sexta-feira, 26 de maio de 2017

K'ampokol Che K'aay


CD – Creative Sources Recordings – CS453, Lisbon 2017

















1. I - 15'10''
2. II - 07'19''
3. III - 14'55'' 
4. IV - 06'33''
5. V - 05'10'' 



LISBON STRING TRIO & BLAISE SIWULA

Ernesto Rodrigues - Viola
Miguel Mira - Cello
Alvaro Rosso - Contrabass
Blaise Siwula - Clarinet




Recorded March 2017, Lisbon
Cover design Carlos Santos


Reviews

Two days after recording Proletariat, the Lisbon String Trio was joined by Blaise Siwula to record K'Ampokol Che K'Aay (also live): The title is Mayan, and indicates the "song" of a particular tree or shrub in the same large biological "order" as coffee. I don't know its significance (although it seems to be translated generically as "wood" in some sources), but such a title would seem to invoke Siwula's Mérida Encuentro series. (The second volume, Songs of Deception, was discussed here in July 2016.)

Like most Creative Sources releases, K'Ampokol Che K'Aay doesn't have a textual discussion included, but Siwula adds a few remarks on his site(s): He suggests that it consists of "sounds from nature in a dance of light" & "natural twists of wind." Although not mentioned by Siwula, such naturism is allied to classical technique, such that one might even speak of a Romantic sweep, of a series of tone poems. The tapestry includes emergent traditional gestures, both European & American, and once again a bit of traffic as well. Indeed, one wonders (as in a recent entry) whether some of the gestures, both from clarinet & strings, derive from the basic mechanics of the instruments themselves: This is undeniably true, but the conjuring of idiom per se also seems to arise from instrumental configuration, sometimes without intent.

That said, the playing is highly virtuosic throughout, with the musicians showing plenty of "straight" technique behind their more experimental timbral explorations: Indeed, the Lisbon String Trio tends more toward traditional string virtuosity than many of Rodrigues's ensembles. (Of course, one might also think of the title, translated as "wood music," as indicating their instruments.) Beyond that, Siwula's description of his first Creative Sources album - the duo Waterscapes, recorded in New York in 2016 with guitarist Jorge Nuno - seems apt as well, noting as it does a "constant shift from foreground to background." The tapestry metaphor seems particularly worthwhile here, as K'Ampokol Che K'Aay does not exhibit a particular moment of coming together (in consciousness or otherwise), or much of the "gallop" noted in the previous entry: It maintains a "chamber music" feel, with ideas weaving in & out quickly, and with the different tracks marking new starting points.

The first track starts very quietly - thus invoking a bit of my usual fear that such music will be quieter than my own environment - but emerges strongly by the two minute mark, and yields a piece in which so much occurs that it seems almost symphonic on its own. (It's amazing how much happens in this one fifteen minute track.) This seems to be something of a characteristic of Siwula - who was first mentioned in this space back in September 2014 - as his trio album Tesla Coils also opens with its longest track, a forceful introduction & interrogation of what's to follow, almost a summary in reverse. Although Siwula plays saxophones on Tesla Coils, and the album is otherwise electronic (including the guitar), there's a familiarity that emerges from his approach, and indeed a similar density & speed. (The fineness of the resulting cloth is obviously something I appreciate.)


The result is surprisingly sophisticated when it comes to relating Siwula's brand of Americanism with that coming out of Lisbon these days. Even the slower moments retain a sense of drama & tension, amid constantly shifting harmonies & foreground-background motions - perhaps "meandering" in the terms of the previous entry, and in this case (at least per Siwula) evoking wind. K'Ampokol Che K'Aay does leave one listening to the environment in its wake - a sometimes-awesome "awareness" effect of some of these albums - but it's not really environmental (or traditional) music: This is music music, about tones & intervals & rhythms & timbres & tempos, etc. (It's informed by serialism.) And so ultimately it's also about human mediation & relation per se. Todd McComb's Jazz Thoughts

