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New Listen: Trio Mediaeval’s ‘A Worcester Ladymass’

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Artist: Trio Mediaeval
Album: A Worcester Ladymass (2011)

Unlike most of this category’s posts, this new listen was also recently released (March 26). Since blindly purchasing Folk Songs over a year ago, I’ve become quite a fan of Norway’s Trio Mediaeval. Separately, Anna Maria Friman, Linn Andrea Fuglseth, and Torunn Østrem Ossum have gentle, splendid voices. Together, they sublimely ebb and flow with a blend only achieved by longtime collaboration.

A Worcester Ladymass is the reconstruction – with the help of musicologist Nicky Losseff – of a Mass to the Virgin Mary for the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin. This reconstruction is based on fragments collected from Worcester, England’s Abbey of St. Mary’s. The music’s texture ranges from strict monophony (with/out drone) to complex polyphony (for Medieval music). One additional interesting feature of this reconstruction is the inclusion of two works composed specifically for this recording. Two sections of the mass, “Credo” – a biggie – and “Benedicamus Domino,” were missing from original sources and fulfilled by British composer Gavin Bryars. (On an unrelated note, his The Green Ray for alto saxophone and orchestra is quite good – thank you, John Harle.)

This album may not necessarily be for the Medieval purist. (In case you’re wondering, yes, those exist. And they’re quite passionate.) After all, this is a reconstruction based on centuries-old surviving fragments. Also, in lieu of the recitations (i.e., readings) that would have been part of this particular mass, relevant motets, etc. from the Worcester Fragments codex are included. Finally, Bryars’s contributions are not period-specific. They’re stylistically complementary overall, however the harmonies and counterpoint do stray. Given that his two pieces are structurally significant – the “Credo” is the second-longest piece, and the disc closes with “Benedicamus Domino” – the listener can is somewhat pulled out of that thirteenth-century mindset. (Furthermore, the “Credo” is preceded by a monophonic selection.) Anachronistic? Yes. Jarring? Arguable. Unpleasant? Absolutely not. They pull it off here.

As with my review of Rolf Lislevand’s Diminuito, I welcome the contemporary interpretation. As much as many academics insist, we don’t actually know how Medieval music sounded in practice. We have strong ideas and descriptions, but no auditory evidence. There are so many aspects to Medieval and Renaissance performance practice that it’s impossible to attain 100% bulletproof accuracy. When academically- and historically-informed performers take reasoned artistic license, I welcome it. The blend of both Medieval textures and temporally disparate styles make this album both 1) an intriguing reconstruction and 2) a wonderful tour through all things Medieval mass-oriented (Ordinary, Proper, motets, monophony, polyphony, contemporary approaches, etc.). And to top it all off, the singing is world-class! (But, if you’re at all familiar with Trio Mediaeval, you already knew that.) Another spectacular effort.

If you’re new to Medieval music and you’re looking for an academic introduction, this probably isn’t the best place to start. However, if you’re already familiar with Medieval sacred music and you’re looking to breathe new life into your interest, look no further.

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New Listen: Rolf Lislevand’s ‘Diminuito’

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Artist: Rolf Lislevand
Album: Diminuito (2009)

Reinforcing the aforementioned eclectic nature of this series, this week’s selection comes from the Italian Renaissance.  Actually, it’s a quite modern taken on music written during the Renaissance.  Here, Rolf Lislevand, a leading Baroque and Renaissance lutenist, leads an ensemble of early music performance specialists through stirring renditions on centuries-old music.  (I emphasize “performance specialists,” as there’s often a distinct difference between performers and researchers in academia – a topic I’ll likely return to in the near future.)  As with Manu Katché’s Third Round, this was a completely blind purchase, having known neither the main performer nor any of the pieces – only the style.  While many early music recordings can be hit or miss, I considered this worth the chance for two reasons:

1. It’s part of ECM New Series, the classical branch of ECM.
2. It includes vocalists Linn Andrea Fuglseth and Anna Maria Friman, two-thirds of Trio Mediaeval. I blindly purchased their Folk Songs – a collection of Medieval Scandinavian songs – this past spring and thoroughly enjoy it.

The instrumentation varies throughout, with particular feature on plucked strings.  It includes lutes (many, many lutes), nyckelharpa, clavichord, organ, percussion, voice, vihuela de mano, triple harp, and more.  Not every instrument is used for every number; this helps keep the ensemble sounding fresh for the album’s entirety.  As mentioned above, much of the music comes from the Italian Renaissance, specifically the Veneto region (north).  In listening to the recording and reading the liner notes (written by Lislevand himself, and directed toward a more musicologically-informed reader, perhaps unintentionally), it’s quickly evident that all involved are very historically informed.  They interpret the music not only as well-rehearsed performers but they also offer a musicological rigor.  (This goes beyond simply using an urtext edition!)

Furthermore, what maintain the listener’s interest are not only the technical or the intellectual aspects, but the visceral.  This album is FUN!  For those familiar with Renaissance music, you likely know that many texts discuss the music’s – often fun – role in court life.  However it’s often hard to sense much fun when listening to it.  (Rigid interpretations of transcriptions and/or arrangements are often the weapon of choice.)  Diminuito, on the other hand, helps Renaissance music live up to the hype.  The ensemble, under Lislevand’s leadership, take liberties and focus heavily on improvisation, something often discussed academically but forgotten in “practice” (i.e., historical reconstruction).  Much like jazz standards, the pieces are often given some variation of the “head-solo-head” treatment.  Also, Lislevand takes liberties with the compositions, often combining multiple pieces to create new arrangements.  My personal favorites, and those that perhaps best exemplify Lislevand’s approach, are “Petit Jacquet/Quinta Pars” and the whirlwind “La Perra Mora.”  Simply close your eyes and you’ll feel like you’re at a soirée with the local nobility!  (500 years ago, that is.)

Breathing fresh air into centuries-old music, Lislevand & Co. prove that Renaissance music was lively and full of spirit.  Most of all, they prove it is still relevant!

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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.

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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:
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