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Volume 27 Issue 4 - February 2022

Gould's Wall -- Philip Akin's "breadcrumb trail; orchestras buying into hope; silver linings to the music theatre lockdown blues; Charlotte Siegel's watershed moments; Deep Wireless at 20; and guess who is Back in Focus. All this and more, now online for your reading pleasure.

Gould's Wall -- Philip Akin's "breadcrumb trail; orchestras buying into hope; silver linings to the music theatre lockdown blues; Charlotte Siegel's watershed moments; Deep Wireless at 20; and guess who is Back in Focus. All this and more, now online for your reading pleasure.

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engaging music – “progressive-conservative”<br />

in the best sense – deserves widespread<br />

exposure to international audiences.<br />

Recommended!<br />

Michael Schulman<br />

Sara Schoenbeck<br />

Sara Schoenbeck; Harris Eisenstadt;<br />

Roscoe Mitchell; Mark Dresser; Peggy Lee<br />

et al<br />

Pyroclastic Records PR 16<br />

(pyroclasticrecords.com)<br />

! As a pioneer<br />

of contemporary<br />

bassoon, Sara<br />

Schoenbeck’s selftitled<br />

album of duet<br />

collaborations reads<br />

almost like a list of<br />

party invitees who<br />

just happen to be the who’s who of modern<br />

improvisers.<br />

Longtime friendships and musical partnerships<br />

culminate in a colourful quilt as<br />

Schoenbeck travels to recording studios<br />

across North America during a global<br />

pandemic to reach each collaborator. While<br />

her pairings are unique and intimately<br />

connected with each artist, Schoenbeck<br />

shares that her “deepest musical relationship<br />

is with the bassoon itself, the kernel of [her]<br />

inspiration.” It might be obvious by now, but<br />

it is worth noting that no more important a<br />

relationship can be intensified than an artist<br />

with their instrument during a pandemic,<br />

and each collaboration shines a spotlight<br />

on Schoenbeck’s skillful microtonal and<br />

multiphonic explorations. Long, arcing tones<br />

of bending, creaking, edgy vocalizations and<br />

melodic expressions are showcased across a<br />

wide and beautiful canvas of both scored and<br />

improvised duets.<br />

The haunting and beautiful Lullaby with<br />

improvising guitar legend Nels Cline is soaked<br />

with a darkly sublime blend of bassoon and<br />

ambient electronic extensions that at times<br />

feels like one voice, where Suspend A Bridge,<br />

with cellist Peggy Lee, seesaws a fine balance<br />

between intertwined harmonies and vast<br />

textural space. The Sand Dune Trilogy, with<br />

Nicole Mitchell on flute, seductively reminds<br />

us of Schoenbeck’s symphonic past while<br />

simultaneously teasing it apart.<br />

Other collaborators include Harris<br />

Eisenstadt, Roscoe Mitchell, Mark Dresser,<br />

Matt Mitchell and Wayne Horvitz. The closing<br />

track, Robin Holcomb’s Sugar, is a beautiful<br />

and unexpected finale – but then, parties do<br />

sometimes end with the most interesting,<br />

quiet conversations.<br />

Cheryl Ockrant<br />

JAZZ AND IMPROVISED<br />

You Are the Light and the Way<br />

Alex Bird and the Jazz Mavericks<br />

Independent (alexbird.net)<br />

! Award-winning<br />

singer-songwriter<br />

Alex Bird<br />

has done it again<br />

on his newest<br />

release, showcasing<br />

his vocal<br />

prowess as well as<br />

great compositional<br />

skills. Along with<br />

pianist and songwriting partner-in-crime<br />

Ewen Farncombe, the pair has penned 12 new<br />

tracks with string and horn arrangements<br />

courtesy of the latter. Backed by the stellar<br />

Jazz Mavericks and several guest musicians<br />

this time around, Bird’s sound has grown to<br />

newer and greater heights with this record.<br />

This album would be a valuable addition to<br />

the collection of any jazz lover who’s looking<br />

to dive into the deeper and darker crevices of<br />

the genre.<br />

The album starts off with the sultry title<br />

track You Are The Light and the Way,<br />

bringing the listener on a journey through<br />

the intriguingly seedy underbelly of the jazz<br />

world where the traditional and raunchy<br />

merge. The unique theme that carries<br />

