Roman Poems

opis:
multikulti.com * * * * *
Już sama obsada skłania do uwagi. Bo czyż klarnecista James Falzone, wiolonczelista Fred Lonberg–Holm, skrzypaczka i pianistka Macie Stewart i drummer Tim Daisy nie zaskarbili już sobie zaufania awangardowej publiczności? Mój głos oddaję na nich bez żadnych wątpliwości!

Tim Daisy's Vox 4 to rozszerzona Vox Arcana. Trio w składzie James Falzone, Fred Lonberg-Holm i Tim Daisy ma na swoim koncie kilka płyt. Każdy z nich jest ważną postacią chicagowskiej sceny jazzowej. Tim Daisy i Fred Lonberg-Holm to muzycy zespołów Kena Vandermarka - kwintetu i kwartetu Frame, Tim dodatkowo współpracuje z nim w ramach Bridge 61, Resonance Ensemble, a także Vandermark-Daisy duo.
Fred Lonberg-Holm, wiolonczelista i improwizator, studiował kompozycję m.in. u Mortona Feldmana i Anthony'ego Braxtona, prowadzi własny duży projekt Lightbox Orchestra, koncertuje i nagrywa m.in. w zespołach Peter Brötzmann Chicago Tentet, Boxhead Ensemble, Terminal 4 i Fred Lonberg-Holm Quartet.
Klarnecista, kompozytor i improwizator James Falzone konsekwentnie tworzy na styku kreatywnego jazzu, współczesnej kameralistyki i ludowej tradycji. Jest członkiem ethno-jazzowego Allos Musica Ensemble, Frank Rosaly's Cicada Music i Jorrit Dijkstra's Flatlands Collective.
Teraz do zespołu dołączyła najmłodsza w składzie Macie Stewart, która dzieli czas pomiędzy założoną w 2014 roku w Chicago indie-rockową formację OHMME (dwie wydane płyty dla Joyful Noise), kolaboracje z chicagowskimi improwizatorami (warto przypomnieć współpracę w ramach Mike'a Reeda Constellation, Elastic Arts, Hungry Brain i płytę grupy Marker „Wired for Sound”, którą nagrała z z Kenem Vandermarkiem dla Audiographic Records) i własne projekty. Można ją spotkać w składach kultowych hip-hopowców, jak Chance the Rapper, Vic Mensa i SZA, ale także ostatnio występuje razem z WILCO. W wywiadzie powiedziała niedawno "Tylko praktyka rozwija nasze umiejętności. Aby wykorzystać własną kreatywność, potrzeba nowej energii, która tworzy się podczas współpracy z nowymi twórcami. Choć wydaje się to trudne, jest to niezbędne do utrzymania dynamiki artystycznego rozwoju."

Czwórka wybornych improwizatorów na bazie awangardowego, zrewoltowanego jazzu lat 60. tworzy na "Roman Poems" wspaniały poemat wyrafinowanych interakcji, bez specjalnych gatunkowych ekstremów, w przestrzeni swobodnej, choć dramaturgicznie uporządkowanej improwizacji. Ta głęboka fuzja amerykańskiej i europejskiej tradycji awangardy zaprawiona została elementami bebopu, hard bopu, post bopu i neo bopu. Muzycy stosują innowacyjne, eksperymentalne i rozszerzone techniki gry, które są ściśle związane ze współczesną muzyką akademicką. Zmienne tempo narracji, ekspresja, fantastyczna technika gry, szalona fantazja, kreatywność i chęć tworzenia nowych i świeżych dźwięków stanowią pożywkę dla inspirującego i niezwykłego brzmienia zespołu. Nie dziwi fakt, że płyta trafiła na kilka list najlepszych jazzowych nagrań 2019 roku!
autor: Andrzej Fikus
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Editor's info:
Vox 4 is Chicago drummer and composer Tim Daisy's latest version of his decade long new music ensemble Vox Arcana. This new version, which adds Macie Stewart (violin and piano) to the mix, along with longtime colleagues Fred Lonberg-Holm (cello) and James Falzone (clarinet) continues the group's explorations in improvised and composed sound-making derived from a wide array of influences from the worlds of visual and sonic art.