“K’ampokol Che K’aay” was released in June, 2017. Interesting experimental jazz album was recorded by clarinetist Blaise Siwula and “Lisbon String Trio” – it’s Miguel Mira (cello), Alvaro Rosso (contrabass) and Ernesto Rodrigues (viola). These four experienced and talented musicians create original sound, like brave and innovative musical experiments. Their music is full of unique ways of playing, fascinating and stunning experiments, innovative musical decisions and always have bright musical language. Because of contrasts and different music styles, the improvisations are very dynamic and expressive, have many sudden and unpredictable stylistic waves. “Lisbon String Trio” music is somewhere between avant-garde jazz, experimental music and academic avant-garde. Basic elements of absolutely different music styles are gently combined and fused together in one place. All three musicians have unique and interesting playing style, use wide range of different expressions, styles, moods, characters and create passionate and expressive sound. Blaise Siwula is a famous avant-garde jazz clarinetist. His playing manner is evocative, innovative and especially expressive – improviser express many different moods, senses, feelings and create emotional, active and dynamic sound.


Album compositions are based on synthesis of academic avant-garde, experimental music and various experimental and modern jazz styles. Free structure and form, especially expressive and fascinating improvisations, spontaneous solos, bright and solid musical language create the basement of these improvisations. These compositions are based on avant-garde jazz which basic elements are marvelously fused together with academic music. The avant-garde jazz sound and main elements mostly are heard in clarinetist Blaise Siwula improvisations. Clarinetist improvisations have variable, dynamic and constantly changing sound – from very active, sharp, aggressive and expressive solos to soft, peaceful and silent improvisations. The wide range of musical expressions, moods and characters are heard in his improvisations. He express different feelings and moods by using many different playing techniques – extended and original ways of playing are effectively and inventively combined with traditional playing techniques. Glissando, colorful and wild fast arpeggios, powerful blow outs, dynamic rhythmic, expressive and memorable melodies and spontaneous improvising – all these elements are masterfully mixed together in Blaise Siwula improvisations. It also gently and organically fit together with string instruments. Cello, contrabass and viola melodies have gorgeous and colorful sound. Vibrant pizzicato, repetitive rhythms and melodic elements, sudden glissando, arpeggio, staccato, portato and other very well-known string playing techniques are combined with innovative ways of playing, musical experiments and spontaneous improvising. Each musician is improvising different from the others – unique playing manner, modern and expressive musical language, original sound and synthesis between opposite music styles gently get together in one place. Strings melodies and free improvisations are always between experimental jazz, free improvisation and academic music. All these absolutely different elements are effectively combined in one place. Clarinet melodies create and keep solid and intense melodic basic and also make more interesting rhythmic basic in some episodes. For the most of the time, viola and cello melodies are very bright, dramatic and passionate. Contrabass create and keep natural, organic, interesting and strong rhythmical and harmonic basement of the compositions. There also are some episodes there all three strings melodies gorgeously illustrate the clarinet improvisations and create colorful and effective background. Each compositions has interesting and modern sound which is created by putting together absolutely different moods, characters, expressions, playing techniques and other musical language elements. All these elements are mixed in one place and create fascinating and marvelous sound. (Avant Scena)

One of the most active albums from the set of Lisbon String Trio (plus one) albums released in 2017, saxophonist Blaise Siwula brings a unique virtuosity to this live album from Galeria Monumental in Lisbon, prompting at times a chamber jazz feeling, alongside very free improvisation with impressive transitions from spacious to highly detailed playing. (Squidco)

American clarinetist Blaise Siwula is in somewhat the same situation on K’ampokol Che K’aay (Creative Sources CS 453 CD creativesourcesrec.com), Except in this case the Lisbon String Trio consists of violist Ernesto Rodrigues, cellist Miguel Mira and bassist Alvaro Rosso. Recorded at a Lisbon concert, the music on the disc – titled for a Mayan coffee-like shrub – gets steadily more salient as the program evolves and each player becomes more comfortable with the others’ skills. Initially, either strident or wispy, Siwula’s clarinet parts evolve to sinewy mid-range, with a woody overlay, as flutter-tongued elaborations become expressive storytelling. When the string trio isn’t involved with mid-range harmonies, each takes on a particular role. Rosso’s rugged program includes applying ground bass plucks to the tracks; Mira’s repetitive counterpoint challenges the narrative; and Rodrigues’ staccatissimo thrusts decorate the fluid interface with pumps and jumps. The four reach a climax midway through the third untitled improvisation when a section of high and low pitches dissolves into individual showcases. From that point on, despite ragged string sweeps, spiky textures, and slap-tonguing and modulated shrilling from the clarinetist, the polyphonic program touches on the pastoral, but includes enough sudden and unexpected pitch and tone switches that, symbolically, the hardscrabble work that underlies any bucolic scene ia sonically obvious as well. Ken Waxman (The Whole Note)

