The 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s were the halcyon days of the CBC. During those years the Corporation produced programs of the highest calibre for both their radio and television networks. All the Arts were covered: theatre, ballet, opera, etc. including live concerts, recitals and intelligent and informative talk shows. In those years, Glenn Gould developed from a young pianist of obvious talent into the world famous re-interpreter of Bach and Beethoven and others and, from time to time, he shared his views with the TV audience.

SONY has issued a 10 DVD set of Glenn Gould on Television – The Complete CBC Broadcasts 1954-1977 (886979 52109). This collection could correctly be dubbed The Wit and Wisdom of Glenn Gould, for it contains every one of those original, well-prepared programmes that centered around Gould playing music close to his heart. From 1961 performances were preceded by Gould’s spoken introduction and elaboration. I hurried into the set to watch disc five containing the 1966 Humphrey Burton Interviews in which Gould very persuasively argues for his radical, in some degree or another, performances of Bach and Beethoven. On the second disc of the Burton interviews, broadcast a few weeks later, Gould argues the case for Arnold Schoenberg as the composer whose music he places above Bartók, Stravinsky, Shostakovich, or anyone else in the 20th century (up 1966, of course). Finally, Gould chooses the music of Richard Strauss to discuss and find a place for in 20th century music.

The earliest surviving video of Gould dates from December 1954 in which we hear and see him playing the first movement of Beethoven’s first piano concerto. On the same disc we jump to February 1957 and find him conducting an orchestra accompanying Maureen Forrester singing Urlicht. Sehr feierlich, aber schlicht: “O Roschen rot!” from the Mahler second symphony followed by Bach from 1957 and 1958 and from 1960 Beethoven’s “Tempest” sonata. Next, from 1961 The Eroica Variations and the third cello sonata with Leonard Rose, both of which are introduced and analysed by Mr. Gould.

Throughout these 10 DVDs, although he painstakingly prepared his spoken comments he never comes across as a fussy pedant or a know-it-all. But, as we know, he did know it all. The mind boggles when faced with the breadth of his interests and passions. We find him working and playing with Yehudi Menuhin (1966), then the famous 1970 bicentennial concert when he stepped in at a moment’s notice to sub for Michelangeli playing the Emperor Concerto with the TSO under Karel Ancerl. There really is too much wonderful music and talk about music in this set to write about here. Other artists seen or heard in this collection include James Campbell, Roxolana Roslak, Boris Brott, Adele Armin, Suzanne Schulman, The Orford String Quartet, Russell Oberlin, Julius Baker, Oscar Shumsky, Lois Marshall, Elizabeth Benson-Guy, Gordon Wry, Vladimir Golschmann, Albert Pratz, Zubin Mehta and many others. The Judith Pearlman film The Idea of the North, narrated by Gould is here, too. This is a unique collection of unique performances and commentaries. Whether you remember Glenn Gould or not really doesn’t matter.

Although available throughout the rest of the world, curiously, Sony Canada apparently declined to release the quite recent collection of Gould’s recordings of 12 Beethoven Sonatas and all five Piano Concertos. Newly re-mastered in an attractive six CD set at super-budget price, it would also have been a natural tie-in to the DVD set where many of them are referred to or discussed.

I am lost to the world is the title of an extraordinarily moving DVD (Cmajor DVD 705608) which attempts, successfully so, to outline the life and career of Carlos Kleiber and perhaps understand why he was predictably unpredictable. He was well known for not showing up or walking out of rehearsals, not showing up for concerts, and generally eccentric, unprofessional behaviour. By the end of this barely sixty minute presentation the viewer can somehow empathise with him and understand him... well, not really but get very close or imagine that you do. We see him as the son of the exalted conductor, Erich Kleiber who was, as we have been told elsewhere, also moody and easily offended. There can be no doubt that the son outdid the father in his quest for perfection (as he saw it) in the finished performance. He abhorred the press and the glitz that went with being a superstar. He is seen in rehearsals and in a non-commercial video of what seems to be a final run-through of Tristan at Bayreuth. The intensity is electrifying. Players from the Vienna Philharmonic and others give us a fair idea of the man, illustrated by videos of rehearsals and performances. His stick technique and his whole “body technique” were exuberant and flamboyant, communicating to the players exactly what he wanted to hear. It is a revelation for us in the audience to see what the musicians saw. The title of this DVD, Ich bin der Welt elt abhanden gekommen (I am lost to the World) is the title of the third song from Mahler’s Rückert Lieder.

