Makiko Hirabayashi / Mariane Bitran Quintet feat. Bob Rockwell: Grey To Blue

Modern Jazz
premiera polska: 2008-05-07,
Wydawnicto Audiofilskie
opakowanie: digipackowe etui
opis:
Hi-Fi Choice & Home Cinema - ocena - muzyka * * */dźwięk * * * *
O muzyce:
Nieczęsto zdarza się recenzować jazzową płytę w której kobiety górą. Makiko Hirabayashi to urodzona w Tokio pianistka, skrzypaczka i kompozytorka mieszkająca w Danii. Na fortepianie zaczęła grać muzyką klasyczną mając cztery lata. Studiowała w Berklee Collage Of Music w Bostonie a w Kopenhadze mieszka od 18 lat, gdzie realizuje swoje kolejne projekty, głównie w ramach jazzowego tria. Na albumie 'Grey To Blue' skład został poszerzony do kwintetu z flecistką Mariane Bitran i saksofonistą oraz klarnecistą Bobem Rockwellem. To z pewnością poszerzyło paletę brzmieniową nagrań. Mariane Bitran jest Francuską ale podobnie jak Makiko swoje życie związała z Kopenhagą. Najciekawsze w tej muzyce jest zderzenie post-bopu z łagodnym, delikatnym tonem fletu, przecież niezbyt często wykorzystywanym w podobnych projektach. Do tego dosyć mocna i dynamiczna sekcja z Mortenem Lundem na perkusji i Erikiem Olevikiem na basie dodaje kolorytu tej muzyce. Dodatkowym atutem płyty jest gra znakomitego Boba Rockwella, Amerykanina mieszkającego gdzie? Oczywiście w Kopenhadze. Grał między innymi z Tito Puente, Freddie Hubbardem, Tomem Harrellem i Rufusem Reidem. W jego grze słychach cały bagaż muzycznych doświadczeń, jest to więc niezwykła synteza tradycji z nowoczesnością. Mam wrażenie, że niestety najsłabszym elementem tej płyty są kompozycje głównie autorstwa liderki. Niby wszystko jest w porządku, ale po przesłuchaniu niewiele pozostaje w uszach. Dużo więcej dzieje się w dwóch tematach skomponowanych przez Mariane Bitran ('Voices Of The Sands' i 'Snapshot'). Całość wieńczy nastrojowa kompozycja Duńczyka Carla Augusta Nielsena (1865-1931) 'Tir Er Jeg Glad', jednego z najwybitniejszych symfoników w historii muzyki. Utwór zaaranżowany przez liderkę i zagrany na fortepian i klarnet + 'szemrzące' w głębokim tle talerze. Ocena * * *
O dźwięku:
Duńczycy ze Stunt Records opanowali nagrywanie akustycznych składów prawie do perfekcji. Nie ma tu niepotrzebnego pogłosu, jest solidny dźwięk umiejscowiony bardzo dokładnie z dobrą lokalizacją poszczególnych instrumentów. Flet ze względu na swoją barwę nie jest zbyt 'słodki' ani liryczny. Materiał nagrano w Sun Studio w Kopenhadze w grudniu ubiegłego roku. Kobiety czyli Makiko i Mariane również nie oddały pola mężczyznom jeśli chodzi o produkcję płyty. Ocena * * * *

