Open Spaces – Folk Songs Reimagined
Daniel Hersog Jazz Orchestra
Cellar Music CMR010123 (cellarlive.com)

Vancouver-based composer, arranger, trumpeter and conductor Daniel Hersog leads a 17-musician ensemble in his renditions of four well-known folk songs, and six of his own compositions on this, his second album. Recorded in Vancouver, Hersog’s takes on the familiar folk tunes are varied, musical, jazz flavoured, improvised, yet always true to the original and all performed perfectly.

Gordon Lightfoot’s The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald is given a jazz rendition with classical orchestration and harmonies. Held notes lead to Lightfoot’s memorable melody, repeated with gradual entrance of jazzy countermelodies and variations performed by Dan Weiss’ lively drums, Noah Preminger’s improvised tenor horn solo, Kurt Rosenwinkel’s solo/comping guitar and Frank Carlberg’s flourishing piano solo. A brief silence leads to closing gradual instrumental entrances of legato high-pitched rhythmic lines and held-note melody. Unbelievable how respectful, sad and beautiful this all is. 

Hersog’s adaptation of Red River Valley features repeated bass notes from Kim Cass, full orchestra theme and alternating solos, with Rosenwinkle’s guitar leading back to the famous song, now a big surprise, sung by the musicians to closing loud full orchestra and drum cymbal crashes. How Many Roads is Hersog’s self-described “re-composed” version of Bob Dylan’s Blowin’ in the Wind. His Dylan melody sounds simultaneously familiar yet different, especially in the calming yet fast colourful Carlberg piano solo above Weiss’ drum rolls and orchestral glissandos. Hersog’s compositions are equally enjoyable. Rentrer opening Cass bass line is so intriguing, followed by lengthy colourful orchestral lines and solos. Hersog provides so much space for his musicians to improvise, and there’s so much musical fun for everyone!!

Projet Seb Parent
Sébastian Parent
Independent (projetsebparent.bandcamp.com)

Projet Seb Parent, the debut album of Montreal-based drummer Sébastien Parent, leaves the impression of being long in the making. Tight jabs and stabs from the astonishingly cohesive 13-piece horn section inject the most tranquil of rhythm section passages with adrenaline. These sudden shots are surges of pure energy and chutzpah that leave pregnant pauses in between; fleeting voids of suggestion, soon to be realized. This method of tireless tension building through choreographed involvement places Projet Seb Parent on the small ensemble-big band continuum, clueing in while never quite revealing its exact coordinates. The results of Parent’s distinct sound facilitating style: a gleeful grab bag of tuneful goodies that feel equal parts organized and unrestrained. 

Mont Saint-Bruno features acoustic fingerpicking, an irresistible shuffle beat, a whimsical trombone melody and an assertive slide guitar solo played by Patrick Bourdon. Bling Bling’s unabashed usage of 808s, choppy horns and sub bass simultaneously conjures the approaching menace of a Metro Boomin intro, the vigour of a Comet is Coming beat and bravado of your local brass band. Station Du Collège is an absolute highlight, with Parent himself helming an elusive groove reminiscent of early Tune-Yards, not ever quite fully swinging or straight, which makes the song itself feel like it’s constantly lurching forward and backward; reflecting the profoundly danceable quality this whole album possesses.

Plaît-il
Allochtone
Tour der bras tdb 000067cd (tourdebras.com)

Quebec-recorded, but ingeniously expressing its so-called foreign background with a band name that translates as non-native person, Allochtone uniquely mixes currents of electronica, rock, folk and free jazz. Created at the Saint-Alexandre-de-Kamouraska music camp, 195 kilometres north of Quebec City, the group includes local percussionist/turntablist Rémi Leclerc; pianist André Pelletier from Saint-Pascal; guitarist Olivier D’Amours and accordionist Robin Servant from Rimouski; Montreal bassist Alexandre Dubuc and Parisian Cathy Heyden playing alto saxophone and bagpipe chanter.

Each musician also uses some version of electronic instruments giving the eight selections electro-acoustic timbres that are as much otherworldly as they are terrestrial. The result can range from strained reed squeals, piano clicks and tremolo accordion vibrations meeting voltage buzzes and blats or keyboard clusters and metallic guitar flanges establishing a linear theme which must balance on top of consistent electronic drones. Throughout, almost ceaseless percussion ruffs are as prominent as programmed oscillations and stop-start voltage buzzing. Leclerc’s vinyl manipulation also means that tracks like rouge interject snatches of bel canto singing and backwards running syllables into the electronic- and percussion-dominated mix. The tracks aren’t all opaque however. The occasional calliope-like accordion squeeze and slide-whistle or split tone reed trill adds needed airiness at certain junctions.