A second documentary on Kleiber, Traces to Nowhere, covers much of the same ground and interviews some of the same witnesses but also others. We learn that he visited Karajan’s grave every time he went to Salzburg. These interviews flesh out the sequence of events and often fill in the gaps between one incident or another and the ensuing behaviour that, to an outsider would appear to be thoughtless and uncalled for (ARTHAUS DVD 101553). Both films take us to Kleiber’s final hours but I am lost to the world left me feeling very sad for him. Both films are recommendable and are complementary. As a footnote... a friend of mine in England, when in the employ of a major record company, received a letter from Kleiber expressing his admiration for, and the earnest desire to conduct, Gilbert and Sullivan.

Yet another DVD (running 102 minutes) finds Kleiber rehearsing and performing the overtures to Der Freischütz and Die Fledermaus. Until you have seen it, you cannot imagine the meticulous attention given to even the slightest passing notes and the perfection of the performances where these felicities pass fleetingly by (Arthaus DVD 101063).

Land and Sea
Sarah Slean
Pheromone Recordings PHER CD 1019

The contrast in styles between the two discs that comprise Sarah Slean’s “Land and Sea” is remarkable. Although why the monikers “Land” and “Sea” were chosen is not readily apparent, nothing much is readily apparent on this recording. And I mean that in a good way – a lot of Slean’s songwriting needs to be sat with before its beauty and meaning can be gleaned. The music on the two discs has basically been divided into hard-scrabble, guitar-prominent pop/rock on “Land,” while “Sea” is all swelling strings (arranged by Slean and Jonathan Goldsmith) and rolling melodies.

I confess I preferred “Sea,” largely because Slean’s Kate Bush-esque soprano is softened on the more languorous tempos. But there is still a lot of drama and gutsiness to “Sea,” especially on Napoleon and Attention Archers. “Land” features the same intelligent, worldly lyrics as “Sea,” while Joel Plaskett’s production choices draw out the fun side of Slean’s work. So the advice to get rid of baggage in Set it Free comes off as cute and non-preachy, and the gospel touches on Amen are subtle and nuanced. Slean is touring extensively throughout Southern Ontario and Canada in November. Check www.sarahslean.com.

Enhanced freedom in music over the past 60 years has involved more than the addition of new instrumental techniques and compositional strategies. Recasting of gender roles has also taken place. No longer are women instrumentalists expected to play traditionally delicate female instruments such as violins or flutes; or those where they sit demurely such as the piano, harp or cello. This change is most obvious in improvised music, where the number of women who stand up to play has multiplied exponentially. Many have chosen to become brass players, adapting their skills to apparatuses which demand power and stamina.

Take Toronto trumpeter Nicole Rampersaud for instance. The high-quality improvising she exhibits on Halcyon Science 130410 (Barnyard Records BR0323 www.barnyardrecords.com) in the company of saxophonist Evan Shaw, drummer Jean Martin, bassist Wes Neal and percussionist Tomasz Krakowiak doesn’t distinguish in any way between her talents and those of her colleagues. During seven group compositions, the quintet vaults back-and-forth from high-energy anthems to more cerebral explorations with equal skill. Take me To Your Leader is an example of the latter, as clattering friction from Krakowiak’s noise-makers evolves in stacked counterpoint alongside Shaw’s irregularly squeezed vibrations plus the mouthpiece suckles and tremolo emphasis of Rampersaud. Her rubato slurs and valve squeaks intersect perfectly with the baritone saxophonist’s tongued percussiveness as Martin’s ratamacues, pops and drags presage harmonizing vamps and a final quivering dissolve. Meantime the title tune and Dirigible move with a chromatic gait. The former resembles an Eric Dolphy line, with repeated climaxes interrupted by mid-range honks from Shaw and stuttering pitches from the trumpeter. Dirigible stacks timbres so that space between Rampersaud’s staccato and heraldic tone and Shaw’s juddering tempos are obvious. Still a near-bugle call on the trumpeter’s part in the final sequence signals a slowdown to barely there flutter tonguing on her part, accompanied by the reedist’s smooth obbligato, until together they dovetail into muted tones framed by drumstick-rubbing friction from the two percussionists.

