New Listen: Jan Garbarek’s ‘Dresden’

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Artist: Jan Garbarek
Album: Dresden (2009)

This week I’m actually discussing a new listen.  I didn’t intend for my first two “new music” entries to be about albums from the same label, but that’s how it goes sometimes.  The last few months I’ve been on a mission to add new names/groups to my collection.  I tend to go “deep” when I really like a person/group, and attempt to be somewhat of a completist with their output.  However, every now and then I’ll realize that I need to add different artists and/or styles.  This was the case with Jan Garbarek.

Being an ECM fan, I was surprised to realize a few weeks ago that I’ve never really listened to Garbarek.  He, along with Keith Jarrett, is the label’s big draw.  I have quite a bit by his associates (Jarrett, Katché, etc.), but nowhere is his horn to be found.  So, upon finding his recent live double-disc release, Dresden (2009), at the store, I decided to give it a try.  The personnel is as follows:
Jan Garbarek – soprano and tenor saxophones, selje flute
Rainer Brüninghaus – piano, keyboards
Yuri Daniel – bass
Manu Katché – drums

I will say that, on the surface, I have a few gripes with this record.
1. First, Garbarek’s soprano tone is largely shrill/nasally – sort of a Michael Brecker-Lenny Pickett-Renaissance shawm hybrid.  Not always, but much of the time.  One factor is his preference for the small curved soprano, something I’ve never warmed to.  Overall his tenor tone is very nice (for me – some may consider it too “harsh” or “pop”), but sometimes the upper register gets some of those soprano-esque qualities.
2. The mix. ECM records usually have a dynamite mix, and there’s almost always a definite “ensemble sound.”  For this record, however, Garbarek often shouts above the rest of the group.  Very top-heavy.
3. Fretless bass – Daniel plays this throughout.  The fretless definitely has its place, but I think this contributes some to the record’s mix issues.  There’s just a lack of a good sonic foundation for a good portion of it. Nowhere near enough low end for my taste.

The above comments, however, aren’t necessarily musical.  They’re definitely musical factors, but they’re more technical than anything.  Sure, they affected my inaugural listen, but once I got past them and listened to the music, I found the album quite enjoyable.  The first disc is much more “world music”-heavy.  (I hate using that term, but there are a lot of vamps and folk melodies/rhythms featured; more so than the second disc.)  Even with some of the tunes having quicker tempos, the overall feel of the first disc is pretty moderate, at times slow.  However, after the first cadenza – each of the sidemen get a few minutes to shine as a soloist – by bassist Yuri Daniel (which is very good – sort of Wooten-esque but without the fireworks), the disc finally kicks into high gear with the Metheny-esque final track, “Milagre Dos Peixes.”

The second disc is more “straight ahead” than the first.  (“Straight ahead” is definitely not the correct term, but there’s more consistent rhythmic interest throughout – definitely no rhythm changes on either of these discs.)  It also features piano and drum cadenzas. (Brüninghaus nearly steals the show on “Transformations,” and Katché offers an energetic transition between the band’s final two pieces of the set before the encore.)  The first 1.7 discs of build to the set’s barn-burner finalé, “Nu Bein’.”  Garbarek opens with a virtuosic selje flute solo before switching back to saxophone for the melody, and each member gets at least a few seconds to shine here. The second disc ends with the show’s encore, “Voy Cantando.”  It’s a piece more akin to the first disc (moderately paced, free-flowing), but with the energy of the second.

(As a side note, Katché’s playing on this album is a stark contrast with that of Third Round. He’s quite intense and aggressive here, and it’s great to hear him excel at both styles.)

After giving this album a few solid listens, I can safely say I’m glad I made the purchase.  However I’ll likely be giving the second disc a bit more attention in the long run. Having not previously experienced Garbarek, I feel like there’s a nice bit of variety in this release, covering the gamut of his output.

Album link:
Amazon

New Release (thanks to technology)!