"K'ampokol Che K'aay", led by the father without the son, is a masterpiece of this kind of free improvised chamber music. The addition of Blaise Siwula enriches the music and add a necessary spark of creativity ad freshness to make it really outstanding. "K'ampokol Che K'aay I" last 15 minutes and is one of the highlights. Again associations
with contemporary chamber music are in the right place, but perhaps more important is the general mood, or better to say changing moods of the piece, combined with incredible mutual understanding of the members of the quartet. Amazing stuff!!!

The second "K'ampokol Che K'aay II" is shorter and more peaceful, but icludes micro-explosions i the second half. Finger picking bass lines are extra-terrestrial. "K'ampokol Che K'aay III" continues the same æsthetics, but expands it and enriches to novel "fake sounds" and
percussion effects. I dig also the closing "K'ampokol Che K'aay V", the most open track, with fragmented motifs, and plenty of pauses and silent moments. Fascinating, fresh and absorbing music!!! Maciej Lewenstein

[...] Une direction que K’ampokol che K’aay, création très contemporaine en compagnie du clarinettiste et libre-penseur étasunien Blaise Siwula, attaque à rebours, loin de la concorde et à proximité du disque de Leblanc, avec du tumulte et des brisures nettes. Un travail qui remet le LST dans une position prismatique vis-à-vis de la musique improvisée : celle qui éclaire des recoins parfois délaissés et pourtant luxuriants. [...] Franpi Barriaux (citizen jazz)

Télépathie


CD – Creative Sources Recordings – CS452, Lisbon 2017


















1. I - 16'50''
2. II - 16'55'' 



LISBON STRING TRIO & ETIENNE BRUNET

Ernesto Rodrigues - Viola
Miguel Mira - Cello
Alvaro Rosso - Contrabass
Etienne Brunet - Soprano Saxophone




Recorded April 2017, Lisbon
Cover design Carlos Santos


Reviews

Pierwszy. Trzy strunowce i drobny saksofon – ciekawa mieszanka. Zdaje się, że na początku nagrania, to największy ze strunowców wiedzie prym. Delikatnie prowadzi narrację, rysuje pętle, a pozostałe instrumenty dopowiadają swoje kwestie i komentują. Dialogi i interakcje nie mają końca. Sopran tylko pozornie ma tu rolę separatywną, chętnie bowiem wchodzi w zabawy imitacyjne i bez trudu wkleja się w zwoje strun partnerów. Gęsta, stosunkowo dynamiczna wymiana poglądów. Cztery płynne kaskady czystych akustycznie dźwięków. Pełne empatii zachowania muzyków. Każdy może tu liczyć na ciętą, ale i precyzyjną ripostę. Rodzaj filharmonii dla pełnowymiarowych szaleńców, kameralistyka na zdrowym speadzie. W ramach obszaru wyznaczonego przez czterech muzyków panuje pełna demokracja – śmierć liderom i wszelkim prowodyrom! Rosso lubi jazzowy walking i często z niego korzysta, Rodrigues i Mira reagują jak bracia syjamscy, a Brunet wchodzi pomiędzy struny ze zwinnością baletnicy. Pod koniec fragmentu, nikt nie ma tu nic przeciwko drobnej eskalacji i niezobowiązującej do niczego galopady, pełnej wszakże kameralistycznego uroku.


Drugi. Subtelna narracja na starcie. Cisza na gryfach, skupienie, trochę szumu na dyszach. Special kind of sonore, która napędza się podskórną intensywnością, napiętą cięciwą nerwu. Znów sopranista nie może opędzić się od komplementów. Znów sporo walkingu kontrabasowego ze strony Rosso, który dyktuje pozostałym strunowcom warunki gry. Konsensus jest wszakże osiągany w mgnieniu oka (lub ucha). Układ przestrzenny jest zachowany. Kontrabas i saksofon atakują flankami i bywają nieco głośniejsze, altówka i wiolonczela brną środkiem i częstą grają jednym dźwiękiem. W trakcie tej części nagrania napotykamy fragment emocji, które pachną niebanalnym free jazzem. Pod koniec nagrania, nie pierwszy krok w kierunku ciszy. Zaduma, refleksja, błyskotliwa mikrosonorystyka czterech doskonałych muzyków. A na finał, istotnie last minute – wytrawne i precyzyjne crescendo! (Trybuna Muzyki Spontanicznej)