Atonal textures are even tougher and more staccato on Bay area saxophonist Rent Romus’ Lords of Outland quintet’s Edge of Dark (Edgetone EDT 4112 www.edgetonerecords.com). But trumpeter CJ Borosque only really makes an impression on that instrument when she blends her tongued triplets and tremolo flutters with the reed work from Romus and Vinny Golia on pieces such as Night Nova and Over the Rift. Otherwise the emphasis is on Golia’s peeping piccolo intersecting with double tonguing from Romus, plus electric bassist Ray Shaeffer’s powerful plucks and pops on the former tune or Romus’ irregular split tones plus percussionist Philip Everett’s rolls, drags and smacks on the latter. That’s because Borosque performs another role here, patching in blurry whistles and wavering flanges from manipulated electronics, most noticeably on Over the Rift and Edge of Dark. Contrapuntal when needed and interactive at other junctures, these jittery and wiggling oscillations outline sequences like Golia’s low-pitched reed slurps, or high energy soprano saxophone lines from Romus, providing the unifying accompaniment that Borosque’s brass obbligatos do elsewhere. Overall, the CD’s texture is as dense and exultant as the fantasy writings which inspired it.

Electronic impulses in microtonal settings characterize the improvisations advanced by Hamburg-based trumpeter Birgit Ulher in a duo with Argentina-born reedist Lucio Capece on Choices (Another Timbre at41 www.anothertimbre.com). Reducing her horn’s output to muted shakes, buzzes and vibrations amplified by a radio set up, Ulher proves that cunning can be substituted for stamina to produce notable improvisations. With the timbres of Capece’s bass clarinet or soprano saxophone filtered by preparations as air is harshly forced through the body tube, Ulher’s capillary pressures and metallic reverberations produce sympathetic polyphony. Chance is the most extended example, with both sound sources juddering and undulating as they combine for both chalumeau growls and strident squeals. With sonic suggestions of a hamster running on a wheel or of wisps of wind wafting upwards, the results are collective not individual. Although distinct strategies such as Ulher's use of a metal plate as a mute to create maximum vibrations, or Capece’s reed bites and tongue stopping elongating tones without resorting to electronics appear, fascination results from tracing the evolution of this disassociated and dissonant sound picture not the ending. Yet the bubbling, shaking, straining and squeaking eventually produce tones that are satisfyingly cumulative and cooperative.

There’s no hint of electronics in Instinct & The Body, British trombonist Gail Brand’s duo with drummer Mark Sanders (Regardless Records R01 www.gailbrand.com). Plus her inventive attack is powerful enough to banish any thoughts of delicacy. Utilizing sudden brays and nephritic dips into the horn’s lowest tubing, she’s as comfortable with staccato line extensions as bulky plunger swoops. Meantime Sanders uses brushes-on-snares pressure, ruffs and rim shots to advance his part. Under Orders finds Brand slithering from one pitch to another and from loopy tailgate burlesque to rapid-fire slide stops without missing a breath. Sanders backbeats and rumbles are just as relaxed. Then on Tread Softly… as the drummer slaps and clatters, Brand trades high-pitched whinnies for emphasized pedal-point, blowing chromatically until attaining a variant of serene romanticism.

Women brass players may stand up to improvise. On the evidence of the work here, many also should do so to acknowledge applause.