throughout the record is a musical “path<br />

that blends the light and dark” in a way that<br />

holds the attention of the listener to the last<br />

note. From melancholy songs such as Way<br />

Back Home to positively toe-tapping pieces<br />

such as Old Soul and Back To You, Bird and<br />

the Mavericks bring a scintillating spark and<br />

charm that liven up these dreary winter days.<br />

This golden-voiced vocalist, reminiscent of<br />

Sinatra and Elling, brings the album to a<br />

close with the touching Honey Bee Lullaby,<br />

a promise of much more to come from this<br />

young talent in the near future.<br />

Kati Kiilaspea<br />

Mantra<br />

Dave Young<br />

Modica Music (modicamusic.com)<br />

! Renowned and<br />

celebrated Juno<br />

Award-winning<br />

bassist, Dave Young,<br />

has outdone himself<br />

again and created a<br />

mellow and oh-sopleasing<br />

vibe on<br />

his latest release.<br />

Assembling a nothing-short-of-stellar group<br />

of musicians featuring the likes of Kevin<br />

Turcotte, Reg Schwager and Terry Clarke,<br />

Young’s elegant and nimble bass playing is<br />

supported brilliantly by the backing band<br />

while allowing each musician their rightful<br />

place in the spotlight as well. Having penned<br />

over half of the tracks himself, Young’s<br />

compositional talents are also showcased in a<br />

great manner throughout the album.<br />

Each track crosses genres seamlessly, with<br />

the band “elastically stretching through<br />

different feels and styles and always snapping<br />

back into simple but precise grooves.” That’s<br />

where Young’s magic lies, in his uncomplicated<br />

melodies and chord progressions while<br />

maintaining a spot-on rhythm and great<br />

attention to detail and accuracy; the combination<br />

of which creates a satisfying and pleasurable<br />

musical whole. A standout track is The<br />

Gypsy, featuring a unique alto saxophone,<br />

trumpet and guitar melody and solos layered<br />

over a constantly moving bass line and scintillating<br />

drum beats. Ode to the Southwest<br />

brings forth the vintage sound of Ewen<br />

Farncombe’s Hammond B3 underpinning a<br />

mellow and effortless guitar line by Schwager.<br />

Closing out the album is Myako’s Waltz, a<br />

beautiful swing-flavoured piece that leaves<br />

the listener with a feeling of hope and positivity.<br />

Any listener with a particular soft spot<br />

for the traditional is bound to fall in love with<br />

this record.<br />

Kati Kiilaspea<br />

Not This Room<br />

Roddy Ellias Free Spirit Ensemble featuring<br />

Kellylee Evans<br />

Independent (roddyellias.com)<br />

! With this latest<br />

recording, eminent<br />

guitarist Roddy<br />

Ellias shines not<br />

only as a gifted<br />

musician, but as<br />

a fine and facile<br />

composer and<br />

arranger. Every<br />

song in this collection was written by Elias,<br />

and the compelling, and often haunting lyrics<br />

were written by noted Canadian poetess<br />

Sandra Nicholls. Both the music and lyrics<br />

here require the participation of very special<br />

artists, and joining Elias on this deeply<br />

personal project is the inspired vocalist and<br />

lyrical interpreter, Kellylee Evans, as well<br />

as a lineup of skilled musicians, including<br />

Ellias on acoustic steel string guitar, Marc<br />

Copland on piano, Justin Orok on nylon<br />

string guitar, Chris Pond on bass, Jose Garcia<br />

on percussion, Petr Cancura on reeds and<br />

mandolin, Guy Pelletier on flute, Richard Page<br />

on bass clarinet and Pierre-Yves Martel on<br />

viola da gamba.<br />

Evans’ emotional intelligence permeates the<br />

stunning title track, and beckons the listener<br />

to participate in the journey ahead. As the<br />

tune segues into a more rhythmic section,<br />

the ensemble playing, including Garcia’s<br />

subtle and driving percussion, is nothing<br />

short of breathtaking. These artists are clearly<br />

listening to each other and are creating every<br />

musical nuance in synchronicity – like a<br />

single-celled being,<br />

Of special note is the moving and<br />

thewholenote.com <strong>February</strong> <strong>2022</strong> | 49

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