autor: Sylwester Podgórski

Hi Fi i Muzyka 7-8/09 - (143), muzyka: * * * * dźwięk: * * * * *
Flet i fortepian w rolach głównych - to najkrótszy opis zawartości 'Grey to Blue'. Gwiazdy przedsięwzięcia to dwie panie. Jedna pochodzi aż z Japonii, druga z Francji. Spotkały się w Kopenhadze, gdzie postanowiły razem nagrać album.
Flet to instrument, który rzadko się pojawia na pierwszym planie w repertuarze jazzowym. Grająca na nim Bitran jest więc trochę jak Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull) w rocku. Nagrania z 'Grey to Blue' dowodzą jednak, że potrafi się doskonale wkomponować w wymogi stylu, a jej improwizacje przyciągają uwagę.
Hirabayashi miała nieco łatwiejsze zadanie, bo pianistka w jazzie jest jak ryba w wodzie, za to ma znacznie liczniejszą i zarazem bardziej utytułowaną konkurencję. Panie nie poszły na łatwiznę i nie wzięły na warsztat standardów, ale cały repertuar ułożyły z własnych kompozycji.
Tyle że to akurat najsłabszy punkt płyty. O ile wykonania, zwłaszcza w przypadku Bitran, okazują się dobre, o tyle kompozycje specjalnie się nie wyróżniają.
Duży plus należy się natomiast zaproszonym do współpracy panom. Bob Rockwell (saksofony, klarnet), Erik Olevik (kontrabas) i Morten Lund (perkusja) jako akompaniatorzy radzą sobie znakomicie.
autor: Grzegorz Walenda
Editor's info:
It would be a cliché to say that the world gets smaller and smaller every day. Jazz has always been a forum in which players can meet without musical prejudice. It is also quite natural for five musicians from different countries to make Denmark their home. However, it is remarkable that they now find themselves in the same group. Flutist Mariane Bitran is French, pianist and keyboard player Makiko Hirabayashi is Japanese, tenor saxophonist Bob Rockwell is American, bassist Erik Olevik is Swedish and drummer Morten Lund is Danish.
The music composed by Mariane Bitran and Makiko Hirabayashi is an inspiring basis for ensemble playing and improvisation. The music is easy to listen to but original. Flute and tenor sax is not an everyday constellation, but then again, you don't hear a group consisting of five different nationalities every day either.
Mariane Bitran and Makiko Hirayabashi met in Copenhagen, and brought their own distinct cultural backgrounds in jazz and world music into this collaboration. The sound of Mariane's various flutes - including the percussive African flute, the Chinese wooden flute and the mysterious alto flute - provided the inspiration to write original music for an acoustic group. Their recipe for dynamic and interesting quartet music lies in the contrasting double bass and translucent flutes supplemented with textures and sounds from the piano and drums. Morten Lund's and Erik Olevik's imaginative and energetic playing lend this music a tension which opens the door to creative dialogue. The compositions are also inspired by Mariane's French roots and Makiko's Asian background, and by classical music and modern jazz. GREY TO BLUE provides the rare opportunity of hearing Bob Rockwell in a different, open and experimental setting, which profits from his experience, powerful playing, energy and dynamic sense.
Mariane Bitran received her musical education in Paris. Her professional career started in 1981, and since 1998 it has continued in Denmark (and France). Other collaborations include projects with Pernille Bervort, Simon Spang-Hanssen, Benita Haastrup, the Togolese guitarist and composer Alain Dodji Apaloo and the Icelandic vocalist Nina Björk Eliason.
Her French projects have included Mountain Quintet, Zoomtop Orchestra (with Richard Bona), Olivier Cahours 4tet, Paris Flute Orchestra and Flute Unlimited. Mariane Bitran has two previous releases out on STUNT Records, 'A Place For You' and 'All One'.
Born in Japan in 1966, Makiko Hirabayashi began playing classical piano at the age of four. She has studied jazz at Berklee College of Music in Boston and is a graduate from The Rhythmic Conservatory in Copenhagen. She has performed and recorded with numerous orchestras in jazz and world music including Sisters and Morild. Her own Makiko Hirayabashi Trio includes Klavs Hovman (b) and Marilyn Mazur (dr & perc). Their acclaimed debut recording was released on the German Enja label in 2006. In 1995 Sisters won three prizes at European Jazz Contest in Belgium: Best Arrangement, Most Popular Band and 3'rd Prize - General Performance. Makiko has performed in most of Europe, in Japan with her own group Third Floor and in South Africa with Sisters.
Tenor saxophonist Bob Rockwell is going on 25 years as a 'Dane'. Following a tour with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, the then 38-year old American decided that the time was ripe for change of scene. Born in Minneapolis, Rockwell taught himself to play saxophone, but after a spell with local rock bands, he was smitten with the jazz bug. Via Las Vegas, he landed in New York in the late 70's, where he joined groups with Freddie Hubbard, Tito Puente, Billy Hart and Marc Johnson.
In Denmark, he soon became an integrated and popular part of the Danish scene. He has led his own groups, held a seat in the Danish Radio Big Band, been a member of the organ trio Organizers - plus a long list of other activities. He has toured most of Europe, Japan and USA in collaborations including with pianist Ben Sidron. He has released CD's on Steeple Chase. His two most recent, 'Bob's Wilder' and 'Bob's Ben' have been for STUNT Records.
The youngest member of the group is Erik Olevik from Hamburgsund in Sweden. He is a graduate of Copenhagen's Rhythmic Conservatory. His main activity has been with Karen Bach's Trio.
Morten Lund is a graduate from The Royal Conservatory in Copenhagen.
Recent years have established him as one of the country's busiest drummers. He can be heard in many groups and appears on more than 60 CD's with top Scandinavian and European artists including Cecilie Norby, Chris Minh Doky, Ulf Wakenius, Jan Lundgren, Paolo Fresu, Stefano Bollani, Nguyen Le and Dhaffer Youssef. He has recorded two CD's for STUNT Records with Stefan Bollani's trio.