It’s difficult to be stirred nowadays by much new jazz from young musicians, especially if led by a guitarist, but Alex Goodman has done that with his third album as leader. The Alex Goodman Quintet - Bridges (www.alexgoodman.ca) benefits considerably from his compositional ability – he contributes eight attractive cuts, three intros and arranged tunes by Chopin and Bartók. It’s no surprise that classical music’s virtues figure prominently here, underscored by the degree of group intimacy, cohesion and elegant execution – take a bow Nick Morgan (woodwinds), Darcy Myronuk (piano), Dan Fortin (bass) and Maxwell Roach (drums). Their subtle chemistry points to a collective understanding mindful of the iconic Modern Jazz Quartet. The plethora of enterprising, shape-changing structures has real appeal, as does the evident attention to detail – the only bust is a Chopin nocturne that inhibits invention (the Bartók dance fares better.) The complexities are never excessive, the cerebral soloing is superb and Tristano Bach has to be the coolest bebop ever.

Canadian tenor saxophonist John Tank has exiled himself for decades in New York, but on occasion sneaks back to tour. One recent visit spawned the excellent John Tank Group - Jazz Live From The Registry (OlivOr 20112 www.johntank.com), a weighty 75 minute session at the Kitchener venue that illuminates the talents he displayed while a Toronto staple in the early 1970s. Backed by contemporary staples in Bernie Senensky (piano), Jim Vivian (bass) and Ted Warren (drums), his bold technique and big, warm sound expressing consistently creative ideas is very appealing, though aggressive notions are never out of control. Think Sonny Rollins, as well you might during the long, boiling opener Johtanson. Senensky as always is a perfect and often-exhilarating foil throughout the seven long tunes, four by Tank and two by him. The joint jumps with Tank’s bruising What Is That Thing With The Swing and hard-nosed New Irk, New Work. This band crackles from start to finish.

Need a lift from still-mourning-summer gloom? The versatile pianist and jazz entrepreneur relives his personal jazz and blues roots on The Bill King Trio - Five Aces (7Arts 0021 www.billkingpiano.com) on a bustling dozen tracks (eight strong originals by him) that feature skilled sidemen in electric bassist Collin Barrett and everywhere-man drummer Mark Kelso. This jazz journey gathers R&B, soul, swing, gospel and boogie under its entertaining wing, with King also exercising considerable chops on B3 organ and offering specific nods to James Brown and Eddie Floyd along the way, plus a rollicking treatment of Otis Redding’s I Can’t Turn You Loose opening the account. There’s oodles of short, sharp phrasing, spot-on emphases and rhythmic drive alongside slow and sure, churchified entries such as Come Walk With Thee and I’ll Chase That Rainbow. My favourites: the definitive B3 workout on Stax ‘em High and the muscular King City Stomp.

Jim Heineman’s Dream Band Rh Positive - Live @ Lorraine’s(Tima Town Productions www.jimheineman.com) has the rarely-recorded Toronto veteran Heineman directing a lively, often cheerfully raucous set at an Ossington Avenue venue. It’s very welcome. He plays tenor saxophone, flute and saxello, composed the 12 wide-ranging tracks, many with a Latin flavour, and sings a bit, with fine jazzers in support – pianist Stacie McGregor, bass Brandi Disterheft and drummer/vibist Mark Hundevad. Also on hand are (son) Sam Heineman and frequent guests who back the leader’s tough, grainy-toned and always swinging horn, heard to great effect on alluring tunes like Stingy and the bluesy Some Things Never Change. McGregor and Disterheft are in excellent form throughout. Best on disc: Them Shape Shifting Reptilians.

Long-time collaborators bassist Michael Herring and guitarist Don Scott are important members of the contemporary jazz picture and they flourish within their able quartet. It’s to be enjoyed on Peripheral Vision Spectacle: LIVE (Step3 – 004 www.peripheralvisionmusic.com), taped at Vancouver’s Cellar Club. Joined by tenor saxist Trevor Hogg and avant-jazz veteran Nick Fraser, their eight-tune set is infinitely better than the unit’s self-titled debut, always sophisticated and accessible despite liberties taken with conventional forms and ideas. That’s helped by the compositional quality (five Herrings, three Scotts), the confident soloing by all, notably the ever-improving Hogg, and the way individuals mesh before emerging from often-dense ensembles. The inspired Butter Side Down, the agile Living The Dream and the seductive harmonies of Abide are particularly memorable.