As an exercise in group improvisation fusing multiple sonic streams, Plaît-il achieves its goals. But more indications of what each musician can contribute individually could have prevented some sequences from descending into near-impenetrable density and lightened the mood.

Jeb Patton – Preludes
Jeb Patton; John Ellis; David Wong; Quincy Davis
Cellar Music CM091822 (cellarlive.com)

New York-based pianist Jeb Patton has made a name for himself in the jazz world, having played with famed acts such as Etta Jones, George Coleman, the Dizzy Gillespie All Stars and many more. On this latest release though, we see Patton’s compositional and musical talents really shine. The album is chock-full of tunes composed by the pianist himself and features an all-star group of musicians backing him, with renowned names such as Mike Rodriguez on horns, Quincy Davis on drums and David Wong on bass. Born during the dreary times of the pandemic, the record is overflowing with creativity and brings a true, enjoyable musical experience. 

Patton grew up in a household where both classical music and jazz were deeply appreciated, with his father being a self-taught pianist. We often think of there being a very strict divisional line between classical and jazz, that the two don’t really ever mix and that mindset is just what Patton sets out to change throughout this record. Inspired by his childhood, each of these songs features notable technical elements we would usually hear in classical music blended in seamlessly with swing rhythms and mellow horn solos attributed to jazz. The result? A terrific record end-to-end, showcasing Patton’s proficiency in genre-crossing and blurring that distinct line between the two genres. A fantastic record for jazz lovers that love broadening their horizons and delving into new musical territories that they have yet to explore.

Counterclock
Clark Gibson; Sean Jones; Michael Dease; Lewis Nash; Nick Mancini
Cellar Music CMR111022 (cellarlive.com)

Renowned jazz saxophonist, educator and composer Clark Gibson’s latest release is a toe-tapping pick-me-up and a breath of musical fresh air. Featuring a roster of talented musicians such as Sean Jones on trumpet, Pat Bianchi on organ and Nick Mancini on vibraphone, Gibson’s sweeping saxophone riffs are supported by a fantastic backing band. This fourth release includes songs that are penned and arranged, for the most part, by the stellar musician himself and his talents as a composer are truly highlighted throughout the record. For those jazz aficionados that like a fresh, modern take on a traditional jazz sound, this is definitely one for your collection. 

Gibson reflects, “Counterclock refers to looking back and not discounting art you created in your early stages as an artist.” The focus of the album, then, is how the saxophonist came to embrace his compositions from the time that he was just starting out. Throughout the tunes there is a definite continuous, broader theme of “looking back to yesteryear,” a hark back to the traditional and appreciating the roots of modern jazz music and many of the greats. Gibson and band have a knack for finding the perfect balance of classic and current, enlivening that jazz sound we’ve all come to know and love yet adding just enough of a contemporary twist to bring it into today’s musical landscape. From start to finish, this album is a sonically pleasing, immersive and snazzy musical journey.

Short Stories
Vicente Archer; Gerald Clayton; Bill Stewart
Cellar Music CM060922 (cellarlive.com)

New York City-based bassist and composer, Vincente Archer is a bit of a gifted chameleon, and with the release of his first recording as a leader Archer feels that he has finally revealeds his authentic self – personally and musically. Archer’s inspired collaborators here include pianist Gerald Clayton and drummer Bill Stewart. This compelling project was propelled by executive producer Cory Weeds, along with producer and noted trumpeter Jeremy Pelt. With the exception of three tracks, all compositions were created by the gifted triumvirate. 

First up is Mirai (Archer), a gossamer-like jazz ballad, replete with a steady, heartbeat of bass punctuated by contrapuntal electric and acoustic piano work from Clayton and incredibly sensitive and yet powerful drumming by Stewart. Clayton’s Round Comes Round follows with boppish motifs coming into play, along with a dizzying piano intro by Clayton, followed by a symbiotic entrance of bass and drums. The trio seems to communicate with pure telepathy here, and the ESP continues in the form of a sinuous bass solo and superb, nuanced drumming from Stewart. 

Another of Archer’s tunes, Lighthouse, is an energizing highlight, featuring Archer’s lithe fingers flying across the bass fingerboard and laying it down with his unique voice. Of rare beauty is Stewart’s Drop of Dusk which exemplifies the “art of the trio” – replete with its stirring, Romantic sub-text, punctuated by brilliant, complex piano work from Clayton. On every track here, Archer’s bass sings and deftly touches those deep, subcutaneous parts of us that are shared by all human beings, underscoring and celebrating our one-ness. The only flaw with Short Stories is that the stories should be longer!