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In case you’re unaware (though since you probably got here via my main website, I doubt it’s the case), I’m featured on a new work by close friend/collaborator Matt Borghi which was released Monday on VagueTerrain.net.  Because of Matt’s consistent, quality, selfless work in the ambient realm, he was chosen as the debut feature artist for VagueTerrain’s new music series.

I bring this up for two reasons:
1. Shameless plug 🙂
2. The collaborative portion of this release actually took place after my recent move from East Lansing, MI to Houston, TX.

Matt had the piece about wrapped up and wanted to incorporate my playing, but we had largely shrugged it off because of deadlines and my move.  However, amidst the chaos that was my apartment (I’d only been moved in one week), I managed to set up a quiet space for my iMac and saxophones.  He then uploaded an hour’s worth of material to a cloud, then commenced to download and noodle around.  Within a matter of three to four days I had recorded a bunch of material to send back to him.  Days later, voila!  He and I went from living just a couple miles down the road from one another to 1200+, yet we were still able to make music together.  It’s amazing what modern, easily accessible technology allows!

Of course, it’s crucial to remember that prior to this, Matt and I already had two years of close collaboration – both with The Elevator Conspiracy, and in a number of duo endeavors – which really helped the process.  Even though I was alone in my apartment, my familiarity with Matt’s sensibilities and direction guided helped to guide my way.  We definitely wouldn’t have been able to do our separate parts (in the “collaborative” sense) without that prior knowledge and experience.

We have a number of other, older recordings (including another ambient one, that a live performance) on his website – I’ll also get them to mine soon, hopefully.   However, if you have a chance, do check out our (his, really) new release.  We’ve received quite a bit of positive feedback already, and are looking forward to doing more of this in the future!

New Listen: Manu Katché’s ‘Third Round’

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MK 'Third Round'

Artist: Manu Katché
Album: Third Round (2010)

This disc, for me, is relatively new – about a month old.  However with this being the first post, I figure I’m allowed to fudge it a bit, especially considering how I haven’t been able to put this album down (even through more recent purchases/listens).  I blindly purchased this album on a whim, having never heard of Manu Katché.  What did catch my eye was the record label, ECM. ECM is arguably my favorite record label. Though it features a variety of artists from a wide array of both classical and jazz genres, there’s a consistency in attitude and ambience that has yet to let me down.  I’m sure I’ll discuss this company more in the future.  For now, Katché…

In brief, Katché has one foot planted firmly in jazz and another in pop, something I definitely relate to.  While I didn’t know that going in, I did notice on the CD’s  sleeve (ECM often features the cardboard sleeve) that the personnel include electric bassist Pino Palladino.  The usage of a regular rock/pop figure was intriguing for me. The full personnel lineup is as follows:
Tore Brunborg: saxophones
Manu Katché: drums
Kami Lyle: vocal (1 track), trumpet (2 tracks)
Pino Palladino: bass
Jason Rebello: piano
Jacob Young: guitars (3 tracks)

Following suit, this album walks a fine line between jazz and “pop” (in the broad definition of the term).  Most tunes are under five minutes and feature a great mix of catchy melodies, organically-abbreviated solos, and solid grooves.  As with most ECM releases, the mood is overall subdued, introspective, and relaxing.  However, a number of very infectious grooves also inspire dancing. 🙂  There’s no ego to be found on this record.  What you hear is the ensemble, with no one stepping on another’s toes.  In fact, you’d never know it was led by the drummer just from listening – not one drum solo is present.  Furthermore, a couple tracks feature no solos (or, rather, no full solos) – they serve more as transition pieces.  There’s a lot of nice work between Brunborg and Rebello, as a number of the melodies feature unison lines between sax and keys.  And Brunborg seamlessly transitions between tenor, alto, and soprano, offering nice changes in color throughout.  As indicated above, there are vocals on one piece, a song written by Katché and Lyle.  It’s a precious little pop ballad, and Lyle’s high, playful voice fits in just nicely.  Perhaps my favorite aspect of this album is the continuity.  While I do like each piece individually, the album as a whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts.  I largely only listen to this album in its entirety, at times consecutively.  It is seamless.