Also worth noting: Benoit Delbecq/Francois Houle - Because She Hoped (Songlines SGL1592-2) is a joyous, esoteric improvised music workout by long-time colleagues and veteran avant-jazzists, pianist Delbecq and clarinettist Houle, that swoops and soars and reflects in astonishing sonic ways. Lester McLean - LM 4321 (LME002 www.lestermclean.com) showcases the many talents of saxist/vocalist/songwriter McLean on 15 mostly upbeat pieces, a dozen of them his smart creations. The soulful, groovy atmosphere is aided by solid companions in his ace brother Mark on drums, guitarist Michael Occhipinti and bassist Louis Simao. Turtleboy - Smart Matters (Songlines SGL 1590-2 www.songlines.com) is a threesome adept at re-imagining the sound of a sax trio, with Jonathan Lindhorst (tenor), Ryan Butler (guitars) and Adam Miller (drums). Good melodies, integrated playing, pop and free jazz sensibilities abound.

Let's Go
Han Bennink; Brodie West + Terrie Ex
Terp Improv Series IS 16 www.terprecords.nl

Unfazed by the decades of musical history represented by his Dutch associates – Han Bennink, probably his country’s most recorded jazz drummer, and guitarist Terrie Ex, who has been a punk-rocker since its first spit – Toronto alto saxophonist Brodie West leaps into the fray in this session with youthful inspiration and the skills resulting from constant improvising. The result reflects the title: the three create at a high, interactive level from the get-go until they finally exhaust all sonic possibilities.

Known locally for his gigs with trumpeter Lina Allemano, West has played with the two Dutchmen in different configurations. But here his febrile reed variations, that range from trilling obbligatos to eviscerating honks, spiced with split-second quotes from pop and jazz tunes, invigorate Bennink and Ex, pushing them to take more chances.

Ex, a frenetic if rudimentary guitarist, stays away from simple rhythms to use slurred fingering, amp distortion and scraping frails to augment his responses to the saxophonist’s flattement, penny-whistle-like shrills and reed bites. Bennink, who has worked with major jazz players since the early 1960s, is as unpredictable in his beat-making as always. But there are times here where his crunches and slams move into violent, near-Hard Rock territory to relate to Ex’s chunky strums and shakes, while at the same time using rattles, nerve beats and rim clicks to join West in deconstructing the material. For his part, West’s techniques, including deliberately schmaltzy vibratos, circular breathing and dagger-sharp reed bites, help keep everyone off balance, but allow him to improvise at his inventive best.

Home
Shirley Crabbe
www.shirleycrabbe.com

New York City jazz vocalist Shirley Crabbe’s initial CD offering is a tasty collection of tunes associated with Broadway and elsewhere. The well-produced and conceived recording features saxophone legend Houston Person as well as Shirley’s pitch-perfect vocal instrument and a quintessential New York City rhythm section of Jon Burr on bass, Alvester Garnett on drums and Jim West and Donald Vega on piano.

Ms. Crabbe fortuitously returned to singing following major surgery on her vocal cords and has rendered each carefully chosen track with emotion, skill, theatrical flair and a complete reverence for the melody (something to be kept in mind by emerging jazz singers). A protégée of the late, great Etta Jones, Ms. Crabbe shows us a depth of meaning that can only be realized through life experience and devotion to your art. The moving title track from the hit musical The Wiz is a standout, as is Not While I’m Around, Sondheim’s harmonically complex ballad from Sweeny Todd, featuring an inspired trumpet solo from Brandon Lee. Oscar Brown Jr.’s Strongman is another highlight, replete with an elegant and bluesy solo from special guest (and long-time Etta Jones collaborator) Houston Person. On Leonard Bernstein’s Lucky to Be Me – another gem - Crabbe channels the incomparable Irene Kral and on Herb Ellis’ rarely performed Detour Ahead, the whole company swings sumptuously with a lilting, uptempo horn-infused arrangement from Matt Haviland.

