Brian Eno: Ambient 1/Music for Airports

A prior post here covered the amazing first collaboration by Robert Fripp and Brian Eno, 1972's (No Pussyfooting) and, at some point, we'll have to delve into the remarkable Evening Star from 1975, as well.  As for Eno's solo work, however, that has only recently been explored and it's really too bad that it's taken so long.

Ambient 1/Music for Airports, released in 1978 on Editions EG, is an astounding recording and one that has an eternal feel to it and, to this listener, does not sound as if it is almost a half-century old.  What's notable is that, as Eno did with Fripp on the aforementioned albums and then on his own Discreet Music, also from 1975, he utilized tape looping of notes that either came in small clusters of three or four or of sustained tones with the timing based on the length of tape used.  These variations allowed for the establishment of new patterns or development of sounds.

The first piece "1/1" features Soft Machine's Robert Wyatt playing a piano, while "2/1" and "1/2" incorporate the voices of Christa Fast, Christine Gomez and Inge Zeininger singing one sustained note for ten seconds and then these looped, with piano utilized again in the latter piece.  Eno once stated, "I just set all of these loops running and let them configure in which ever way they wanted to, and in fact the result is very nice."  That it is and the feeling is of immersion in the sound world created.

Not unlike Anthony Braxton, Eno, who, though, does not read music, developed a graphic score for each piece, reproduced on the cover.   Each, however, represents the compositional approach of the phrasing and looping undertaken.  Employing the strategy recommended by Donald Ayler, whose brother, Albert, was a powerful force in free jazz, especially in the last half of the 1960s, to follow the sound, not the notes, letting this music be an experience.

Eno, in fact, was inspired by sitting in an architecturally compelling airport in Cologne, Germany, but was struck by the piped-in music being incompatible, in his view, with the surroundings.  This was his concept for how such a musical environment could be developed and introduced, though he also said in an interview that the idea that a traveler could end up in a fatal plane crash was a major part of this thinking.  As relaxing and enveloping as this music is, that is certainly not the impression left for this listener!

Madagascar: Pays Antanosy Sarandra

Madagascar, an island off the southeastern portion of Africa (and probably only known to most Americans because of the 2005 film of the name) is more culturally related to the Indonesian archipelago a few thousand miles east across the Indian Ocean though it is also deeply tied to France because of the colonial control asserted by that European power for about six decades until independence came in 1960 and also has strong religious affiliations with Islam.

The Malagasy people include the Antanosy, who largely occupy the southastern end of the island, and this recording from the great Ocora label focuses on sarandra, a genre of singing that the liner notes compares to the performances of Andalusian flamenco vocalists in northern Spain.  Moreover, it is said that the genre "really comes into its own when performed at funeral wakes" as "this music plays the role of memory" and involves "a sort of emotional commentary on the deceased" and relationships with the living and ancestors.  The singing is also described as blues-like and employs many notes to a syllable in the lyrics and it is telling that "the Antanosy say they love musical expression because it makes them cry."

Instruments include the sosoly, a type of flute broadly called the sodina, and is related to the ney used extensive in Arabic music; the kabosa, or lute, and which also came from the Arab and Persian migrations of long ago and another word used is mandaly, akin to mandolin; the langoro, or membranophone, which is a two-skin cylinder-shaped drum hit with a pair of sticks; and, occasionally, the atrañatra, a xylophone played only by women and situated on their legs, jejo bory, or short lute, and the lokanga, or fiddle, though these have been falling out of favor.

A little more than half the tracks, the first 11, were recorded in Paris in 2006, while the remaining nine were captured in various locations in Madagascar between 1998 and 2000 and, while the instrumental portions can be quite remarkable, it is the vocalizations that are the most striking and evocative.  As with other music in areas of the world that are totally, or almost completely, unfamiliar, hearing this album is an incredible experience, opening vistas that help bring at least a modicum of understanding about what brings people from very different backgrounds together through the universal language of music.

Tim Berne's Snakeoil: You've Been Watching Me

With Tim Berne, there's pretty much a constant that there is no constancy in his prolific catalog of work dating back now close to a half-century.  The alto saxophonist and composer is so fascinating because he continually pushes his music in new directions through varied ensembles, instrumentation, and sonic approaches to his pieces.  While he often has groups gathered under a banner, such as Snakeoil, even these can be very different from recording to recording.

With this project, Berne was signed to ECM, the German label that made its name largely because of its long-running association with Keith Jarrett and for whom Berne's wife worked as its American label chief, and this meant more opportunity for a broader audience, especially as he had not released a studio album in eight years when the self-titled Snakeoil album was released in 2012.  This was then followed the next year by Shadow Man, and then, in 2015, with You've Been Watching Me.

Recorded at the end of 2014, the album features Berne's usual pastiche of pieces offering complex themes, remarkable dynamics, often abrupt time-shifting and incredible playing requiring musicians who can listen to and work off each other.  Piano is not an instrument heard on that many of the composer's records, though the incredible Craig Taborn memorably made a huge impact on Science Friction and the astounding The Sublime And in the early 2000s.

