made over a period of five years, reveals the composer 's process of music making. In form, it is a reflection of his music: sparse yet profound. As the title suggests, it is montage of moments in which the viewer is afforded intimate and often ordinary glimpses into Part's daily existence. We are introduced to his relationship with nature, the whim sical teacher, the child-like prankster, the humble philosopher, the consummate musician. For me, many of the gems are within his candid commentary. Part tells us how one day he asked a janitor's opinion on how a composer should make good music. The answer he received changed his life: a composer must learn to love each and every sound. 24 Preludes elucidates the first track on the newly released ECM New Series "Arva Part: Lamentate". Da pacem Domine was commissioned for a concert entirely based on the theme of this 9th century Gregorian chant. This a cappella version was recorded last April by the Hilliard Ensemble, who have been working with Part since J 982, and their mutual fam iliarity is palpable. At one moment in the documentary, Part tells us about a turning point in his life: when he was a small child, he chanced upon Gregorian chant while browsing in a bookshop - he heard clear, lucid tones and his young mind realized this was musical truth. It may seem odd that a child wou ld be so moved, but Part was consumed by music from an early age. He tells us that at nine, he felt he couldn't subject his fan1ily to the "noise" of the national radio, so he cycled to the vi llage market where symphonies were blasted over loud speaker. He would cycle for hours, listening- formulating the tool kit for his later creative output. The title track of the CD release Lamentate is a work for piano and orchestra. The inspiration fo r the entire 37-minute piece came from a moment in time: when Part beheld the gargantuan sculpture, 'Marsyas' by Anish Kapoor, at the Tate Modern in the fall of 2002. In the liner notes Part recounts the instant he was personally affronted and confronted by his own mortality. Lamentate is a lament for the living- an offering to help us with the struggle of time versus timelessness. It is fraught with uncomfortable tensions and sublime resolutions. In the music there is much suffering, but ultimately there is reconci liation. For those of us who need to be reminded of the beauty in the little things in life, this film and this CD are a must. Heidi McKenzie 80 Back to Ad Index Concert Note: The Jubilate Singers perform Part's Berliner Messe on November 26 at Eastrninster United Church. JAZZ (Also see Discs of the Month) lheloniousm,nl quai1el m,hjnhncnl/rm · 'r· 1 Live at Carnegie Hall Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane EMI/Blue Note Records 3 35174 2 This release of music recorded 48 years ago is going to be on everyone's Top Ten CDs list for the year, along with the Dizzy Gillespie Town Hall recording, reviewed by Don Brown in this issue. Both are essential. This is without doubt a Monk band, with Coltrane as a sideman, though a lot oflisteners will be paying more attention to the tenorman. They shouldn 't. Monk is at his best here, and the bass/drum combination is exemplary, perfectly attuned to the leader's requirements. Ahmed Abdul Malik is solid, and Shadow Wilson is a listening, dancing drummer. Don't misunderstand my remark about John Coltrane - he loved working with Thelonious, and learned much from him. Indeed, this transitional period found Trane in fu ll development from a good soloist to one of the all-time greats. He has taken in Monk's music completely and his mastery shows, in comparison with the release of the "5 Spot" recordings a few years back. The Qua1et's segments ofa November 29, 1957 Carnegie Hall concert was taped by Voice of America for outside-USA broadcast, and was discovered in a Smithsonian vault earlier this year. It was beautiful ly recorded, though the drummer may be a bit high in the mix. Monk's fami li ar repertoire is on di splay here, so there's a deja-vu quality to this, but remember it was much fresher at the time, and the interpretations are luminous. Oneslighttechnical caveat: this recording would not play on my twentyyear old CD player, which usually has no trouble, even with CDRs. Copyand internet-protection on the disc makes it lurch track