Are You Sure You Three Guys Know What You’re Doing?
Mike Jones; Penn Jillette; Jeff Hamilton
Capri Records (caprirecords.com)

This enjoyable recording features the prodigious talents of pianist/arranger/producer Mike Jones, the potent and thrilling drum work of Jeff Hamilton, and solid, musical bass playing from internationally known magician, Penn Jillette (of Penn and Teller). The tongue-in-cheek title of the CD is a reference to when The Three Stooges would show up as house painters, carpenters or God forbid, doctors! It was in 2002 that Jones was hired to be the opening act of Penn and Teller’s irreverent and entertaining magic show – a hot ticket in Las Vegas for more than 30 years – the only proviso being that Jillette (who had taken up the bass at the age of 48) would join Jones in a duo format for the opening set – which turned out to be six nights a week, for 21 years. After stopping by to see a show, it was actually Hamilton’s idea that the three record together.

Fresh, energetic takes on a number of beloved jazz standards are included here. On the zesty opener, Gershwin’s ‘S Wonderful, Jillette more than holds his own – digging in with authority while generating a big, fat, satisfying sound. Jones masterfully lays it down in the stylistic mode of the greats and Hamilton is simply one of the finest jazz drummers of his (and any other) time. A standout is a swinging take on the great Sonny Rollins’ Doxy. The trio grooves like a single-celled animal, and Jones’ solo is a thing of rare beauty. Other fine tracks include Jobim’s classic The Girl From Ipanema, which features an extended bass solo from Jillette where he carries the melodic line, and is also consistently expressive, in tune and in time. The stunning ballad, You’ve Changed, displays the trio’s skilled use of space as well as a formidable lyrical sensibility. 

These guys know what they’re doing; they should do it more often!

For Mahalia, with Love
James Brandon Lewis; Red Lily Quintet
Tao Forms 13 (taoforms.bandcamp.com)

Tenor saxophonist James Brandon Lewis’s previous CD with his Red Lily Quintet, Jesup Wagon, dedicated to George Washinton Carver, resided at or near the top of 2022 jazz polls. This homage to gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, to whose work Lewis was introduced in childhood by his grandmother, is even stronger – at once impassioned, reverent and nuance-alert throughout its 71-minute-playing time. The homage may extend to saxophonist Albert Ayler’s similar recording from 1964, Swing Low, Sweet Spiritual, with Lewis frequently referencing Ayler’s distinctive tone and phrasing. 

Lewis is intensely expressive here, in part through his taut control, holding his lines in check until they explode. Trumpeter Kirk Knuffke is a brilliant foil, on theme statements, solos and counter melodies, while cellist Chris Hoffman, bassist William Parker and drummer Chad Taylor supply stellar support, from a certain formal but empathetic rigour to the haunting bowed strings that introduce Calvary. The quintet’s special closeness comes through in extended theme statements that are simultaneously loose, collective improvisations, melodic components passed among the instrumental voices, for example, Were You There and Precious Lord.    

The limited first edition CD comes with an additional CD, These Are Soulful Days, Lewis’ eight-part composition for his tenor saxophone and string quartet, performed with the Lutosławski Quartet

of Poland. It’s a lucid work imbued with the spirit of gospel music (Wade in the Water emerges at one point). Its spacious melodic clarity suggests the compositions of another American master, Virgil Thomson. 

Starlighter
Kinan Azmeh; Brooklyn Rider
In A Circle Records (kinanazmehbrooklynrider.bandcamp.com/album/starlighter-icr026)

Okay, this is the stuff. There’s this guy who writes music for strings and percussion and his own voice (a clarinet that sometimes passes for the best alto flute you’ve ever heard). His name is Kinan Azmeh and the string quartet is Brooklyn Rider (look ‘em up); plus there’s a percussionist Mathias Kunzli adding to the mayhem. 

I get carried away when clarinet tone colour doesn’t assault my ears with plangent “listen to me!” swipes left and right. Azmeh can certainly invoke that strident animal, the upper register, but he shows true restraint. Mostly his velvet colour floats across the strings’ texture like syrup on waffles, like gravy on poutine, like tahini on falafels. Who’s hungry? The quintet-plus-one fires up dance rhythms straight out of the very Near East. Alongside “exotic” modalism and dance figurations, Azmeh draws on contemporary rhythmic complexity and dissonance. His writing is lyric, kinetic and narrative too. The disc opens with the three movements of In the Element, written in 2017-2018; Run and Rain describe themselves, and Grounded (the third movement added a year after the first two were written), narrates feelings from his recent return visit to his home city of Damascus. His other work, Dabke on Martense Street for string quartet, describes an imagined round dance on the street where he lives in Brooklyn.   

Brooklyn Rider violinist Colin Jacobsen’s title track Starlighter was inspired by the magical transference of energy into matter known as photosynthesis. It takes more than one listen to get inside, but it’s worth the effort. The final track is a work adapted for the same quintet plus percussion by Ljova (aka Lev Zhurbin). Originally written for the Silk Road Ensemble, Everywhere is Falling Everywhere (a Rumi reference) makes an apt bookend to the disc. A different version of similar language, more latkes-and-applesauce than falafels-and-tahini, but delicious as well.

