Simon Nabatov, Autumn Music

Nate Dorward · August-31st-2004, 08:14 PM

I was looking forward to this one but hm, on balance I think it's a slight disappointment. It's Simon's "Amsterdam band": Ernst Reijseger on cello, Michael Vatcher on drums. More "free" than usual for him, though it's all compositionally based, even the very long (18-minute), mostly free-form opener. A tribute to Morton Feldman--small, delicate, repeated-over-&-over-but-with-variations gestures from the piano, with wailing bowed cello & cymbals. A similar gambit in "Hardly Obliged" (i.e. a static juxtaposition of piano + rhythm)--here, placidly beautiful piano ironically garnished with tumultuous accompaniment. A rather Mengelbergish version of Herbie Nichols' "Lady Sings the Blues", with Nabatov tinkling in the high treble of the keyboard. A Reijseger composition called "Third Stone", which starts lyrically but has the disc's most unhinged moments. & a very odd version of a Jobim tune at the end, with a lengthy solo piano cadenza barely touching the tune & then a brief statement at the end by the ensemble. I don't know, it's all OK but a bit lightweight compared to Nabatov's earlier discs on Leo. I'm also not a big fan of Vatcher--the arch, clump-clump-clump approach to the kit. Anyone hear this one?

Pete C · August-31st-2004, 10:06 PM

I too find Vatcher annoying.

MRS · August-31st-2004, 11:23 PM

Less effective than the Ernst/Simon Leo, Nate? Pete? Dan G?

Thanks.

Nate Dorward · September-1st-2004, 02:02 AM

Oh is there a previous Reijseger/Nabatov Leo disc? Or are you thinking of the duo with Bennink, Chat Room? Haven't heard the latter.

Vatcher's fine making a racket on Spy Vs Spy but otherwise, eehhhhh. He kinda kills Graewe's otherwise excellent Impressions of Monk album for me, for instance.

Squaredancecalling Steve · September-1st-2004, 02:50 AM

Walter says I should listen to some Nabatov, and he is rarely wrong in recs for me (and even when he is it's usually my fault). So if not this one as my introduction to Navatov, and not The Master and Margarita (I love the book, but I've been warned off the album), then which?

Nate Dorward · September-1st-2004, 03:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squaredancecalling Steve

not The Master and Margarita (I love the book, but I've been warned off the album)

By who? Walter? I think it's Nabatov's best disc. An evil sprite got into the heads of Cook & Morton when they gave it only *** in the Penguin Guide.....

Anyway, The Master & Margarita, Nature Morte, Tough Customer & Three Stories One End are all excellent from those I've heard. The Master is a great quintet disc with Mark Feldman & Herb Robertson involved; Nature Morte is a little stranger, a setting of a Brodsky poem with Phil Minton as vocalist; the last two are excellent piano trio discs (the first all originals, the second with a sprinkling of standards).

Squaredancecalling Steve · September-1st-2004, 04:15 AM

Thanks, Nate -- I'll look into it.

Walter, yes, but my recollection is that he was not alone in his relative lack of enthusiasm for M&M.

I like Phil Minton's work. Just heard him on a fine David Moss-led album with a half-dozen non-traditional vocalists.

LeMo · September-1st-2004, 06:28 AM

Never been much interesting by Nabatov.

None of his record has ever convinced me,"The Master" or "Sneak Preview" included.

Seen him live and in solo three month ago where he seems to have played the content of this record as described by Nate.
He started with his minimal piece in hommage to Feldman and finish with a furious (and pompous) one "à la Rachmaninov".

Didn't make much sense to me, no more than Borah Bergman when he suddenly transform himself in "Jewish Cantor".

Vatcher is very much okay on "Jewels and Binoculars" or other Michael Moore albums.
Like a lot "Impression of Monk" and didn't find that "he kills" anything in this great album.
But to each his own (listenning).

walto · September-1st-2004, 07:27 AM

I thought "Autumn Music" was pretty dull. My two favorite Nabatov's are "Nature Morte" and his solo disc, both of which I think SqD would really dig. I make "Master" worse than those two, but not bad.

MRS · September-1st-2004, 09:32 AM

Yeah Nate. . .I meant the Nabatov/Bennink duo.

Pete C · September-1st-2004, 10:02 AM

I don't know Nabatov's recordings, but I'll probably resubscribe to emusic for some of the Leos. I saw him 2 years ago in duo with Nils Wogram at the North Sea festival, and he blew me away. His technique & eclecticism reminds me somewhat of Dave Burrell, even if they don't sound that much alike.

Nate Dorward · September-1st-2004, 10:33 AM

Yes the duo with Wogram's excellent, though the barebones trombone/piano pairing takes a little getting used to perhaps--Starting a Story on ACT is very good. Nice cover of a Herbie Nichols tune there. (Trombonists seem to like Nichols tunes...) -- The solo disc Walter mentions is I assume the new one, Perpetuum Mobile--it's pretty impressive though the jazz content is fairly small (only the opening track, really).

Nate Dorward · September-1st-2004, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete C

His technique & eclecticism reminds me somewhat of Dave Burrell, even if they don't sound that much alike.

Actually he kind of reminds me of pre-Bad Plus Ethan Iverson....! (compare The Minor Passions to Three Stories One End e.g.).

Dan G · September-5th-2004, 07:54 PM

Disappointed to see these reviews of Autumn Music (though I've been wishy washy on getting it, because I too don't like Vatcher very much).

I do like Morte Nature and the duo with Han quite a bit. I'd probably recommend the latter as a first place to start. Nabatov can take everything that Han throws at him, and I think because of that Han settles down and doesn't try to disrupt him. Master and Margarita was first time I heard him, and it impressed me enough to go for more.

Three Stories, One End is also very nice, but in a completely different vein.