Aug 30 2014
3 Guitars: Albums by Chris Schlarb, Eric Hofbauer, & Alexander Turnquist
Saturday Tiny Reviews special edition!
Featurning Chris Schlarb Making the Saint, Eric Hofbauer American Grace, and Alexander Turnquist Flying Fantasy.
Today’s column focuses on three guitarists, each releasing a solo project recording (well, one has guest musicians performing). None of the recordings would qualify as jazz per se, though in some cases, the musicians have been involved in jazz projects. These are just three albums that I find comforting and intriguing, and which continue to engage me regardless of the passing of time and frequency of listens.
I often leave the Saturday slot for the Something Different series or very blog-y posts and opinion pieces and columns. Today, it’s just three tiny reviews of guitar albums I really enjoy.
Let’s begin…
*****
Chris Schlarb– Making the Saint
Making the Saint plays like a cathartic experience. After a trio of intricate, highly-collaborative albums (Twilight & Ghost Stories and the two-part Psychic Temple release), guitarist Chris Schlarb became the recluse, retreating to an historic 140-year old cabin secluded in the San Bernardino mountains. He brought with him a few guitars and some recording equipment. He hit the record button and exhaled all of the creativity that had been building up during the time spent on previous projects, both in studio and on tour.
This is introspective guitar music, but sounds to be offered up with a genuine thought to sharing with others. The 19-minute title-track opens the album with the susurrant hum of electronics juxtaposed against the calm poetry of electric guitar blowing sonic bubbles into the air. The brief vocal conceit of “The Great Receiver” keeps the tranquility intact, and though it doesn’t quite stand up to the rest of the album’s tracks, there’s a heart-on-the-sleeve quality to the song that is difficult not to admire.
“The Fear of Death Is the Birth Of God,” with its deeper resonance and washes of electric guitar and electronics brings a sense of urgency to ambient music, an expressionism not unlike fellow-guitarist Roy Montgomery. It’s a type of style where the truly profound is discovered in the confluence of sonic undercurrents. The album’s coda is a charming little rendition of the standard, “My Foolish Heart,” which provides an interesting, additional perspective on where Schlarb’s creative center is versus a more traditional locale. It’s an illuminating conclusion to an unobstructed view of an artist’s flow of ideas.
Your album personnel: Chris Schlarb (acoustic & electric guitars, electronics, voice).
Released in 2014 on Asthmatic Kitty Records.
Available at: Bandcamp | eMusic | Amazon: CD
*****
Eric Hofbauer – American Grace
American Grace is the third installment of guitarist Eric Hofbauer‘s “American Trilogy” series, a sonic perspective on American society & culture, expressed through a mix of original compositions and selected renditions that speak to his point of view.
There are standards like “Stella by Starlight,” and there are takes on blues songs like King Oliver’s “West End Blues,” and “Blind” Willie Johnson’s “God Moves on the Water,” the Beatles’ “Dear Prudence” and a song from Willie Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. There’s also “Idumea,” a sacred harp hymn, which comes from similar roots to that of the recent Dave Douglas-Uri Caine recording, Present Joys. This rendition, in addition to a take on Ornette Coleman’s free jazz “Peace,” speak to the heart of Hofbauer’s vision and how he finds ways to express it concisely and consistently, no matter how diverse the source materials.
And regardless of whether songs move with a tranquil lull or furtive activity, there’s a contemplative nature to these tracks, so that even when all kinds of personality shines through on a particular song, there’s always the sense that something subtle is getting slipped under the radar. This quality provides the necessary intrigue to songs that may only seem simple at first blush.
It’s a nifty facet of Hofbauer’s creative arc, and an interesting contrast to his contributions to other projects, like the Argentinean Jazz of Pablo Ablanedo’s Octeto and Jorrit Dijkstra’s Bolt.
Your album personnel: Eric Hofbauer (guitar).
Released in 2013 on Creative Nation Music.
Available at: eMusic | Bandcamp | CDBaby | Amazon: CD
*****
Alexander Turnquist – Flying Fantasy
The 12-string guitar of Alexander Turnquist is the sound of snow falling fast, and never quite touching the ground. There is something so very peaceful and calming about this terrifically frenetic music. The beauty of Flying Fantasy is viewed in stark contrast to pain and fear that preceded its creation, first, with the recovery period from nerve injury to Turnquist’s left hand, and then shortly after, a bout of meningitis. It says something about how creativity is both a refuge and a launching point for hope and transformation.