El Swing Que Yo Tengo
Alex Cuba
Caracol Records (open.spotify.com/album/0IHxZjy8PyE5I5CBwF0JlW)

Ever since we first became aware of the music of the Juno and Grammy Award-winning Alex Cuba, we have always known that the elements of music – melody, harmony and, especially, rhythm – have throbbed and pulsated through his veins. And like the celebrated album Mendó that came just before this one, El Swing Que Yo Tengo, continues to buck every trend while remaining true to the glorious rhythms of the island from which he takes his name.

In the repertoire of the latter album Cuba pushes the proverbial envelope even further, including electronic elements in music that is steeped, as much in traditional Cuban dance forms as in funky and hip-hop-inspired rhythmic flavours. 

Cuba’s lustrous tenor swoops and soars fuelled by seductive romantic lyricism, often entwined with harmonies that he has overlaid on these delicious melodies. This is true even when – as on songs such as El Swing Que Yo Tengo and Son Para Tu Boca – more adventurous vocal elements and styles such as rap and other localized Caribbean song elements intervene. 

On this album Cuba plays all the instruments, including those powered by electronics, blending superbly with the percussion and he even treats us to an elegantly slapped-on bass. The apogee of the album, hands down, is Agüita de Coco, a song that is powered by Cuba’s eloquent voice together with the chocolate-and-chilli-coated vocals of the Rwandan music sensation, Butera Knowless.

Maelstrom
Duplex
ARC Music Productions EUCD2959 (duplexmusic.be)

Respected Belgian musicians, accordionist Didier Laloy and violinist Damien Chierici, worked together the first time in 2018 on a Nirvana music-based project. They continued working together forming Duplex, incorporating Laloy’s internationally renowned diatonic accordion explorations in traditional world/folk styles and Chierici’s violin in non-classical styles like pop and rock. The 2020 COVID outbreak/lockdown forced them to change their touring plans to recording imaginary world travels with music inspired by books, personal experiences and such. Invited drummer Olivier Cox and keyboardist Quentin Nguyen join them, with guest trumpeter Antoine Dawans on one track, in this debut Duplex release of Laloy/Chierici folk, rock, world, electro-pop, jazzy and cinematic compositions.

The duo “visit” global countries on the 14 tracks. The opening track Cast Off has fast short repeated ascending and descending intervals emulating boat sails in the wind. Magic House, in winter Saint Malo, features a violin-interval melody, diatonic accordion-chordal rhythms, a sudden slower section returning to upbeat loud electronics and banging drums. Off to London in Bakerloo Circle. Love the rumbling opening sound like a subway train entering the underground station. Trumpet melodies create a sense of London transit and street buskers. Great accordion in the fast Cuban dance, Cabestan’go. Enjoy New York City clubs in Vera, with louder more jazzy intense, full instrumentals. A detached beat opening, repeated diatonic accordion melody throughout with gradual instrumental and drums entries add to the wonder of the Rockies in Wapta Falls, especially emotional now during the BC wildfires.

Violas and viola players have been the butt of musicians’ jokes for centuries. A sample: What is the difference between a radio and a viola? A radio plays music. How do you know there’s a group of viola players at your door? None of them can find the key. Apparently this notoriety dates from the mid-18th century after violinist Francesco Geminiani was named conductor of a Naples orchestra. His timing was so erratic and so confused the players that he was demoted to the viola chair. Despite this reputation violas still remain a vital part of so-called classical music. For the past few years as well a growing number of improvising musicians have found that, tuned a fifth lower than the violin, the viola’s alto tone, thicker strings and heavier bow creates a more compatible sound for their creativity.

One player who has abandoned the violin and turned completely to viola is American Mat Maneri. On Live at the Armoury (Clean Feed CF 619 CD cleanfeed-records.com) he demonstrates his skill in a trio with German drummer Christian Lillinger and Vancouver’s Gordon Grdina playing guitar and oud. It’s timbres from the latter instrument which help define Maneri’s approach. Especially on the concluding Communion, the nagging sweeps and deliberate oscillations from the viola suggest the choked and arched patterns of an Indian violin, which align alongside Grdina’s staccato strumming which suggest isolated sitar echoes as much as those expected from a Middle Eastern instrument. The true indication of this fiddle’s versatility within this trio arrangement comes during Conjure, the almost 30-minute introductory improvisation. What the three conjure up is almost a history of cross-cultural currents. Grdina’s guitar motifs run from the sophisticated strums and plucks of Europeanized sounds to the extended twangs of simple folk music to the sophisticated slurred fingering and unexpected flanges and multi-string emphasis of exploratory jazz. Responsive and restrained, the usually overenthusiastic drumming of Lillinger is kept on a slow boil. Splashing cymbal colour and bass drum accents are proffered in place of a ceaseless beat to keep the track horizontal and harmonious. As for Maneri, besides asserting himself with bent notes, clenched stops and caustic glissandi, he sometimes pivots to formalism adding decorative frills to complement the guitarist’s playing, especially when Grdina slows down to magnify a melodic interlude. As well as relaxed motifs injected into the flowing narrative by both string players, they confirm comprehensive use of extended techniques and tandem connections during those interludes when they almost transform stop-start variations into tremolo drones that could come from a pipe organ.