Télépathie (recorded in April) begins with a percussive strike, becoming quite active right away, and also features some real "tunes" - maybe a bit of Steve Lacy, certainly some brief middle eastern horn, contrasting with something of a web of city traffic (again). There's a sort of "cool" repose, even of contrast, with sax tunes against shifting glissandi - as well as moments of extended dodecaphony. I particularly enjoy the contrapuntal opening, which tends to contract markedly in the second track, finally into a kind of walking chase that could almost be considered traditionally jazzy (and that in turn, together with the break following the galloping end to the first track, recalls & transforms the central moment of Proletariat). Todd McComb's Jazz Thoughts

Portugal's Lisbon String Trio with Ernesto Rodrigues on viola, Miguel Mira on cello, and Alvaro Rosso on double bass, in a series of releases adding one additional improviser, here joined by Etienne Brunet on soprano saxophone, for two extended improvisations of active counterpoint and beautiful open sections, an excellent and rousing collaboration. (Squidco)

[...] qui introduit presque naturellement cette Télépathie où le LST invite Étienne Brunet - ancien élève de Steve Lacy et figure du free jazz depuis 30 ans - aux côtés de Daunik Lazro ou Jac Berrocal. Une musique où les timbres et l’espace prennent néanmoins une grande importance, l’alto de Rodrigues jouant à se fondre avec le saxophone. [...] Franpi Barriaux (citizen jazz)

domingo, 21 de maio de 2017

Proletariat


CD – Creative Sources Recordings – CS438, Lisbon 2017



















1. I - 27'39''



LISBON STRING TRIO

Ernesto Rodrigues - Viola
Miguel Mira - Cello
Alvaro Rosso - Contrabass




Recorded March 2017, Porto
Cover design Carlos Santos


Reviews

To begin a discussion of the recent series of Lisbon String Trio albums, it might be worthwhile — or at least amusing — to describe my initial experience of their existence: I received Proletariat together with some of the other (mostly) string ensemble albums from Creative Sources that I've recently discussed. My first impression, and by that I mean after hearing it once, was that there were some very striking passages & many interesting interactions, and that it was also a rather short album, such that I was thinking, "Hmm, it kind of leaves me wanting more...." Again, that was after one listen, and I often have a rather different impression of something the second time. In this case, before there could be a second time, I saw that there were two followups already, Télépathie & K'Ampokol Che K'Aay, on which horn players joined the trio. Great, I thought, my wish granted. Then, before I even heard those two, three more albums appeared: Akuanduba, Intonarumori & Liames — the last with a pianist joining the trio, rather than a horn player as on the other four. (As I write this, several more releases just appeared on the Creative Sources site, but no more with the Lisbon String Trio, not yet anyway.) Rodrigues already releases an enormous quantity of material, even counting only those albums on which he himself appears, and so going through the releases in writing can almost seem like stepping through individual tracks on an album, which is a style I tend to find tedious personally (although maybe some people like it). Such an approach seems like even more of an issue here, as I'm thinking about how to discuss six closely related albums that were recorded & released in rapid sequence: These recordings were all made between March & May of this year, starting with Proletariat by the trio alone. The series has a common graphic design, featuring collages by Dilar Pereira; the first recording was made by someone else, but the remainder were recorded by Carlos Santos, all apparently direct to tape with no mixing. The result yields quite a bit of presence for what can still be some rather diffuse music at times. So let me try to say some different things about the different releases... after all, they are purchased separately....