A brilliant debut, this recording should be required listening for any jazz vocalist.

Dream Maker, Heartbreaker - Sam Broverman sings Johnny Mercer
Sam Broverman
Independent BR002 www.brovermusic.com

It’s clear from the first cut of his debut album – and the well researched, informative liner notes – that Sam Broverman adores, respects and loves singing Johnny Mercer. Making “Dream Maker, Heartbreaker” was a dream come true for Broverman and how nice for us that he realized his dream with 13 terrific tracks, backed by 18 of Toronto’s finest, including Chris Gale on tenor sax, pianists Peter Hill and Mark Kieswetter, cellist Roman Borys, Reg Schwager, guitar, Kevin Turcotte, trumpet and those wonderful Whiteleys – Chris on harmonica and trumpet and Ken, multi-tasking as always, this time on at least four instruments and playing producer.

Knowing he would inevitably invoke those titans of style and interpretation – Sinatra, Bennett, Tormé – I’ve got to hand it to this actuarial mathematics professor by day/jazz singer by night for his bravery, dedication and careful attention in taking on some of Mercer’s most beloved and recognizable songs. Impressively, Broverman has put his own stamp on them. His Laura is lovely and evocative; he swings like the best of them in Day In, Day Out; broods with depth and intelligence in I Wonder What Became of Me. And I was moved by Moon River. Broverman sings it with just the right amount of sweetness, yearning and poignancy, managing to keep this nugget fresh and unhackneyed. (Oh, and the title of the CD? That’s right – third line, first verse.)

Bravo – and Mazel Tov – to Sam Broverman, a fellow Winnipegger-living-in-Toronto. Ya done “The Peg” proud!

Concert note: Sam Broverman will perform material from “Dream Maker, Heartbreaker” at the Green Door Cabaret on December 3.

To Brazil with Love
Diana Panton
eOne Music DIA-CD-1293 www.dianapanton.com

“To Brazil With Love” from vocalist/composer Diana Panton is a perfect jewel of a CD. Each delightful track is an exquisitely manicured musical facet, set firmly in the Brazilian idiom and seamlessly sung in French and English by Panton. Her diaphanous vocal sound never insists and her high speed vibrato is like the beat of a hummingbird’s heart – natural, untainted and pure. The Brazilian-infused material is an eclectic mix, including compositions from Panton, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Paul McCartney (check out the moving interpretation of And I Love Her/Him featuring Don Thompson on piano rendering chord changes that never entered McCartney’s mind).

On the recording, Panton has cleverly surrounded herself with superb musicians – including multi-instrumentalist and producer Thompson on bass, piano and vibes. Guitarist Reg Schwager makes a stellar contribution with his exquisite solos, as does flautist Bill McBirnie. The rich, sonorous linear lines of Kiki Misumi’s cello also enhance the arrangements. Highlights include Panton’s Is it Really You, Samba Saravah (from the 1966 film A Man and a Woman, with authentic vocal and percussion from Maninho Costa), Jobim’s So Nice replete with a lovely, breezy vocal and a take on the 1963 Bobby Vee hit, The Night Has a Thousand Eyes – demonstrating that Diana Paton certainly knows her way around a standard, Brazilian or otherwise. This is a stunning recording on all levels, and we should all look forward to more from the lovely Ms. Panton.

Makii Ishii Live
Ryan Scott; Esprit Orchestra; Alex Pauk
Innova 809 www.innova.mu

With a strong international reputation, Maki Ishii (1936-2003) stands among the foremost Japanese composers in the avant-garde concert hall tradition. Ishii had a strong predication for the purity and drama inherent in percussion sounds and the three concerti on this CD, first recordings all, place them and the percussionist front and centre.

Ishii’s idiosyncratic musical universe revealed in these works reflects his mature style, one that straddled two musical worlds - combining the language, compositional methods and sound palette of European and Japanese musical traditions.

The solo parts are here masterfully performed from memory by the Toronto percussionist Ryan Scott. Twice nominated for a Juno, Scott has built a career playing percussion with many Toronto and American ensembles and orchestras.