Stacking up viola textures as part of a trio committed to even more cutting-edge forms is what French-Japanese violist Frantz Loriot does on Köln (CD Editions 013 jasonkahn.net) with a single 32½-minute improvisation with Swiss percussionist Christian Wolfarth and the electronics of Zürich-based American Jason Kahn. Treating the viola as another sound source, Loriot’s sul ponticello strokes and concentrated glissandi add rugged tension alongside Kahn’s whooshing drones and Wolfarth’s muted clunks and patterning. As the improvisation evolves, the viola meets imprecise drum beats and electronic squalls with angled frog taps against the strings and single pizzicato strokes until all three musicians’ timbres progress in tandem. Kahn’s programming also takes in radio-sourced voices and music which is countered when the violist creates a metallic run that is almost vocal. Expanding past percussion rumbles and tremolo voltage buzzing from the others, Loriot eventually twangs and plucks a near-melodic line that, with variations, is combined with drum rattles and electronic hisses with a climax that becomes more distant, then vanishes.

A different sort of viola interaction is featured on Elegiacal (Wig 33 stichtingwig.com). As Perch Hen Brock & Rain, Dutch violist Ig Henneman plays not only with her regular partner reedist Ab Baars from Amsterdam, but also with German saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock and American drummer Tom Rainey. Despite playing the only chordal instrument, Henneman mostly affiliates her sul ponticello pressure and spiccato strokes as part of the reed continuum. That often leaves Rainey’s pumps, ruffs and patterning as the main vehicle for narratives. Because of this, evolution is initially low energy with reed squeaks and slurps, string judders and drum beats undulated sporadically rather than harmonized. However the thin articulation begins to intersect by the mid-point Kites, as timbres left hanging in the air begin to coagulate due to the fiddler’s clenched string pressure plus dynamic forward motion created by the interconnection of Baars’ clarinet trills and Laubrock’s tenor saxophone slurs. By the time sounds on the concluding tracks are heard, the conundrum has been resolved. Still powerful, Rainey’s pops and ruffs are subtle enough to preserve a linear focus, while swelling string curves and pointed stops carve out a counter theme to the one projected by treble flutters from Baars’ clarinet or shakuhachi and energetic low breaths from the saxophonist. Henneman’s string sawing challenges Rainey’s tolling beats on the penultimate Walking Art, with renal sax honks and Baars’ aviary clarinet squeezes serving as the continuum. Stretching the narrative still further on the concluding title track, the other instruments concentrate their timbres as a backdrop to Rainey’s power paradiddles. Jagged reed bites and thin viola strokes finally express individual definition as they join forceful percussion strokes to lessen the tension and return to initial cooperation.

Attuned to a semi-traditional setting is the viola playing of Portuguese Ernesto Rodrigues with the Dérive quintet on its self-titled CD (Creative Sources CS 772 CD creativesourcesrec.com). Also featuring the cellist Guilherme Rodrigues, bassist João Madeira, flutist/bass clarinetist Bruno Parrinha and percussionist Monsieur Trinité, the nine-part Dérive suite evolves on the cusp of contemporary chamber music and free form improv. At various junctures, especially on Dérive VI and Dérive VII, there are melodic intervals which stack moving viola swipes against chalumeau bass clarinet buzzes and feathery flute trills swaddled in layered string rubs that undulate up and down the scale. But while the unfolding suite stays linear, its dynamic is defined by contrapuntal evolution, where shaking and swelling string parts vibrate collectively, sometimes interrupted by cymbal claps or maracas-like shakes from Trinité. Further consistency results from Madeira’s low pitched plucks. While this formula is constantly present as a continuum, other techniques are present elsewhere. For instance, the extended fourth sequence is introduced with a powerful arco twang that precedes the other strings’ entry and stretches the exposition so that all three soon create squeaking but harmonized timbres. For added variety throughout, the cello, bass and viola sometimes divide into separate duos to contrast high and low pitches. Elsewhere group string glissandi serve as a backdrop for the violist to initially shake out a theme statement, latterly use spiccato strokes and sawing squalls to torque all the players to produce theme variations, and finally use double strokes to outline a reconstituted sequel to the initial statement. In the end this statement is preserved among metal-banging percussion, energetic double bass rubs, multiple string stops and jittery flute whistles or deadened reed blowing to mark a sense of connection.

