often played as pizzicato harmonics, a delicatecurlicue of a bassline underpins what soundslike a Gaelic lament on Fogarty’s Ladinolyrics. Everywhere close-knit ensemblepassages develop from single magical phrases.In the music of plucked & struck Percussiahave pierced music’s mysterious skin. Kudosto them for having done so.Raul da GamaDavid Lang – Composition as ExplanationEighth BlackbirdCedille CDR 90000 230 (cedillerecords.org/albums/composition-as-explanation)! This albumis serious fun.As an adaptationof GertrudeStein’s seminal1926 lecture, DavidLang’s multi-disciplinarywork showcasesthe creativeand technical prowess of this Pulitzer-prizewinning composer. Adding to the marriageis the dedication to the work of Grammywinningsextet Eight Blackbird, who bringus a solid performance of an interesting anddynamic work. And a performance it is, as thepiece was written to be presented on stage,with the composer asking the musicians to bestage performers, to learn acting, diction andthe art of theatre, to produce an integratedand seamless work.The lecture by the iconic Stein,Composition as Explanation, was a descriptionof what she is doing in her writing. “…inher same repetitive, plainspoken and circularformat that she uses in her writing…” (Lang).Lang paints the lecture’s writing as billboard-sizedenactments, blurring the linesbetween text and performance, while alsostretching the musicality of his writing toshowcase the versatility, technical skill andgroup dynamics of Eighth Blackbird. Eachtrack of the composition reads as a smallchapter of the lecture, which includes nearlyall of Stein’s writing word-for-word, andthe complex music never overshadows thetext. As an illustration of Stein’s work, it isa colourful, theatrical exposition, a largerthan-lifeperformance allowing the listener todiscover the lecture in more detail, giving itnew meaning and relevance today. It is a workone would wish to see live, but the albumdoes well to impart the flavour of a stageperformance, and the album booklet’s inclusionof photos from the performance doeswell to set the scene.Cheryl OckrantNew Music for Brass and PercussionMetalofonicoNew Focus Recordings FCR413(newfocusrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/metalofonico)! What happenswhen you mix16 brass players,seven percussionists,electric guitarand synthesizer? Asonic wallop, herecourtesy of trumpeterJon Nelson,University at Buffaloprofessor and his ensemble Metalofonico,named after Brazilian Dimas Sedicias’ rowdy,big-band dance piece, included in this CD.(Sedicias’ bluesy tuba solo, Raymond MyFriend, played by Raymond Stewart, comesmidway through the disc, a brief respite fromthe mostly clamorous goings-on.)This newly-released CD was recorded back in2001-2002. Responding to my email query, Nelsonexplained that it was originally manufactured in2003 to serve as a limited-distribution promotionalitem – “I decided last year to put it out ‘forreal’ in the hope of giving new life to the pieces.”Four world-renowned composers arerepresented – Charles Ives’ From the Steeplesand the Mountains, memorably evoking overlapping,reverberating church bells; IannisXenakis’ Khal Perr (Greek for “WalkingDance”), a kaleidoscopic compendium ofpercussion-braced sonorities; Milton Babbitt’satonal, amorphous Fanfare for Double BrassEnsemble; Giovanni Gabrieli’s noble CanzonaXXV, from the first golden age of brass.The disc’s longest piece, Tom Pierson’s11-minute Music for a Solemn Occasion, ispredominantly slow and introspective. Inmarked contrast are Nelson’s pounding, jazzrockInsomnio and his rollicking arrangementof Perez Prado’s 1950 hit, Mambo No.5, BrianMcWhorter’s industrially pile-driving LucreIota and David Felder’s Two Tuttis – Incendioand Shredder, the latter, writes Felder, “meantto be ferocious fun.” There’s ferocity and funaplenty on this CD.Michael SchulmanJAZZ AND IMPROVISEDUsual SuspectsNo Codes(benjamindeschamps.bandcamp.com/music)! No Codes’ sophomorerelease pullsno punches, andconstantly provesthat less is more.Exhibit A is the titletrack, which dropsa single eighthnote during thesecond phrase of the head, making an alreadyirresistibly danceable syncopated rhythm feelsubversive and lively. From there, the grooveseamlessly transitions into a half time feel,Louis-Vincent Hamel’s open hi-hat providingemphatic weight to every snare hit. Returningto the original pattern