Saidoki (Demon) (1989-1992) features new instruments called Cidelo Ihos, metal sculptures created by Kazuo Harada and Yasunori Yamaguchi for this work. They are sounded by striking and bowing, creating unpitched metallic soundscapes, framed dramatically by the Esprit Orchestra spread out throughout the hall. Adding to the metal sounds is a battery of wood and skin instruments constructed for this work by Ryan Scott. The orchestral writing emphasizes its concerto nature, clearly revealing the voice of the percussion soloist. By the rumbling ghostly ending Ishii’s programmatic aim, to evoke the vigour and energy of a “rough demon” with the “inner soul of a human,” has been imaginatively evoked.

The earlier, equally virtuoso Concertante for Marimba (1988) was composed for a 5-octave marimba solo accompanied by an ensemble of 6 percussion instruments. It is overall more transparent in texture than Saidoki, though possessing no fewer theatrical gestures. The third Ishii concerto, South-Fire-Summer (1992) utilises a large battery of standard orchestral percussion instruments. Initially framed with sparse orchestral accompaniment with plenty of sonic room for soloist Ryan Scott to display his mallet control and fine musical taste, it builds to a roaring climax.

The clear live sound, recorded over a number of years by CBC Radio 2, clearly reveals the timbral and textural details of these works. Kudos to producer David Jaeger and recording engineers David “Stretch” Quinney, Doug Doctor and Steve Sweeney.

Concert Note: Ryan Scott is featured in Maki Ishii’s South-Fire-Summer at the Esprit Orchestra concert at Koerner Hall on November 30.

Vox Terra - Music for the Clarinet with a Global Focus
Cris Inguanti
Redshift Records TK 425 www.redshiftmusic.org

“Vox Terra,” a disc featuring Vancouver-based clarinettist Cris Inguanti, is a satisfying collection of mostly recent works for the instrument in a variety of settings.

Unaccompanied in the earliest work, Joan Tower’s Wings (1981), Inguanti includes duos, a trio, a quartet and a highly effective work with electronic interface and pre-recorded sound. His collaborators include two of the composers featured, as well as the fine Marie Julie Chagnon in the clarinet duo by Michael Tenzer, and pianist Corey Hamm on three of the thirteen tracks.

At first blush the album’s subtitle, Music for Clarinet with a Global Focus, seems to stretch a point. Only two composers presented hail from outside of North America. New York and Western Canada are well-represented, and Toronto’s own David Occhipinti plays guitar in his own Arts and Letters. But before anyone takes this apparent geographic exclusivity too much to heart, they ought to pay attention to the liner notes, most written by the composers themselves. Balinese, Bolivian and Balkan influences can reasonably be claimed, though at least in Tower’s case, South American rhythmic character is subsumed into her own very personal voice.

More to the point is the refreshing listenability and humour of the collection. The strengths of the various pieces, and the fine musical performances given them, atone for the absence of any music emerging from Asia and Africa. With the exception of the final track there is nothing tremendously “avant-garde” or difficult for the listener to prepare for, and a good deal of sheer simple pleasure to be had nodding along to Michael Lowenstein’s Ten Children #3. Wait before giving up on track 13. Nicola Resanovic saves some delightful surprises for those who suspend the wish to turn off the clamour of the opening electronic sequence.

Muses Nine - Eight American Composers Plus One Pianist
Becky Billock
Independent n/a www.beckybillock.org

Notable Women - Trios by Today's Female Composers
Lincoln Trio
Cedille CDR 90000126

Are you in need of a musical boost? There is a multitude of musical inspiration to be found in these two new releases featuring the music of American women composers performed by American artists.

Becky Billock is quite simply a great pianist. She specializes in women’s music and it shows. Her choice of repertoire on “Muses Nine” was written across the entire 20th and 21st centuries. Amy Beach’s 1903 work Scottish Legend is an original melody that draws heavily from lilts and tunes of folk music. Emma Lou Diemers’ 1979 Toccata for Piano is a modern masterpiece of rhythmic nuance. Lots of diverse styles are juxtaposed in Libby Larsen’s Mephisto Rag where the composer has the virtuosic pianist jump through technical hoops as Liszt’s Mephisto Waltz is musically turned upside down while a later ragtime style is introduced. Billock knows her material and her grasp of style and rhythm makes this an unforgettable listening experience.