I’ve often considered this album a hybrid of the aesthetics of ECM and Marcus Miller.  While this album is nowhere near as in-your-face or “smooth” as Miller’s work, it does offer a rather “pop” take on the ECM vibe.  In doing so, this album could also serve as a great introduction to jazz – or simply instrumental – music for those who don’t know where to start.  (As for the latter, there is one tune with words to help cleanse the palette!)  For jazz fans, this offers something “pop-ish” without the brashness or cheese.  For fans of music in general, this is a great find, and I look forward to digging deeper into Manu Katché’s catalogue.

Album links:
Amazon
All About Jazz

Reviews: Preamble

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I’ve made a couple references to potential “music reviews” and would like to expand on that.

Being a musician, I listen to a lot of music. Obviously. One facet of this is that I have a strict personal policy of purchasing one new album (I use this in the broad sense of the term – I’m not a vinyl fetishist) each week. (And listening to it right away, of course – I know a few people who do similarly with purchases but keep them in the cellophane for months.) Also, note that I stress the word purchase. (Read: Don’t steal music!)

I do this for a few reasons:
1. I’m always listening to something new. Keeps the ears and mind nimble.
2. I can consistently expand my music library/collection.
3. It’s a small, steadily attainable goal. Aim small, miss small. 🙂

Now, there are some criteria (could be relevant for future context):
1. Though the music is new for me, it doesn’t necessarily need to be a new release (though it occasionally is). For instance, two of my favorite albums purchased in March were released in 1977 and 2009, respectively. It could be a seminal album I never got around to. It could also be an obscure gem (I hope, at least).
2. If I go overboard one week (i.e., purchased 2, 3, or 6 albums), I can take a couple weeks off because it’ll take me time to digest the new recordings. Depending on size and scope, a box set can wipe out an entire month.
3. The key word is eclectic. Unlike a number of people I know, I don’t strive for an eclectic collection simply for sake of having an eclectic collection (seriously listening to only 15% of it). That’s just my taste. Music library aside, I’m a classically trained musician, raised on rock and pop, having been performing professionally as a jazz, classical, and rock/pop musician for the better part of a decade. I’m the musician I am because of my wide-ranging influences. Purchases over the last few months include Billy Joel, Bach, Medieval Norwegian chant, Rosemary Clooney, Schönberg, and The Grateful Dead.

Finally: why?
1. Selfish: It’ll provide me with my own “listening journal” of sorts.
2. Unselfish: I’m always looking for new music, and I hope that others on that constant search may find this “series”/topic to be 1) of interest, and 2) possibly helpful. Because of the wide range of styles, it may not always be for everyone, but there’ll at least be a bit of something for everybody.

I’ve been doing this (almost) weekly on Twitter (@michaelteager) since March. The character limit has been frustrating for content, but convenient because I haven’t had the time to write a couple paragraphs (all that’s necessary, really) on each one. I may “cheat” and initially feature a few recordings purchased in the last 6 months or so, as there’ve been a few heavies that I’ve been dying to publicly praise. 🙂 Though the aim of this to eventually feature both “new” and “old” acquisitions.

The first one will be coming within the next week. I haven’t narrowed it down to one yet, but there are a few contenders. 🙂 Until then…

Reboot. 2.0? 3.0?

Mid-May turned into mid-September (see my previous post), but, alas, this site is finally being updated! A lot has happened in the interim, with much having to do with my recent move from Michigan to Texas. However I’ve settled into some semblance of a routine and have been able to somewhat prioritize this site.

Without a premature guarantee of frequency, I intend to post both musical “reviews” as well as the standard rambling fare. I’ve had quite a bit of “time off” the last couple months, and it’s afforded me a great deal of reflection, which I hope to somehow gradually define here.