and back again, thatbar of seven offsets the listener’s expectedarrival point of the next section, grippingthem with a feeling of constant momentum.The track is just over two minutes long, but itfeels dense and eventful nevertheless.All this profound power, generated fromthe mere omission of one beat, is a testamentto the cohesion of this wonderful combo.Exploring many points on the musical spectrumwhile embracing dissonance andallowing each musician their own improvisationalspace, there is nary a dull moment tobe found across these ten sprawling tracks.It is not only easy to find one’s self in awe ofthe two-piece rhythm section’s pas de deux,but also how consistently both saxophonistssound like an extension of this bond,playing percussively and interpretively whilecontributing to the overall driving pulse ofeach respective composition. Usual Suspectsis a singular blend of being accessible andthought-provoking and is an absolute joy tolisten to.Yoshi Maclear WalINeil Swainson – Here For A WhileNeil Swainson SextetCellar Music CMF022024(neilswainsonquintet.bandcamp.com/album/here-for-a-while)! Bassist NeilSwainson is takinga playful, backhandedswipe atus (Canada andothers alike) sayingthat he’s beenHere For A While.He has been herefor quite a while. In fact, bass-playing associateSteve Wallace informs us that Swainsonhas contributed mightily to music played by“Woody Shaw, George Shearing, and RobertaGambarini…” Which leaves you wonderinghow this can only be Swainson’s third albumas leader, especially as he has been celebratedin that music community by such leadingaficionados as Don Thompson while passinglike a ship in the night elsewhere.And so, here is Swainson and his Sextet –comprising pianist Renee Rosnes, drummerQuincy Davis, trombonist Steve Davis, saxophonistKelly Jefferson and trumpeter BradTurner. The focus ought to be – and it surelyis – not only on the fine playing by oneand all, but also Swainson as an exquisitecomposer. That, of course, and his consummate,undefiled virtuosity and inspirationalleadership.Swainson’s sextet is in cracking shapethroughout this set. The leader’s playing is56 | December 2024 & January 2025 thewholenote.com
both vibrant and urgent. This pays huge dividendsin the pulsating, swinging opener TheEnd of the Day and in the rest of the fare.But the composer’s artistry is hardly onedimensional. He has a deep feeling for bluesywork (cue Jerry’s Blues) and his balladry (asIn the Path of Angels) evolves in fine-spunrhapsodizing that make this recording onefor the ages.Raul da GamaMosaicStefan Bauer; Terry Clarke; MatthewHalpin; Matthia Akeo NowakCornerstone Records CRST-CD169(cornerstonerecordsinc.com/pages/cat169.html)! Improvisingmusicians fromseveral generationswould give alot to perform withTerry Clarke, theéminence grise ofCanadian drumming.He is one ofthe celebrated rhythm-twins (the other beingDon Thompson, who plays bass, vibraphoneor piano). Thompson and Clarke, some mayremember, were effectively head-hunted bythe celebrated alto saxophonist John Handy inthe early 1960s and played in Handy’s seminalensemble at the 1965 Monterey Jazz Festival.That ensemble released Recorded Live at theMonterey Jazz Festival (Columbia, 1966).For the unfettered and ingenious nature ofthe musicians’ improvisatory performance,Ralph J. Gleason (on album notes) called it“an exciting group and one that will makejazz history.”It is this same epic excitement that Clarke& Co. evokes on Mosaic. The main story hereis what Clarke calls “the sound of surprise,”quoting the legendary music critic WhitneyBalliett. That brief quote is characteristic ofthe usually taciturn drummer. He is infinitelybetter at letting his drumsticks and brushesdo the talking with a swinging rattle and rollon the shells and skins of his snare and tomtoms,punctuated by the depth charges onthe bass drum and the sizzle and bop of thecymbals and high-hat. Indeed, Clarke givesus a drumming masterclass supported bybassist Matthias Akeo Nowak, vibraphonistStefan Bauer and tenor saxophonist MatthewHalpin – together embodying “the sound ofsurprise” indeed.Raul da GamaDarn, That BandEric St-Laurent; Chendy Leon; MagdelysSavigne; Calvin BealeIndependent (eric-st-laurent.bandcamp.com/album/darn-that-band)! Excellentarrangements oftimeless classics.Patient, cyclicalgrooves that subtlydevelop and thenfind their way backhome. A four-pieceband where