Japanese pianist/composer/violinist, based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Currently playing with piano trio with Klavs Hovman (b) and Marilyn Mazur (dr/perc), 'Grey To Blue' with the French flute player, Mariane Bitran, and a folk/jazz group called 'Morild'.

Born in Tokyo, started with classical music on the piano at 4, and violin at 9. Her childhood was spent in Tokyo and Hong Kong. At age 20, She won a scholarship to Berklee College Of Music in Boston, and spent the next 3 years there. Since 1990, She have been living in Copenhagen, working with different projects. (more info at www.makiko.dk)
Her influences are many, from classical music to jazz, Far Eastern sounds and Nordic folk music.

The flute is a fascinating instrument. The sound may be delicate, lean, elegant and ethereal - seductive in every respect. But the flute is also an extension of the breath and an intensification of feelings and emotions.

Mariane Bitran plays the flute. There are no saxophones of any kind, neither as a main instrument nor on the sideline. She was born in 1960, and in 1998 she moved from Paris to Copenhagen. She uses the full range of her instrument, from the elusive to the expressive, from the highly delicate to the most passionate.

In jazz, only few instrumentalists have chosen the flute as their main instrument. But luckily Mariane is within our reach - that is: if she's not somewhere abroad, where the talented flutist is highly in demand.

Over the years Mariane Bitran has been playing in many constellations, both here and in France, for she needs to be playing different kinds of music. She says that openness and imagination are important elements in her world. And that's exactly what she displays on her new cd under her own name.

All Music Guide
This quintet, co-led by French flutist Mariane Bitran and Japanese pianist Makiko Hirabayashi, explores colorful post-bop charts by the two musicians. The band includes American tenor saxophonist Bob Rockwell, Swedish bassist Erik Olevik, and Danish drummer Morten Lund. Opening with Bitran's live Afro-Cuban "Looking for Herbert," the match between her upbeat alto flute and Rockwell's soulful tenor works well. Bitran's turbulent post-bop vehicle "Snapshot" suggests the hustle and bustle of a big city.Hirabayashi's "Beauty of Doubt" is a haunting ballad that leaves a lasting impression, then she switches to Chinese wooden flute for her exotic "Fula Flute." Hirabayashi and Rockwell collaborated on the playful "Bugs," which begins in a Raymond Scott-like setting before switching gears into soul-jazz. The session ends with Hirabayashi's gorgeous arrangement of Danish classical composer Carl Nielsen's solemn Tit Er Jeg Glad.
by Ken Dryden

muzycy:
Marian Bitran: flute
Makiko Hirabayashi: piano
Bob Rockwell: sax
Erik Olevik: bass
Morten Lund: drums

utwory:
1. Looking For Herbert (Bob Rockwell) 00:04:46
2. Fly Bird Fly (Bob Rockwell) 00:05:35
3. Beaty Of Doubs (Bob Rockwell) 00:06:22
4. Fula Flute (Bob Rockwell) 00:06:36
5. Grey To Blue (Bob Rockwell) 00:07:34
6. Bugs (Bob Rockwell) 00:03:51
7. Voices Of The Sands (Bob Rockwell) 00:07:06
8. Snapshot (Bob Rockwell) 00:05:42
9. Joy (Bob Rockwell) 00:07:07
10. Tit Er Jeg Glad (Bob Rockwell) 00:03:29

total time - 58:08
wydano: 10/02/2008
nagrano: Recorded and mixed by Bjarne Hansen at Sun Studio, Copenhagen, December 2007

more info: www.sundance.dk
more info2: www.makiko.dk