Roman Poems is a suite of seven new compositions composed by Tim and performed as part of his annual birthday celebration at the Elastic Arts Foundation in Chicago.

Roman Poems is dedicated to the great Italian poet, filmmaker, writer and intellectual Pier Paolo Pasolini (1922-1975)

freejazzblog.org - * * * * *
First, a reintroduction of sorts is in order. Vox Arcana is now known as Vox 4, updating the longstanding trio of James Falzone (clarinet), Fred Lonberg-Holm (cello, electronics), and Daisy (drums, marimba, percussion) to include Macie Stewart of OHMME and Marker on violin and piano.
Did the trio need an upgrade? Not as far as I was concerned – until I heard this release. The fact that this is the finest Vox release to date speaks for itself.

Quietly opening this suite is “Prelude.” With hard mallets on toms, wood & cymbals, Daisy duets with Falzone for a minute and a half - when they become embroiled in a duel against the string section, the music leaning into atonal disarray but not succumbing to it. Macie and Fred make good on their threat exactly 43 seconds into the next track, “The Collector,” when they smash into Daisy & Falzone head-on. Things get quickly sorted out though, with Daisy swinging like Blakey underneath a wild solo from Falzone. Daisy locks in with Lonberg-Holm, who is finger-picking the cello's hard-bop bass line. Another full stop-and-start with Stewart's violin leading the way as Lonberg-Holm kicks into electroskreech mode. And as soon as you have a grip on that, the theme's head appears again to close out the track – before ramming itself right into the next one, another crash-bang-fire whack of freedom noise featuring Stewart & Lonberg-Holm in an apparent victory duet.

This track, “First Travels” is an even more interesting ride than its predecessor, as its reach is broader in both scope and length. The first section is the duet of Stewart and Lonberg-Holm, of course, which ends on a sweet-n-sour slathering of beehive droning. The second section looks down the other end of the hive, and it's all sunny, damp and strange, made up of marimba and wire holding up some kind of sculpture in mid-construction. We spend awhile studying the blueprints during Daisy's subdued marimba solo, later becoming a fascinating duet with Lonberg-Holm. Falzone circular-breathes a note before the full band enters, with Daisy at the drum kit & Lonberg-Holm again in the bass role, the third section of the track. The fourth section is the collapse of the third and the vision of the phoenix that is Fred Lonberg-Holm.

“Intermezzo” continues with the chaos instigated by the cellist, now joined by the rest of the band – including Stewart on piano, who injects clusters into the firestorm of the rhythm section (Daisy on drum kit, Fred on “bass” cello) relentlessly. Piano & clarinet pitter-pat w/ Daisy's tapping, with Stewart eventually opting out – beginning the next track, “Classic Vox,” recalling Steve Reich without all of the instruments bleeding in and out of each other. Vox's approach, as we've seen up to this point, is the stop-and-start. Chords aren't going to weave into being, they're going to crash into birth. Of course, the crash comes at the 1:15 mark. [I don't want to give the impression that this is like Naked City. Vox 4 is much more organic than that - but they do cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time.] The remainder of the track takes you on a trip from Clarinet Chase Music to Flying Cutlery before dropping you off at a stop sounding not unlike the intro to “Prelude.”

“Litografi” begins with Daisy on marimba, in duet with Falzone, on a piece that sounds carefully composed – although one can never be sure with this band. Once Stewart (on violin) and Lonberg-Holm enter, the piece takes on a melancholy longing mixed with tension. It's at this point where it becomes obvious what a perfect musical match Stewart and Lonberg-Holm are, with her perfectly poised playing in the upper-register next to his everything-all-in approach. Bringing Macie Stewart into this group was a stroke of genius. Daisy's lone marimba closes this stunningly beautiful piece of music.