Several tracks, like “House of Insomniacs” and “Finding the Butterfly” bring in vibes, cello, and vocal harmonics to add some richness to the sharp complexion of 12-string guitar. The addition of piano accompaniment to “Wildflower” adds a new dynamic, a bit of warmth in contrast to vibraphone’s iciness, and a slower cadence to contrast with 12-string guitar’s wind sprints. The same can be said for the color of French horn to a track like “Red Carousel.” Title-track “Flying Fantasy” is just the occasional strum of guitar, some loops and the sparse twitter of effects. The silence of this track is almost startling. The album ends much in the way it began- “Cloud Slicing” keeps a brisk pace, marked by the intermittent murmur of piano.
Just a gorgeous recording.
Your album personnel: Alexander Turnquist (acoustic 12-string guitar, grand piano, Hammond B3 organ), Pamela Stein (vocals), Christopher Tignor (violin), Marlan Barry (cello), Jeremy Thal (French horn), Matthew O’Koren (vibraphone, marimba), and Andrew Hiller (snare drum).
Released in 2014 on Western Vinyl.
Available at: eMusic | Amazon: CD
Welcome to the Best of 2013.
This music has a boundless energy, and it grabs me each time I hit the play button. Teubal brings both modern jazz and Argentinean music to the table, but infuses it with other influences to where it’s not so easy to draw a clear lineage. Apparently this was Teubal’s intention, and it clearly worked. A stunning album of immaculate beauty. It’s about as near perfect as an album could be, and I still find it hard to believe it didn’t end up as my Album of the Year. On saxophones, Sam Sadigursky puts out some of the best moments on a jazz album in 2013. Cellist Erik Friedlander had a quietly massive 2013, putting out a beautiful album under his own name, and also performing on some of 2013′s top recordings in a supporting role. On the fourth and fifth tracks, “El Acrobata” and “Un Dragon Dormido,” which could be considered the same composition, Friedlander interacts with other ensemble members to create some heavenly sonic expressions, of a supreme elegance and stately beauty. Jazz is more diverse than ever, and the internet age has opened up new avenues for jazz artists to record and produce their own music, thus making it tougher for the general public to decipher what they should be listening to… but when someone asks you what will be considered the classic albums of this modern jazz age in fifty years time, you should point to this recording as one of them. As near to perfection as you can get.
Clarinettist Ghosh has one of the more original sounds on the modern jazz scene. His style of Indo-Jazz is both eccentric and amicable, diverse and complex, yet so easy to connect with. I was taken with his previous recordings quite a bit, but on his newest recording, he brings an even fuller sound to the table, one more rounded out and self-assured. Melodies that strike to the heart of the matter and rhythmic architectures that offer up plenty of ornamentation and structural fireworks. Or said differently, this album sounds like it has a lot going on, and it does, and yet by crafting rich, beautiful melodies, Ghosh makes this gregarious album so easy, and enjoyable, to spend time with. His mix of modern jazz approaches with that of regional musics from Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka spin a breathless weave of influences, all which abide comfortably under the same roof of one album, and which import a sense of excitement as the sound shifts from scene to scene. Just an outstanding album.
Goldberg opened 2013 with two strong recordings, released simultaneously at the outset of the year. Unfold Ordinary Mind was the stronger of the two (though Subatomic Particle Homesick Blues was certainly no slouch), courtesy of how Goldberg’s ensemble managed to create challenging music cloaked in catchy melodies and intermittent grooves. It’s not unlike an avant-garde rendition of a Motown recording session. Goldberg has always been an innovative sort, delving into projects that probably shouldn’t work, but producing engaging, often very listenable music despite the odds. He does that here, too, and the result is no less impressive or fascinating with many many subsequent listens. An outstanding achievement in a career marked by them, and a fun album, to boot.
This is an album of beautiful melodies. The melodies aren’t stated… they’re slowly exhaled. Tenor sax man Bill McHenry is the perfect musician for this type of album, with songs of a languorous demeanor, even when they’re moving at a brisk pace. His big sound is delivered with a peaceful ease, and matches well with Moreaux’s ensemble, which utilizes a dynamic percussive approach that serves more as an undercurrent of crackling electricity, and allows the melodies to serve up the heavy voltage. Bassist Moreaux has been collaborating with jazz-folk saxophonist Jeremy Udden, and this album clearly illustrates that those two are peas of the same pod… they both have that eminently peaceful sound, of a warmth that provides sufficient heat to prevent the music from ever getting terribly sleepy. This is a strong album that, unfortunately, seems to have flown a bit under the radar. Hopefully this will kick-start some interest. It should, because this is a gorgeous recording.
