Volume 25 Issue 3 - November 2019

pianist Jacques Demierre, both Swiss, and
expatriate American bassist Barre Phillips
indicate, the inclusion of German Thomas
Lehn’s analogue synthesizer illuminates new
tinctures in the improvisational picture the
others perfected over nearly two decades.
This ever-shifting continuum of electronic
judders not only enhances this program, but
also allows the creation of parallel duos. For
the first time, low-pitched string bowing is
matched with keyboard strums and cadenzas
while altissimo reed sputters are backed by
wave-form grinding. Throughout, partners are
changed as in a decidedly un-square dance.
Individual set pieces for each remain
though, as when Lehn’s vibrations alternate
wood-flute-like gentleness and intensely
vibrated doits, subtly seconded by pumping
piano cadenzas; or when the jagged subsequent
shape of Monkeybusiness 2, defined
by Phillips’ low-pitched sweeps in the introduction,
darkens and deepens to spiccato
string pumps, buttressed by Leimgruber’s
burbling split tones by the finale. Elsewhere,
Demierre’s key dusting can swiftly turn to a
crescendo of notes plus inner-piano string
plucks alongside circular-breathed saxophone
tones.
Cooperation and control are triumphantly
obvious at the climax of Monkeybusiness 1,
when a combination of reed multiphonics,
wriggling electronics and pounding keys
drive the track to peak excitement that
then subtly relaxes into piano glissandi and
delicate reed peeps. Willisau proves that if an
auxiliary musical voice is properly attached it
elevates the results.
Ken Waxman
Niblock/Lamb
Ensemble neoN
Hubro HUBRO CD 2601 (hubromusic.com)
!!
Two over-20-
minute microtonal
compositions
by variations of
the strings, reeds
and percussion
of Norwegian
Ensemble neoN not
only yield provocative
listening but also recognize how the subgenre
has evolved over time.
To Two Tea Roses by Phill Niblock (b.1933),
with its miniscule microtonal displacement,
borders on a solid mass as the six-piece
group begins playing a collective crescendo
and continues with an unresolved drone
throughout. While separate layers of thickness
and intensity give the choked program
shape and fascination, individual instrumental
identity is curtailed.
In contrast, Parallaxis Forma by Catherine
Lamb (b.1982) sets up a program where seven
instrumentalists contrast and comingle tonalities
into a musical wash that parallels a vocal
exposition from Stine Janvin Motland and
Silje Aker Johnsen. As the singers’ voices drift
in and out of aural focus, their closely related
lyric soprano timbres unite in near churchlike
harmonies or pull apart with tremulous
pitches, trade leads, hocket or reach
protracted pauses. Eventually, the thickened
buzz that develops from these sequences
allows individual tones to peep outwards as
the piece undulates to its conclusion.
Without jarring moments, this program
still rewards deep listening as it provides
unparalleled sonic definitions in dissimilar
interpretations.
Ken Waxman
The Passion of Octavius Catto
Uri Caine
816 Music 816-1904 (uricaine.com)
!!
Concise in
length but expansive
in execution,
this CD could be
termed a secular
oratorio, celebrating
the life, contributions
and premature
violent death of
African-American activist Octavius Catto
(1839-1871). Composed by pianist Uri Caine,
the ten-part, 29-minute program integrates
the sophisticated rhythms of Caine’s trio,
including bassist Mike Boone and drummer
Clarence Penn, with the amplified colouring
provided by a full-sized, specially constituted
philharmonic orchestra conducted by
André Raphel, two vocal ensembles and, most
crucially, singer Barbara Walker, who personalizes
episodes in Catto’s storied life that
ended in murder during election day riots
when blacks first tried to vote in post-bellum
Philadelphia.
Using ragtime and swing tropes to advance
the narrative, Caine’s playing meshes with
multilayered orchestral timbres, particularly
during Murder (October 19, 1871), which
also integrates gunfire and police whistles,
and culminates with the pianist’s subtle key
clinking and military-style drum beats dolefully
celebrating the fallen protagonist.
Elsewhere the swell of Walker’s vocal
equipment with melismatic emphasis, backed
by sympathetic affirmations from the 35
singers, almost turns each outing into gospel
music. This is no mean feat when the syllables
being emphasized deal with topics such
as rallying free men of colour to the Union
cause, new amendments to the American
Constitution or, on Change, replication of a
memorable Catto speech from 1866.
A momentous achievement. If there were
fairness in the musical world, performances
of The Passion of Octavius Catto would be
part of any symphony’s repertoire, rather
than a one-time event.
Ken Waxman
POT POURRI
Skye Consort & Emma Björling
Emma Bjorling; Skye Consort
Leaf Music LM225 (leaf-music.ca)
!!
How exactly
does a Celtic-
Quebeco-Franco-
Anglo-Acado-
Gallo-Baroquo
band team up with
a Swedish folk
singer? The answer
to this intriguing
question, posed by the liner notes, begins
in November 2017, when vocalist Emma
Björling was invited to Montreal to take part
in a project which also featured members
of the Skye Consort. The musicians casually
discussed another possible collaboration;
however, when Björling’s return flight to
Sweden was cancelled due to inclement
weather, the plans for this collaboration really
began to solidify. On the final night of her
stay, it was decided: there would be a new
project. Glasses were raised, and voilà, Skye
Consort & Emma Björling was on its way.
Flash forward to 2019, the group is
embarking on tour and releasing their first
CD. There is truly something for everyone
on this fine recording, a collection of
Swedish, Norwegian, Irish, Scottish, English,
French-Canadian and original songs. Herr
Hillebrand, a fitting upbeat opener, showcases
the talents of the entire group. Next,
Björling delivers a powerful, riveting rendition
of Om Berg Och Dalar, a traditional
Norwegian love song which segues into a
Swedish polska. Björling’s stunning original,
En Ängel, features empathic support from
Amanda Keesmaat (cello) and Seán Dagher
(bouzouki). The fiddle tunes, played by Alex
Kehler, are an absolute pleasure.
The songs are beautifully arranged, and
Björling’s vocals are fully integrated into the
ensemble, giving the music the feel of a true
collaboration. One of the best folk recordings
of 2019.
Barry Livingston
Concert Note: Skye Consort & Emma Björling
perform October 31 at the Tranzac Club,
Toronto; November 2 at Artword Artbar in
Hamilton; and November 3 at Zen Waffle Inn,
Waubashene.
Gamelan of Java, Vol. 5: Cirebon Tradition
in America
Gamelan Sinar Surya; Richard North
Lyrichord Discs LYRCH 7461
(lyrichord.com)
Gamelan Music of Cirebon, Indonesia
Gamelan Sinar Surya; Richard North
Sinar Surya Records G5503
(gamelansb.com)
thewholenote.com November 2019 | 89