A more conventional – but no less invigorating – use of the viola and other strings takes place on French violinist Régis Huby Large Ensemble – The Ellipse (Abalone ABU 34 regishuby.bandcamp.com) with longtime collaborator violist Guillaume Roy. Both part of the 15-member Large Ensemble, Huby has cannily arranged his three-movement suite so that almost all of the four reeds, seven strings, two percussionists, pianist and trombonist are featured. A notable throwdown between the violist and violinist occurs as the introduction to The Ellipse Mvt III. But as slick, stretched and spiccato buzzes from the higher-pitched strings join with cellist Marion Martineau’s ostinato, dissonance turns to tonality to affiliate with the swing motifs which appear at intervals during this more-than-one-hour suite. Backed by bell-shaking, idiophone smashes and electronic vibrations from percussionist Michele Rabbia, first Olivier Benoit’s accelerating guitar riffs then Catherine Delaunay’s clarinet trills animate the exposition. Following a pause, all the musicians participate in a connective crescendo that lists southwards with no loss of power or colour. Similar section/solos interaction often come forward during the preceding sections. Although there are several tutti crescendos and unison string section sequences, these harmonic crescendos are muted for individual or small group expression. Among the standouts are trombonist Matthias Mahler’s contrapuntal smears, Baroque-like flute interjections from Joce Mienniel and sequences where guitar licks are cushioned by the strings or the viola and violin stretch a pressured line over accelerating horn vamps. Besides using marimba strokes to set up passages, Illya Amar’s vibraphone clanks constantly join percussive comping from Bruno Angelini’s keyboard to accent certain sequences while preserving linear flow.

As demonstrated here, despite its less than stellar reputation, the viola remains a valued music-making partner, At least it’s true in the jazz and improvised music community – and that’s no joke.

Riccardo Chailly and the Lucerne Festival Orchestra – The First Years (Accentus Music ACC70570 naxos.com/CatalogueDetail/?id=ACC-70570). This elegant 4DVD- boxed set is titled such that one can only hope there will be more to come. The Lucerne Festival Orchestra began in 1938 under the baton of Toscanini and existed for 65 years. The musicians were culled from the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, some members from the Berlin Philharmonic as well as from other leading ensembles. It went dormant for ten years but was resurrected in 2003 especially for Claudio Abbado. After his passing, Riccardo Chailly became the music director in 2016 and has recently had his contract extended through 2026, so this set of “early years” refers to a recording each year between 2016 and 2019. 

The 2016 recording is of the powerful Mahler Eighth Symphony, with which Chailly completes the cycle left unfinished by Abbado. This performance of enormous energy heralds the newly appointed conductor. Chailly was well familiar with Mahler having previously released Mahler: The Symphonies in 2005 with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Radio Symphonie Orchestra Berlin, among other highly acclaimed recordings.

The second disc in this box contains Mendelssohn’s ever-fresh music from A Midsummer Night’s Dream and a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Symphony. The Manfred is more thrilling than ever and suffice it to say that Chailly’s direction highlights the high qualify of the orchestra in excerpts from the Mendelssohn.

Disc three is the collection of performances of four of Ravel’s most popular works, Valses nobles et sentimentales, La Valse, Daphnis et Chloé (Suites Nos.1 and 2) and Bolero. Who could resist these, especially in these Romantic performances from 2018? 

Finally, this eclectic collection is rounded out with an all-Rachmaninoff disc recorded in 2019. These will be the versions to be remembered with dazzling performances by pianist Denis Matsuev. The program opens very gently with the deceptively difficult Third Piano Concerto. This piece begins with a very simple melody and builds to a vigorous and grand Rachmaninoff style tutti. The encores were equally impressive, Etude Tableau in A Minor Op.39/2 and the orchestral version of Vocalise Op.34/14. This live concert was rounded out with Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No.3 in A Minor Op.44, regarded as his more Russian symphony with its beautiful dance rhythms and lush orchestration.

Sviatoslav Richter plays Prokofiev – “War Sonatas” Nos. 6-7-8; Visions Fugitives; Gavotte from Cinderella (Alto ALC 1459 altocd.com) Richter surely recorded these works many, many times and undoubtedly all the transfers vary greatly in quality, but I can tell you that these performances are stunningly impressive. The recordings date from between 1956 and 1962 and you can feel the energy in each and every one of them. In fact, they are all startlingly real and fresh. As many readers might know, these sonatas can be aggressive and disturbing, certainly to be expected from “War Sonatas,” but there is also very beautiful melodic, lyrical music here and Richter understands and captures all of it. 