Closing the suite is the title track, named after the City Lights collection of Pier Paolo Pasolini's poems in their Pocket Poets Series. Daisy swings as Falzone plays the theme, followed by group improvisations that find Stewart, Falzone, and Lonberg-Holm jockeying for position at various points. The best bit is when it collapses around the three-minute mark with everyone contributing to a full-on shouting match that stops hard and begins abruptly with a solid-as-a-mountain drum solo from Daisy. The cheers of the crowd at the end jar me every time. It's such a perfect creation it's easy to forget this is was recorded in front of an audience. Bravo!
By Tom Burris


avantscena.wordpress.com
“Roman Poems” was recorded by James Falzone (clarinet), Fred Lonberg – Holm (cello & electronics), Macie Stewart (violin & piano) and Tim Daisy (drums, marimba & percussion). Four featured figures of avant-garde jazz scene are improvising together with drive, pleasure and expression. All their improvisations are based on the main roots of avant-garde jazz. 1960’s avant-garde jazz and its typical elements are gently combined together with the newest innovations of experimental jazz. This great fusion of American and European avant-garde jazz streams is colorfully illustrated by additional jazz styles – bebop, hard bop, post bop, neo bop and other modern jazz styles. The tendencies of contemporary academical and experimental music also are added – musicians are using innovative, experimental, specific and extended playing techniques which are highly related to contemporary academical music. Expression, drive, fantastic playing technique, wild fantasy, creativity and the will to create new and fresh sound make an effort to inspiring and remarkable sound.

“Roman Poems” is based on inventive decisions, modern conceptions and has an expressive and dynamic sound. All four musicians are improvising individually – each improviser has its own sound, style and playing manner. They’re getting on collective improvisations, corresponding to each other’s playing, giving the immediate reponses and mixing up together wide range of contrasting pieces. The music is emotional and bright – the improvisers don’t hesitate to get on adventurous and explosing culminations, burst on furious thrilling and hysteric riffs, transcendental passages or calm down on silent, peaceful and relaxing episodes. The clarinet’s tunes bring active, expressive and vital mood. James Falzone is the master of his art. Extended playing techniques, original and inspiring ways of playing, moving and terrific riffs, vibrant wild culminations and radical decisions are the main elements of his music. Improviser is going through silent ambient or relaxing tunes, strikes on luminous bright culminations, light naive and expressive solos or any other motions. Clarinet is the source of energy, brightness, passion and drive. All his music is completely based on free improvisation and innovative experimental jazz. Violin and piano tunes make a great combo with clarinet. It’s the source of experimental and contemporary academical music, which is gently combined together with avant-garde jazz, the roots of 1960’s American avant-garde jazz. Macie Stewart has an expressive and moving playing manner. Shrieky and awakening violin’s tunes are changed by gentle, elegant and expressive solos, remarkable vibrant melodies, inspiring effective riffs and spontaneous improvisations. Instant reponses, free improvisations and a stylistic allusion of contemporary academical music and avant-garde jazz are the main basics of violin’s improvisations. Stormy, aggressive and frantic piano is filled with expressive and vivacious melodies, dizzy passages, perturbating wild sessions, sharp nervous sequences, breaking riffs and original sound – that’s the base of piano tunes. Macie Stewart is mixing up together all kinds of elements, chords and expressions. That makes an effort to original, independent and vital melody line. Fred Lonberg – Holm brings more colors to the musical pattern and the melody line by combining together electronics and cello. Acoustics and electronics make an excellent combo here – improviser is exploring new cello playing techniques, searching to new expressions and timbres by fusing them together to weird and synthetic electronics. Deep, solemn and slow tunes form a stable bass line and are changed by striking culminations, passionate luminous riffs with remakable vivid melodies, strange tunes, special effects accompagnied by all kinds of electronics. That makes an effective, original and impressive sound. Expressive, emotional and dynamic drums accompagnied by marimba and colorful percussion’s tunes contain the rhythmic basement. Fantastic drummer Tim Daisy succesfully combines all these elements together – from cool, deep and solemn sounds, his music gets on expressive and nervous culminations. hysteric breaking riffs with wild perturbations, hot thrills, trembles and special effects. All music of this album has an original and exclusive instrumental section, modern musical language and driving sound.