Here, Matt Mitchell plays the instrument and introduces electronics to great effect, adding significant color and shading.  For the rhythm section, Ches Smith uses all the resources of his drum kit, as well as vibraphone, tympani and other percussive elements and works very well with Mitchell.  There is no bass guitar, by Oscar Noriega, bass clarinet and the impressive guitar work of Ryan Ferreira, often function to develop that section of the ensemble.  Moreover, Noriega provides a remarkable counterpoint in sound to Berne's alto when they play in unison and offers impressive solos.  Berne is always a fascinating player projecting innovation and intensity buttressed by awesome ensemble support and You've Been Watching Me is another compelling and deeply immersive listening experience by a great composer and musician who should garner more attention and support for his diverse and significant body of work over the decades.

Edvard Grieg: Piano Music Vol. 2

The prolific piano works of the master composer Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) have been issued by the Naxos label in many volumes recorded by Einar Steen-Nøkleberg at the Norwegian State Academy of Music in Oslo with this August 1993 session yielding 70 minutes of works based on folk music traditions in the composer's home country.

There was great interest among many European composers in utilizing these resources, with Antonin Dvokrak and Bedrich Smetana particularly coming to mind with their work with Czech folk music, just as one prominent example, and this is a reflection of a growing nationalism arising in that part of the world, including the unification of such countries as Germany and Italy, not to mention the increasing desire of the Polish people to reestablish their nation.

Grieg tended to be best known for his "small form" work as opposed to larger-scale piano sonatas and concertos or orchestral works and the liner notes intriguingly quote from his letters regarding his popularity with audiences, but also the difficult reviews from critics.  The notes also point out the melodic bases for Norwegian folk music and the emphasis on harmony and rhythm which makes the composer's music particularly distinctive and appealing.  

In fact, it is remarked that Grieg was especially insistent regarding the importance of rhythm in works that were influenced by his country's dance traditions, while it was also noted that "harmony is at the heart of his work" with the master writing "the realm of harmony, has always been my dream world" and that there was a mystery to the tie between his sense of harmony and the folk songs that inspired him.  There are more than 45 such pieces and dances on this record, including two improvisations based on them nd two shorter works, as well.

It is said that his work was not particularly technically challenging, but that his compositions were very widely played and enjoyed, despite the lack of critical acclaim.  It is easy to hear why with this album, which is beautifully played and recorded, and is especially enjoyable in these challenging and difficult times.

Joni Mitchell: Court and Spark

Why it took this long to get to listening to Joni Mitchell is an interesting question because she's certainly been someone who's been on the radar for a long time—the same could be said for Neil Young or Brian Eno, the Rolling Stones and others who've finally been on the playlist lately.  For many people, the obvious place to start is Blue, Mitchell's phenomenal 1971 album that has bene heard as part of this discovery and will certainly get its due.

Court and Spark, however, from a few years later is where we'll start, not because it's considered better, but it's where this belated appreciation began.  With appearances from stellar musicians as Tom Scott, Joe Sample, Larry Carlton, José Feliciano, Robbie Robertson, David Crosby and Graham Nash, among others, as well as comedic cameo from Cheech and Chong, Mitchell's complex and incisive songwriting and gorgeous singing are given ample support.

Moreover, this is a notable level of diversity in the tunes in terms of tempo, instrumentation, harmonics and other factors that make the album truly stand out.  As great as "Help Me," which remains her biggest hit is, there really are so many great songs on Court and Speak that it is hard to pick out some more than others.  The title track, "Free Man in Paris," "Down To You," "People's Parties," and "The Same Situation" stand out in this listener's mind, but it's actually what Mitchell does throughout the album that makes the biggest impact.

This means the multi-tracking of her vocals which, as a fan of Cocteau Twins since 1986, this blogger immediately recognized as major influences on that group's Elizabeth Fraser and her vocalizations.  The intricate and innovative melodies and the style of Mitchell's singing are also obvious focal points, as are her amazing lyrical abilities, which find some humorous expression in "Raised on Robbery," while her cover of "Twisted," with its trenchant lyrics by Annie Ross and set to a solo by the great tenor sax player, Wardell Gray, is an entertaining way to complete a stunning album.

Having started with Court and Spark, it was easy to move to Blue and then to follow that with other Mitchell albums, though, again, why it took so long to finally get here is more than puzzling.

China: Uyghur Music

One of the great tragedies of our time is the terrible treatment of the Uyghur people of the province of Xinjiang at the furthest western edge of China, with the government engaging in horrific efforts to suppress their culture and "reeducate" and indoctrinate them into Han Chinese society.  We can only hope that, ultimately, the cultural and social practices of the Uyghur will persevere in the face of such tyrannical actions, including the music.  