His relationship with Prokofiev is well documented and they had a deep and abiding friendship. In 1943 Richter performed the world premiere of the Piano Sonata No.7, and for Prokofiev’s 55th birthday, he performed all three of these sonatas for the first time in concert. To thank him for his dedication, Prokofiev inscribed Piano Sonata No.9 to Richter and it may be said that no one played these pieces with such great understanding. 

It is unfortunate that Richter did not record these sonatas in ideal studio conditions, but to the best of my knowledge he did not. There are so many recordings out there but to my ears, these are outstanding. So, without a doubt this CD should be added to your collection, no matter how many versions you may already own. 

Mieczyslaw Weinberg – String Quarters 7 and 8; Serenade for Orchestra; Sinfonietta No.2 (Alto ALC1458 altocd.com) Polish born Soviet composer and pianist Mieczysław Weinberg has been a favourite of mine for many years although I admit that I don’t know all his works. I was pleased to receive a new reissue, including several pieces with which I was previously unfamiliar.

The disc opens with Serenade for Orchestra Op.47 No.4 played by the USSR State Radio Orchestra under Alexander Gauk. This is a very happy and optimistic piece in four short movements and provides a great introduction to Weinberg for those not familiar with him. The two string quartets, No.7 in C Major recorded in 1957 and No.8 in C Minor recorded in 1959 are played by the Borodin String Quartet. These works are intense and reflect the tensions of the then “current times.” It is no surprise that Weinberg’s music was strongly influenced by one of his closest friends, Shostakovich, and that this fine ensemble who worked so closely with that master should take on the music of Weinberg too.  

Almost as a bonus, Sinfonietta No.2, Op.74 played by the Moscow Chamber Orchestra under Rudolf Barshai (recorded in 1960) is friendly and lyrical. All the transfers of these precious performances are immaculate and alive. These early rare recordings are a most welcome addition to my collection. 

Der Ring Des Nibelungen, Sofia Opera and Ballet, Dynamic, Blu-Ray 57964 | DVD 37964 (naxos.com/CatalogueDetail/?id=DYN-57964). Although technically not “old wine in new bottles” as this is the first issue of these performances from a decade ago, I’ve repeatedly enjoyed experiencing them so much over the past few months that I wanted to share them with you. 

Wagner’s Der Ring Des Nibelungen, directed by Plamen Kartaloff is featured in an 8-DVD set of performances that were recorded between 2010 and 2013, one opera each year. Finally released in 2023, to the best of my knowledge this represents the first complete Ring Cycle from the Balkans. There was clearly no lack of talent as these performances attest. The cycle obeys Wagner’s music direction and libretto but uses technology unavailable to him, technologies that I believe he would have fully embraced and utilized given the chance. Pavel Baleff conducts the first three operas and Eric Wachter conducts Götterdämmerung. Although I am unfamiliar with either of them, this is world-class conducting.

Costuming, projections and powerful sets come together to create an extraordinary illusion. The fundamental circular ring motif is used to great affect and with the aid of projection and lighting they represent the magic ring of fire, the beautiful Rhine as well as the dragon’s lair. The other dominant staging component, the cones, are used to represent everything from horses to the spires of Valhalla and I thought the Ride of the Valkyries was among the most noteworthy. Lighting projections by Rumen Kovachev and Kartaloff were matched to the music and onstage drama.

At first I thought that the staging and costuming was a distraction and was quick to notice aspects that I didn’t like. However, once I gave myself permission to listen and watch, I discovered that, in fact, the staging truly serves the music and the story. It was strange not seeing the sets I was familiar with, but I came to realize that this staging told the story just as well and perhaps highlighted some facets of the libretto even more clearly or persuasively than I had experienced before. I have been immersed in these DVDs for weeks now and realize there is so much to be appreciated in every scene. Ultimately the costuming was a bit preposterous, it was the debut of Nikolay Panayotov as his first foray into costume design for opera. I imagine that some of them worked better on stage than the camera closeups afforded. Costumes were bright and colourful and at once futuristic, space-aged and retro.   

The majority of the singers save three Brünnhildes are Bulgarian and those three Mongolian Brünnhildes studied at the Conservatoire in Sofia. There was so much to admire in many of the voices. The Brünnhilde in Götterdämmerung, sung by Iordanka Derilova was particularly noteworthy as was the Loge in Das Rheingold, Daniel Ostretsov. Yes, there were many more excellent voices. The acting was very convincing and the camera work did not disappoint.

