Evan Parker / September Winds - Alder Brook

[Nate Dorward]

I haven't heard the two previous discs by this group, which was I gather done in a disused water cistern. It's a saxophone quartet, joined by Evan Parker. The instrumentation reminds me of the Gavin Bryars piece Alaric I or II on After the Requiem & Parker played on that (that sax quartet--Parker, Warleigh, Sulzmann, Arguelles--later toured as the Alaric Quartet but I don't think they've even recorded). & the reference is pertinent because the music on Alder Brook moves often as slowly as a Bryars piece, & the acoustic is very resonant in ECM fashion. It's a very pretty disc, all round. There's one piece, "Pinot Gris" which unexpectedly suggests one of those saxophone pileups that occur in the freer moments in Mingus circa 1960 (e.g. the canons on Blues & Roots) but the rest is much more measured. There's one track (the 4th) which starts with a long Parker soprano solo, which is for all intents & purposes exactly the same soprano solo Parker has played for the last two decades (I almost perversely admire Parker's stubborn refusal to introduce new material or approaches into his solo work since the 1980s) but for the rest of the disc he's quite understated & doesn't spam the other players.

In short: it's a nice disc, though I haven't quite decided how much it speaks to me. I guess I find it a little lacking in challenge, compared to things like Parker's battles of wits with Braxton or McPhee. There's a kind of gorgeous pillowy feel to it, the cushioning layers of echo & soft wind instruments. -- Anyone else have thoughts on it, or on the earlier Parker + Sept Winds discs?

[Nate Dorward]

I see JC's own walto has a more enthusiastic take on the disc, available here--

http://bagatellen.com/archives/reviews/000317.html

[Gary Sisco]

Thanks for the link. I'd never gone there before. Some JC'ers have been busy over there!

[walto]

"Alder Brook" is, IMHO, fucking gorgeous.

[MRS]

Could someone expound on the rcording space for this date? Thanks.

[walto]

I think it was recorded in some sort of abandoned Swiss cistern. Very resonant.

[MRS]

Damn, Horn. . .I was basing my judgment on the cover art. I assumed it was recorded in Ford country.

[Nate Dorward]

Belated note: no, it was the first two records on Creative Works that were done in a water cistern. Alder Brook was recorded in a church. It's an equally resonant environment, of course.

It's actually be rather interesting to hear this group play in an acoustically drier environment--it does tend to make the music rather water-logged & ponderous at times.

The cover for Alder Brook is a complete mystery to me!! Just when I thought Leo's cover art want getting a little better........ I guess it's an improvement over the grim cover art to Out of Sound.

[walto]

Thanks for that correction regarding the recording space, Nate. It's actually pretty hard to tell what the place is from the notes. The implication was that it was, again, a cistern, but I see you've discovered that's not the case.

I don't agree at all, however, about ponderousness or water-loggeditude. I don't think it could be better!

[Nate Dorward]

Oh, it's not in the liners, but on the recording credits on the back tray, which says it's a live concert from Kirche Erlenbach. Here's the church's official website if you're curious--

http://www.kirchgemeindeerlenbach.ch/

[walto]

I saw that, but had no idea what Kirche Erlenbach was!

Now, what are Moses's last words from Moses und Aron again?

[Reid]

What's the rhythm like on this, Walt? Also, could you talk about how the instruments were functioning in this context? Was it basically a free-blowing thing, where everyone is just blasting away all at once or is there more of a "support" and "lead" kind of framework? I liked your review, but I'd like to hear your answers to these questions.

[Nate Dorward]

"Blasting away"? not quite. It was recorded in church & actually if you're a fan of the Hilliard Ensemble, the Sixteen or the Tallis Scholars it's not so far off...... In the formal review I ended up writing I summed it up as "dulcet, point-to-point improvisation rather than the ornery, swashbuckling kind".

It's OK though I think Walter is out of his m-- I mean, sadly mistaken to think it among the best releases of the year.

[MRS]

Fuck. . .Hilliard-like? I was going to order this, but. . .

[Nate Dorward]

Hey, I like the Hilliards! -- But, no, I wouldn't go to it for a brawling sax tussle.

[MRS]

My only exposure to the HE was a feature on whatever nationally syndicated New Age show complete with dulcet toned dj on the local NPR tilt. I think it was the stuff with Garbarek.

[Nate Dorward]

Sure, the Garbarek stuff's crap. Try something like A Hilliard Songbook though (gets you the bonus of a track with Barry Guy). My wife just picked up a disc they recorded of pieces by Walter Frye which is really nice, too.

[walto]

I guess I am out of my mind. What the hell this recording has in common with the Hilliard Ensemble completely eludes me, anyway.

Reid, it's not a "blasting session" but it's wildly contrapuntal. My sense, actually, is that's largely the reason it's not more popular than it is. The Parker/Dunmall "Birmingham Concert" provides a similar info overload--though this one is "prettier." As I think I indicated in my bag review, different players take the lead at different times, though, at times, everybody is spewing out a ton of notes.

Buy it, Michael....and then tell me about Rebecca.

[MRS]

Okay. . .it will make its way into a looming Verge order, Walter, only if Nate gives 'Nothing Ever Was, Anyway' (sans the last track of disc one)yet another try! Also in this order will be that Nabatov/Bennink duo upon Dan G's recommendation. Is Rebecca the girl who went to KU?


EDIT: Also in this order will be 'Endless Summer' so perhaps we may dig into Fennesz concurrently, Walter. And Nate, I'll dig some of the HE you suggested. . .they have a really readable/interesting website, as well.

[stonemonkts]

I like it very much (Thanks, Walto). I'm not familiar with the Hilliard Ensemble, so I can't add anything to that portion of this discussion.

To me it is a very intriguing blend of what Evan Parker does with his usual bandmates, European improvisation, and modern "classical" music.

The interplay at times is subtle but never dull.

It's a great headphones CD.

[Nate Dorward]

I think Rebecca's a duo disc on Charhizma or what that label's called.


Oh, I'd meant the allusion quite casually--just that the combination of all-wind instruments in slow-moving polyphony in an echoey church reminds me of a capella choral music.

[MRS]

Fagaschinski/Renkel? Is Walt all over this one?

[walto]

Nope. Girl from KU.

[Reid]

The phrase "wildly contrapuntal" appeals to me. Thanks, Walt.