This recording from 2011 and released seven years on the incredible Ocora label of Radio France presents a dozen pieces, including the Chong Näghmä and the Dastan Näghmä, multi-movement works, and a Mäshräp vocal based on a Sufi poem.  Given the long history of these Muslim people, the musical ties extend throughout central and eastern Asia, including to Persia, Tajikistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan and other areas.

Vocals by men and women and instrumentation on frame drums and percussion, lutes and fiddles reflect a long tradition of complex and compelling music that is truly intoxicating to hear.  Hearing this music is a direct experience of how the famed Silk Road from Persia to China manifested its influences, just as music from India and the Middle East traveled, through the lute instruments from the sitar to the guitar, southwest through the northern portions of Africa to Spain via the incredibly rapid Muslim spread and then made the leap to the New World.

The muqam. or system of melodies based on arrangements of pitches, uses scales on which improvisation is developed and refers to these motifs during pieces that can often be quite lengthy.  So, on this October 2011 recording, the Chong Näghmä takes up well over a half hour and the Dastan Näghmä is just more than 23 minutes in length.  The mäshräp is a specifically male performance for social occasions typically one of significance for bonding Uyghur men.

Sadly, the repression of the Muslim Uyghurs threatens all aspects of their society, including their music, though one hopes that resilience will keep this remarkable tradition going in the face of oppression.

Horace Tapscott and the Pan-Afrikan Peoples Arkestra: Flight 17

The great Horace Tapscott, as mentioned before, was the act in the courtyard of the now-leveled sections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art when I went with a friend to the free concert and was astounded by his amazing musicianship and that of his band, which included the volcanic and lyrical saxophonist Michael Session and bassist Roberto Miranda.  Subsequent performances were heard at the original Catalina Bar and Grill location, as well, but, then, in 1999, this titanic figure died, vastly underappreciated in so many ways.

This included his commitment to community and the foregoing of what might have been a successful national and international career as Tapscott focused on his Union of God's Musicians and Artists Ascension organization and the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra and promoting Black music through local talent, including free lessons for children and performing regularly at South-Central Los Angeles churches.

Tapscott's dedication to his cause meant that he was not recorded all that often, but the Nimbus West label was established by fan Tom Albach specifically to document the pianist-composer's work, including some stunning solo piano recordings.  This album is an "Ark" work recorded at the Immanuel United Church of Christ (now a Latino Pentecostal house of worship) and features Session, Miranda and many talented musicians creating a wonderful ensemble sound performing works by the teenage Herbert Baker, who died at just 17 years of age, Miranda, bandleader and multi-instrumentalist Jesse Sharps, and saxophonist Sabia Matteen, as well as a medley of pieces by John Coltrane.

Notes from the legendary music educator Dr. Samuel R. Browne, who taught so many great musicians at Jefferson High School, remarks that "the talent displayed in this album is the result of a commitment made by Horace Tapscott many years ago 'to pass it on,'" in terms of working to give young musicians opportunities for developing their talent and, hopefully, improving their financial situation.  Tapscott is also quoted as remarking, that the U.G.M.A.A., formed in 1961, "contributes quality works of art that reflect the natural rays of creativity, the essence of our existence."  

We are fortunate to have these recordings as reminders of those rays reverberating among us today decades after their production and as Tapscott's enduring legacy.

Jennifer Higdon: All Things Majestic/Viola Concerto/Oboe Concerto

Despite having a Pulitzer Prize and Grammy, the Brooklyn-native composer Jennifer Higdon, who grew up near Atlanta and in eastern Tennessee, is relatively unknown, but her work is very rich harmonically, strong and forward rhythmically and deeply melodious.  The Viola Concerto was commissioned by the Library of Congress and Higdon made a point of writing a score that was lighter and brighter than most works for that instrument, while she also made the first movement slow, contrary to typical practice, and then increasing the tempo over the final two.

For the Oboe Concerto, the composer emphasized the lyrical nature of the instrument and its pairing with other instruments in the orchestra and Higdon, in the liner notes, observed that "I have always through of the oboe as being a most majestic instrument" and she was happy to focus on "its beauty and grace" in the piece commissioned by the Minnesota Commissioning Club.

All Things Majestic as commissioned by the Grand Teton Music Festival for its 50th anniversary and the setting at Jackson Hole, Wyoming provided more than enough inspiration for the work, which also promoted "the majesty of all our parks."  Higdon thought of each of the movements as reflective of "a musical postcard" evoking the natural wonders of mountains, lakes, rivers and the "cathedral" effect of park environments.  Given our current political climate, it is a shame that is not shared enough by those in positions of power.

Roberto Díaz, a longtime collaborator of the composer, shines in the viola piece and James Button fully evokes the qualities of the oboe, while the Nashville Symphony, led by Giancarlo Guerrero, performs beautifully in this 2016 recording released the next year by Naxos.  Higdon's work was a chance discovery, as is often the case, and a very rewarding one.