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.
- No tags were found...
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
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