CPE Bach – Württemberg Sonatas
Keith Jarrett
ECM New Series 2790/91 (ecmrecords.com)

Best known as a jazz pianist, Keith Jarrett’s musical career has encompassed a variety of genres, including numerous forays into classical music. This recording of Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach’s Württemberg Sonatas, made in May 1994 and unreleased until now, followed a period in which Jarrett had recorded J.S. Bach’s Das Wohltemperierte Klavier, Goldberg Variations, French Suites and the 3 Sonaten für Viola da Gamba und Cembalo, as well as Shostakovich’s 24 Preludes and Fugues and Handel’s Keyboard Suites. 

The Württemberg Sonatas were dedicated to Duke Carl Eugen of Württemberg, who studied with the younger Bach at the court of Frederik the Great in Berlin. Published in 1744, these sonatas are now regarded as musical masterpieces of the era between the Baroque and the classical and are fascinating studies in the seismic shifts happening in music at the time, as the highly ordered music of J.S. Bach and Handel was overtaken by simpler, freer and less structured music that focused more on expressive impact and improvisation than internal organizational principles.

Jarrett’s approach to this music is rooted in his renowned understanding of improvisation, resulting in interpretations which are simultaneously surprising and delightful, though never ostentatious or imposing. Bach was a magnificent improviser and, while Jarrett does not often follow historically informed performance practices and presents this music on a modern piano, his ability to find colours, textures and affects within individual movements and depict the architecture of the whole is unparalleled.

A duo of musical polymaths, this recording is a fine testament to the musical genius of C.P.E. Bach and Keith Jarrett, rewarding listeners with the rare combination of brilliance from both composer and interpreter.

Michael Stimpson – Recorded Works
Various Artists
Various Labels (michaelstimpson.co.uk)

In the history of music sometimes important composers’ reputations can be diminished due to mean-spiritedness, through ignorance or due to that mysterious phenomenon called neglect. The British composer Michael Stimpson’s reputation seems to have taken an unfortunate hit due to a combination of both latter reasons.

This is a travesty for a composer known for lofty ideas, audacious compositions and the sheer breadth of his library of written works. Moreover, Stimpson’s work has been performed over the years by some of the finest European ensembles. To name a few: the Philharmonia Orchestra, the English Chamber Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the City of London Choir, the Allegri and Maggini String Quartets, and a plethora of stellar virtuoso instrumentalists and singers.

It is still never too late to catch up with a composer who stands shoulder to shoulder with some of the greatest who have put pen to staved paper. And what better occasion than to celebrate Stimpson’s 75th birthday with Recorded Works, a long-overdue 7CD compendium, each with superbly written liner notes; a box including of some of his most celebrated compositions, with inspired performances by some of the finest artists of this generation. 

While Stimpson belongs to our 20th/21st-century era his voice sweeps across eras like a proverbial wind across the European soundscape, gathering momentum and musical voices from the past (Berg, Webern and others come to mind) heralding a breathtaking future for contemporary British music held aloft by artists and pedagogues across disciplines – from poetry to palaeontology and anthropology. Everywhere Stimpson allows his febrile brain to be immersed into stories of extraordinary human import, then turning his attention to transforming the ideas and great narratives of phenomena, and of extraordinary people – scientists, sportsmen and artists alike – who have done extraordinary things. Using his own unique brain Stimpson has transformed the lives and works of his subjects (and their unique achievements) into a one-man museum of the art history of our time. 

The recordings presented in this boxed set range from works for small ensembles, featuring piano and strings, large-scale works of symphonic proportions and operatic works. One of the most remarkable aspects of Stimpson’s being able to express his art and shape his craftsmanship to such a degree is the fact that he does it all not only being – like Beethoven – profoundly deaf, but he is also practically blind like the legendary British neurologist Oliver Sacks. It would seem as if – to compensate – Stimpson’s brain has afforded him rare insights into humanity. 

Like both historic figures, Stimpson has turned his disability to great artistic advantage. In an extraordinary twist of fate, for instance, the composer has a finely tuned sensibility for stringed instruments enabling him to recreate such human emotions as sorrow, anguish and unfettered joy in a truly vivid manner. This ability is superbly displayed in String Quartet No 1 (Robben Island) in which Stimpson tells the story of Nelson Mandela and the collapse of apartheid.

The way Stimpson overcomes hearing impairment is truly remarkable. The Dylan song cycle for baritone and harp is utterly breathtaking as Stimpson turns the dense lyricism of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas’ poetry into a poetic work all its own, with the highly articulated baritone voice of Roderick Williams alongside the harp of Sioned Williams.  

Stimpson’s gift for the epic is manifest in the rugged elegance of his opera, Jesse Owens and in the tone poem, Age of Wonders, celebrating the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin. Stimpson’s shorter works: Silvered Light for choir and orchestra and the trio Reflections (elsewhere in this set) are no less seductive.