As already alluded, Ernesto Rodrigues (on viola, as he is on the vast majority of his recent albums) is joined by bassist Álvaro Rosso & cellist Miguel Mira to form the Lisbon String Trio. Before his collaboration with Rodrigues, I knew Rosso only from Basso 3 & their album Meia catorze, first discussed here in January 2016. Perhaps he brought a bit of classical structure to that project? At this point, so many Portuguese bassists have appeared on albums of interest here, including three on that album, that I have a hard time distinguishing them stylistically — as I've also noted at times of some of the English improvisers. I don't mean that as a criticism, but the various overlapping concerns & techniques are a bit dizzying sometimes. (So it's more that I'm lacking sufficient context by which to differentiate.) In fact, Rosso's participation is quite worthwhile & welcome, and goes a long way toward forging the sound of the trio, as his bass explores deep registers beyond the more centric viola-cello interactions that Rodrigues has been prioritizing on so many of his other recent albums. Rather than such an emphasis on criss-crossing lines (as discussed here in May), which do still occur, as they certainly do for Basso 3 as well, each instrument tends to rest in a different range — such that Proletariat might almost be said to reenact the mid-15th century shift to an independent bass line below the tenor (versus the crossings of the previous generation). Mentioning the different ranges can be misleading, though, because the instruments interact & overlap directly in higher ranges via harmonics. In that sense, the music can blend vertically into a sort of Scelsian composite, or spin counterpoint in various pitch tiers with one or more instruments in harmonics. The frequent invocation of counterpoint marks the style of the Lisbon String Trio as more than Scelsian, but the sense of individual strings as individual instruments does hold, such that one might speak of twelve strings & three musicians. There's also a twentieth century classical sensitivity more generally, particularly in the play of different harmonies, such that Mira's participation on e.g. Earnear seems as relevant as his participation in so many Rodrigues projects. That's not to suggest that Proletariat maintains a light touch, however, as it can be quite aggressive, particularly with some big booming bass resonance that can really benefit from big speakers to convey a strong sense of space. There is a resulting feeling of power, even awe, as musical processes seem to pass through one another via resonance & harmonic-timbral shifts. The single track starts out with rather abstract counterpoint, which comes to seem almost transverse to the sense of interiorized sound & timbre that's also being explored — yielding a sense of double tapestry. Indeed, Proletariat is perhaps the most abstract album in the series, although it does also allude to such sonic poles as jungles & automobile traffic. The counterpoint contracts to a unified gesture or pulse midway through, a sort of halting yet forceful composite rhythm, and soon expands again with renewed tautness & power. (Perhaps this is the moment when they "really" forged the trio, the moment of collective consciousness one might say?) The music is immersive for the listener, meaning that there is no sense of "God's eye" perspective across a landscape: Perhaps this is exactly the sense in which I've objected to so-called musical landscapes or atmospheric music: They project a concept of exteriorized surface, of looking from the outside, whereas this sort of music engulfs. Although I've suggested some styles as being involved, even environmental sounds, the result remains both more & less than that, such that the performers forge a unified, non-idiomatic sound, within which musical collisions (or hybridities) occur between the smallest technical elements — rather than via collage effect as e.g. on Blattwerk. (The technical orientation might be compared to that on The Moment In and Of Itself, or at least to my remarks from last August about that album, although it has a very different sound.) That Proletariat forges a style more than it references styles is further underscored by the subsequent Lisbon String Trio releases that grow from it. They allow one to forget or forgive the brevity of this initial offering, while continuing to expand on its ideas, sometimes into more lyrical areas. I should also emphasize that, although Rodrigues has a reputation mostly for electroacoustic music (according to descriptions I see elsewhere), at least recently, he has been producing many acoustic albums, and this series of six is entirely acoustic — at least to the extent that a digital recording can be considered to be acoustic.

