eight of
her sacred chants. Bird also supports his
harmonica playing with many other instruments
like shruti box and lap steel, with
special guest pianist Witold Grabowiecki on
two tracks.
This is such a rewarding magical listening
experience. Bird’s perfect breath control on
harmonica emulates the original vocal lines
throughout all his contemplative arrangements.
The opening solo Lovingly Inclined
Towards All is amazing from the start, with
nice use of drone and musical touches maintaining
von Bingen’s original stylistic aspects.
Noble Rupert is given a reflective performance
on harmonica and shruti box, as a low
drone note supports the lead harmonica lines
featuring dynamic held note swells. The Third
Flies Everywhere is an intense harmonica/
piano duet tour de force as the resonating
very low piano notes contrast a detached
piano melody, with the harmonica introduction
adding new colour. A mid-piece solo
piano leads to duet melodic conversations and
an inspiring reflective harmonica line against
more florid piano movement.
Bird’s decades-long passion for von
Bingen’s music has enabled him to create
a new brilliant sound mix of medieval and
modern arrangements for instrumentations
that all just work perfectly to the final
harmonica closing fade.
Tiina Kiik
Songs without Words – Torchsongs
Transformed
Les Délices
Navona Records NV6195
(navonarecords.com)
!!
A unique
programming scenario
highlights
this second release
by Les Délices, a
Baroque instrumental
trio founded
in 2009 by Baroque
oboist Debra Nagy,
with members Mélisande Corriveau on viola
da gamba and pardessus de viole, and Eric
Milnes on harpsichord. Here the trio performs
17th- and 18th-century vocal airs and
20th-century jazz standards and torch songs,
creating mindset-altering music.
As no published solo music existed for
Baroque woodwinds prior to 1700, vocal
songs were adapted for instruments. Les
Délices chose French love songs from some
of the greatest 17th-century songwriters.
Highlights include Marin Marais’ Prelude
in A Minor featuring intricate ornamentations
and trills, clear phrasing and clear
harpsichord accompanying cadences. Nice
melodic and ornamental interplay between
harpsichord and oboe makes for a straightforward
Baroque rendition of Jean-Baptiste
de Bousett’s Pourquoy, doux rossignol.
Strong ensemble playing keeps the listener’s
attention throughout a slow and heartbreaking
rendition of Jean-Philippe Rameau’s
Tristes apprets.
The big surprises here are the contemporary
songs. For example, the Patsy Cline/
Willie Nelson classic Crazy is true to the
original, with the almost-country-band
rhythmic harpsichord and viola da gamba
supporting the wailing oboe melody. John
Lennon and Paul McCartney’s Michelle highlights
an upbeat pop harpsichord with a
sing-along oboe melody. The closing Joseph
Kosma/Johnny Mercer Autumn Leaves
features almost percussive harpsichord chords
with an almost walking bass viola da gamba
background, highlighted by an oboe lead
complete with solo improvisation.
This is successful risk-taking music!
Tiina Kiik
Dreamers
Magos Herrera; Brooklyn Rider
Sony Masterworks 190758907123
(brooklynrider.com)
! ! In a context
where the term
“dreamers” is being
misused to characterize
immigrants
as being motivated
by some kind
of imaginary land
grab or cultural
thewholenote.com December 2018 / January 2019 | 95