to track on my computer, with a pause introduced WWW. THEWHOLENOTE.COM between tunes. It plays just fine on my cheap portable player, though. Ted O'Reilly Forget Me Not Matt Herskowitz Tout Crin TCD 19088 Fasten your seat belts and check your minimum height requirement, because "Forget Me Not" by the Montreal-based Herskowitz Rozenblatt project is about to take listeners on a frenzied roller coaster ride of idiomatic twists and turns that could leave even the most experienced jazz aficionados light-headed. Pianist Matt Herskowitz and drummer David Rozenblatt waste little time showcasing compositional audacity and technical proficiency with Concerto en Fou, an up-tempo number bordering on the avantgarde and atonal. Chords, melodie s, and even standards, yes that's right, standards make their way on the album project with two versions of Brazil along with The Days of Wine and Roses which Herskowitz cal ls our 'gateau fromage' in the CD's liner notes. "Forget Me Not" also ventures into the exotic with Amr Bi lsmak, a beautiful Arabian number by Lebanese composer/instrumentali st Marcel Khalife. Herskowitz and Rozenblatt also draw upon their own cu ltural backgrounds with a Latin-esque interpretation of If! Were A Rich Man, and Under Your White Starry Heaven which Herskowitz first performed in Paris with Yiddish singer Theresa Tova. Bass player Matt Fieldes completes the trio formats and trumpet veteran Lew Soloffmakes two guest appearances. " Forget Me Not" by the Herskowitz Rozenblatt Projects is many things: fast, furious, impressionistic, funky, Latin, moody, ethnic, and impressive. Eli Eisenberg Call It leml Michael Wollny; Eva Kruse; Eric Schaefer Young German Jazz ACT 9650-2 Inaugurating a brand new series on ca II i t ~-.. :. ~- ' em J the Act Music label called "Young German Jazz", this trio of players is apparently supposed to rescue German jazz from obscurity. Then again, who said that German jazz was obscure? With names such as Brotzmann, Do rner, Fuchs, Kowald, Gumpert and Bauer, improvised music from Germany has always been a potent force to be reckoned with. The issue here is that the more mainstream acts were somehow left by the wayside and ignored at crucial German jazz festivals, as well as by the record labels themselves. This young trio - made up of pianist Michael Wollny, bassist Eva Kruse and percussionist Eric Schaefer - mines the field of "outside" mainstream music. Sure, all the pieces here are highly melodic and everything is composed, but there are glimmers of hope. Improvisation sticks out its head on rare occasions and when it does, it's a cause for celebration. Wollny 's piano play in g seems to bond to the romantic side of things, but in a good sort of way. He seems to exhibit the same sort of thoughtfu l moody qualities that Ran Blake displays to this very day Bassist Eva Kruse and percussionist Eric Schaefer are basically playing standard repertoire. They merely create a pleasant backbone, which serves as a springboard and frees up Michael Wollny to play his subtle improvisations. Though "Call it(em]" may not necessarily be a breakout record, it is still a fresh breeze from the land that gave us so much refreshing beer. Tom Sekowski Indelible Bobby Cairns, guitar Composers Jazz Orchestra Society CPOOl When you think of Canadian Jazz Guitarists from the Prairies, two names that automatically come to mind are Ed Bickert and the late Lenny Breau. One Prairie guitarist that hasn't yet received the same recognition is Bobby Cairns, an Edmonton native whose career has spanned five decades and who has managed to stay employed in a variety of musical settings, from clubs to jingles, to film scores and music education. NOVEMBER 1 - DECEM BER 7 2 005
Back to Ad Index IT'S MOZART'S BIRTHDAY WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART'S MUST-HAVE MASTERPIECES IN ACCLAIMED PERFORMANCES FROM THE DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON, DECCA AND PHILIPS CATALOGUES. This series is a feast for both collector and for those who wish to discover the world's most popular composer. First rate performances from the biggest names in classical music, combined with modern liner notes, Mozart Fact Files and Listening Guides give you have an unbeatable combination - and all at a very special price. ll. D l ART 11 ,itJ. r·~ IU