The next five albums by the Lisbon String Trio each involve a different musician joining them to improvise as a quartet. The next four use a horn, which seems like a natural addition to the string sound. Indeed, Rodrigues has done similar things before, not necessarily adding a horn to a preexisting ensemble (although I have no idea who has played with whom outside of recordings), but having a single horn amid a mostly-string ensemble. An obvious precedent is the quartet album Sukasaptati, recorded in Berlin in 2010, but released in 2015, and featuring Andrea Sans Vela (viola) & Klaus Kürvers (double bass) along with Rodrigues & Micha Rabuske on flute, bass clarinet & soprano sax. So this is a very similar ensemble, and was recorded seven years prior. That album involves more of what I would call meandering harmonies, sometimes with a hocketing style of polyphony, and less of an emphasis on shifting tones. Some of it sounds almost like film music. More recently, Dé-collage features a string quartet of Rodrigues & Rodrigues, Kürvers again, and Thea Farhadian on violin, with (frequent Rodrigues collaborator) Nuno Torres on alto sax. It is a generally quiet, squeaky, atmospheric sort of album that tends to weave a single tapestry. Admittedly, these albums didn't manage to attract my attention at the time, at least not relative to the many other albums released by Rodrigues, but do seem (more) relevant in the context of this series. Other relevant examples — that have already been mentioned in this space — are, once again (recently mentioned in the discussion of Blattwerk after being discussed here in January), Raw with John Butcher joining a Swiss string trio, as well as recent favorite New Artifacts with Tony Malaby joining the preexisting Maneri-Levin string duo. Further, of course there is Chant, which presented me with something of a paradigm for this sort of string-based joint interrogation of nativism & abstraction. (It always leaves me listening to the world differently.) Perhaps the latter is most comparable to the sixth Lisbon String Trio album, on which they're joined by a pianist — i.e. a fixed-pitch instrument that might at first seem out of place in such a setting. One might think of all of these albums almost as improvised concerti, although the textures are often far more integrated than the typical (oppositional) concerto.


Most of the musicians who recorded with the Lisbon String Trio were previously unknown to me. The big exception is Blaise Siwula, whose work I've followed. (More about that in a subsequent entry.) So when I saw his name in the next pair of releases, it definitely increased my sense of anticipation, and hopefully I wasn't prejudiced accordingly. I suppose I might well have been, but I do try to fight my own expectations (if that's actually possible). I'm going to wait for a separate entry to discuss his album K'Ampokol Che K'Aay, though, as well as for Intonarumori with trombonist Carlo Mascolo & Liames with pianist Karoline Leblanc. (Mascolo does have a previous solo album on Creative Sources, so he is the second best known, at least to me.) The release after Proletariat is Télépathie featuring Etienne Brunet (b.1954, Paris) on soprano sax — although it was actually recorded after K'Ampokol Che K'Aay (the third album released) — and the fourth is Akuanduba featuring Luiz Rocha, a "Brazilian based in Barcelona" on clarinet & bass clarinet. Perhaps it's coincidence that these musicians play instruments rather similar to Siwula's, which is entirely clarinet for his collaboration here, but their albums did not speak to me as strongly. Télépathie (recorded in April) begins with a percussive strike, becoming quite active right away, and also features some real "tunes" — maybe a bit of Steve Lacy, certainly some brief middle eastern horn, contrasting with something of a web of city traffic (again). There's a sort of "cool" repose, even of contrast, with sax tunes against shifting glissandi — as well as moments of extended dodecaphony. I particularly enjoy the contrapuntal opening, which tends to contract markedly in the second track, finally into a kind of walking chase that could almost be considered traditionally jazzy (and that in turn, together with the break following the galloping end to the first track, recalls & transforms the central moment of Proletariat). Rocha writes about his focus on Brazilian music such as the choro, as well as admiring Black Sabbath, and indeed Akuanduba (which is apparently Swahili, and which names a longer album than either Télépathie or Proletariat), recorded at Fundação José Saramago in May, has a sort of roughness about it. This general sort of European-Brazilian interaction peppers so many of these albums that it's difficult to say anything too specific about that orientation, although it's palpable: A basic quietness, present from the beginning, sometimes moves into percussive exchanges featuring staccato horn, but there's also a kind of a reactive quality, sometimes infused with ostinato. The result tends to shift the basic presumption of nature-culture poles, as signifying sounds penetrate each other from strange angles. (The bustle in turn comes to seem distant, even as the familiar resurfaces at various moments.) Indeed, Akuanduba often involves calmly swirling activity, including hocket. Although I'm not emphasizing either here, both albums are intriguing in their own right: It's impossible to know what I'd think of them if they were released in isolation. 24 July 2017. Todd McComb's Jazz Thoughts

[...] En cinq albums assez courts, dont un en trio simple, le fougueux Proletariat, le LST se lance tous azimuts à la rencontre des improvisateurs de tous continents sur une courte période, entre mars et mai 2017. Il ne s’agit pas du plaisir de l’infinitude ; c’est au contraire une volonté de remise en question ou en danger, d’apprendre et d’assimiler les univers et les langues des autres. [...] Franpi Barriaux (citizen jazz)