Feb 21 2013
Recommended: Pablo Ablanedo Octet(o) – “ReContraDoble”
And Ablanedo makes the achievement of the epic appear effortless. His songs have a persona that present themselves as music of a noble grandeur, of music that attains great heights with a graceful ease and a fluid motion. As such, his newest recording, ReContraDoble, elicits thrilling shifts in anticipation, encapsulating the expansive in a way that exposes the beauty residing in the tiny details.
Ablanedo has discovered the perfect mix of Jazz and Argentinean musics. Similarities can be drawn between the music of Ablanedo and that of fellow Argentinean jazz musician Guillermo Klein, in that the music of both artists is undeniably Jazz while also reflecting a definitive Argentinean influence, but which result in a mix that seems created of a singular identity. They both own a recognizable sound that doesn’t comport itself as a fusion of different music influences, instead possessing the quality of unique expressions of a creative voice.
This is likely the contributing factor to why Ablanedo so ably imbues his music with an epic nature. He’s moved past the tinkering stage. And because his focus isn’t occupied with the task of finding the just-right recipe, he can instead concentrate on getting the flavor of the components to reach full bloom. His music possesses a fullness, the like of which the best stories are told.
“Miranda al Cielo” tells the story of this album in the opening chapter. The song twitters with life, grown from the seed of a repeated phrase that has an infectious bounce and trails off in celebratory tones. Ablanedo’s octet(o) obsess over this phrase. They restate it. They reform it. They build up from it. They launch off from it and fly up and away. And, like a beacon calling out to them, eventually they return home to it. And during the course of those actions, the ensemble forges a construct of epic storytelling that brings a near dizzying response when contemplating that they’ve done this all within the span of one solitary song.
Ablanedo’s octet(o) takes this route throughout the course of this album.
For instance, second track “Silence” drifts close to the earth with the burgeoning sonority of Hofbauer’s guitar, but gradually accumulates mass as the trumpet and saxes of Grenadier, Smith, and Roberge are absorbed into the mix. And, as in the opening track, and as so often occurs throughout this excellent album, the ensemble returns to its original state.
Even a short tune like title-track “ReContraDoble,” which features the ridiculously lyrical bass playing of Fernando Huergo, the Octet(o) bring a sense of Big to the stage with notes that only sound self-contained. And then there’s the rendition of the Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood,” that adopts a cheerful vibe for a composition that leans more toward the melancholy. Fernando Brandao’s flute paints bright tones against the backdrop of Pinna’s hyperactive drumming. Also notable is “Departido,” in which Ablanedo’s somber piano lines, though relegated primarily to the background, add a lovely tinge of sadness to an otherwise upbeat tune.
Just a wonderful album. It was released in December of 2012, which was after the cutoff for my Best of 2012 list. December 2012 releases receive consideration for the Best of 2013 list. Ablanedo’s Octet(o) have made a strong argument for ReContraDoble to be included on that list.
Your album personnel: Pablo Ablanedo (piano), Fernando Brandao (flute, alto & bass flutes), Phil Grenadier (trumpet), Daniel Ian Smith (tenor & soprano sax, laughter), Kelly Roberge (tenor sax, clarinet), Eric Hofbauer (guitar), Fernando Huergo (bass), Franco Pinna (drums), Bertram Lehmann (percussion), and guests: Greg Hopkins (trumpet) and Katie Viqueira (voice).
Released on the Creative Nation Music label.
Jazz from the Boston scene.
Here’s a Tumblr page dedicated to the album. I haven’t explored it much, but it looks pretty neat.
You can listen to more of the album at the artist’s bandcamp page.
Available at: Bandcamp | eMusic | CDBaby CD&Digital | Amazon
*****
Also, ever since I started the Safety Net review series, I’ve had Ablanedo’s 2002 release Alegria on my list for a write-up, but seeing as all of my lists are threatening to drown me, I’ll instead just drop a note in here about it. The line-up is different, but just as crazy talented with all-stars like this one. You should go listen to the title-track “Alegria” on Ablanedo’s Soundcloud page (LINK). I’m positive every single one of you would buy that album. You should do that, anyways, because it’s an excellent release.
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By davesumner • Jazz Recommendations, Jazz Recommendations - 2013 Releases • 0