halfthe group plays percussion and the other halfplays percussively. Dedication and faithfulnessto the originals that will leave familiarlisteners satisfied, but also a penchant forexploration and experimentation that allowsfor catharsis from unexpected places.Take for example, what El Cumbancherometamorphoses into leading out of MagdelysSavinge’s conga solo. As guitar and cajonsyncopate each other’s syncopations, all threeinstruments coalesce into one wall of sound,building in density but not noise. After thishushed swell hits a certain point, Calvin Bealecomes in with three chromatic bass notes,and a new cycle is born, as the syntheticbecomes merged with the acoustic onceand for all.This consistent interplay, decisiveness andwillingness to embrace dissonance makes foran equally engaging exercise in exactness andfreedom. Because of all the percussion andrhythmic playing it feels like every inch of thetime feel spectrum is always accounted for,but never in an overbearing way. It also feelslike there are multiple ways to listen to this,and they’re all equally fruitful. If one allowsthemselves into a trance, they will emergein a completely new location. If onecloselylistens the whole way, they will glean anentire universe. Also, the end credits (DarnCredits) are hilarious, and a wonderful touch.Yoshi Maclear WallChristopher Parnis – Everything You CouldBeChristopher Parnis; Brian Dickinson;Christian Antonacci; Matt Greenwood;Aaron BlewettIndependent CDP001(christopherparnis.com)! YoungPeterboroughborndouble-bassistChristopher Parnishas quickly andsteadily climbedthe ladder withinthe jazz world inthese past few years. Once you’ve performedand recorded with the likes of Reg Schwager,Robi Botos and Terry Clarke, I think it’s quitesafe to say that you’ve made it. And so, thislatest recording by Parnis shows just whathe’s capable of, not only as a composer andmusician but also an accomplished bandleader.Featuring a stellar lineup with musicianssuch as Brian Dickinson on piano, MattGreenwood on guitar and Christian Antonaccion trumpet and flugelhorn, there’s no doubtregarding the high calibre of Parnis’ compositionaltalents. The entire album is loadedwith original works penned by the bassisthimself, as well as his bandmates.Canadian jazz legend Don Thompson haspraised the record highly, calling it, amongother things, “hauntingly beautiful.” There’sreally no better way to describe the essenceof these tunes, how they meander throughjazzy soundscapes that differ from note tonote. From contemporary jazz to a more traditionalsound, this album has something foreveryone. Take Opportunity for example:the moving drum rhythms of Aaron Blewettaccompanied by a soaring horn melodydoubled up by the electric guitar is just theright balance of nostalgia and modernitythat appeals to many. A highly recommendedaddition to the collection of any jazzaficionado looking for a foray into the worldof contemporary jazz.Kati KiilaspeaHold on to MeMarie Goudy’s Paloma SkyIndependent (mariegoudy.bandcamp.com/album/hold-on-to-me)! Debut recordingscan be haphazard;a slew of disparateideas held by aslender thread andnary a cohesivetheme. But certainlynot Hold On To Me,a beautifully craftedvivid love letter, as if written from one characterto another, where both characters comealive. It is no matter that there are subplotswith secondary characters entering the landscape,it makes for a brightly coloured andmulti textural soundscape.There may be more viscerally excitingcontemporary ensembles around, whowrite and perform more daringly imaginativeoriginal work. But in Paloma Sky thewonderful Marie Goudy (vocals, trumpet,compositions) leads a group of musicianswho are unfailingly musical. And whereothers may dazzle with gratuitous pyrotechnicsPaloma Sky replaces such musicalegotism with compelling narrative performedwith deeply lyrical intensity.Goudy leads with poetics redolent ofexquisitely sculpted phrases, often renderedin molten curved shapes. The basis for all ofthis are her compositions themselves, whichradiate heat from characters who are cast inthe slow burn of emotional warmth. VocalistJocelyn Barth makes these stories comealive as if she has lived them herself. Sheand Goudy give thoughtful interpretationsthewholenote.com December 2024 & January 2025 | 57
VOLUME 30 NO 3DECEMBER 2024 & JANUA
In the New Year:BRILLIANTBAROQUEDir
Loading...
Loading...