There are more diverse works by women composers for piano, violin and cello trio in “Notable Women.” The Lincoln Trio is a world class chamber group. Desiree Ruhstrat (violin), David Cunliffe (cello) and Marta Aznavoorian (piano) are all accomplished ensemble musicians. Their musicality is put to the test in Lera Auerbach’s Trio where the melancholy ideas are performed with haunting expertise. Stacy Garrop’s Seven is a unique work which the composer explains drew its inspiration from Anne Sexton’s poem Seven Times, and the Borg from television’s Star Trek Voyager. Extended piano techniques create futuristic effects while fast-paced passages maintain one’s interest long after the work has ended. Excellent works by Jennifer Higdon, Laura Elise Schwendinger, Augusta Read Thomas and Joan Tower are also performed with spirit.

“Notable Women” and “Muses Nine” belong in your CD collection as positive examples of the talent of American women composers and the performers who choose to play them.

From Here On Out
Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra; Edwin Outwater
Analekta AN 2 9992

These are challenging times for the classical music recording industry and it’s rare that a smaller label will produce a CD of music by three relatively unknown composers. Yet that’s just what Analekta has done on this disc titled “From Here on Out,” featuring music by Nico Muhly, Jonny Greenwood, and Richard Reed Parry, performed by the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony under the direction of Edwin Outwater.

The piece From Here on Out by American-born composer Nico Muhly came about as the result of collaboration with the French dancer and choreographer Benjamin Millepied whose love of Bach and love of repeated notes both played a part in the creative process. The result was music decidedly neo-classical in sprit, with quirky, energetic rhythms contrasting with long expansive lines.

In total contrast is Popcorn Superhet Receiver written by Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood. Despite Greenwood’s rock background, his compositional style here is decidedly contemporary, in this case involving glissando strings, microtonal clusters and the use of an Ondes Martenot. The Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony has no difficulties in mastering the textural and rhythmic complexities of the score, proof indeed that this ensemble is equally at home with 21st century music as it is with more traditional repertoire.

The most intriguing music in this collection is undoubtedly Arcade Fire multi-instrumentalist Richard Reed Parry’s For Heart, Breath and Orchestra, a musical depiction of the heart and breath rates of the human body. The piece was especially commissioned by the K-WSO, and rounds out an intriguing CD of music you probably won’t hear elsewhere. Kudos to both the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony and Analekta for pushing the envelope!

Undercurrents - Contact performs the music of Jordan Nobles
Contact Contemporary Music
Redshift Records TK 242 www.redshiftmusic.org

On Toronto-based ensemble Contact’s excellent debut recording of music by Canadian composer Jordan Nobles, instrumental tones are pure, performer interactions retain focus and the recording team headed by Denis Tougas is superb. The meditative cast of Nobles’ music suggests retreat, even relaxation. But below the minimalist surface sheen, a certain unease of mood draws the listener’s attention and anticipation. Rhythms, melodic shapes and tone colours concentrate and shift our responses in surprising ways.

Both composer and Contact players, directed by Jerry Pergolesi, contribute to the musical content. They take up confidently the challenge of pieces that offer considerable freedom in the order and the qualities of musical events. Simulacrum, in which a melody circulates between instruments, and Stasis, an open-form work where long tones enter and exit without a fixed plan, are particularly successful examples. There is also an element of randomness in Grace, where musicians exercise choice in the presentation of grace-note (ornamental) patterns.

There are other musical processes, sometimes identified in titles: interacting metric patterns in Ostinati; tempo shift in Temporal Waves, featuring Rob MacDonald on multi-tracked guitar; and in Undercurrents, crablike motion up through ascending triads. The latter procedure occurs also in Stones Under Water for piano, played by Allison Wiebe. I look forward to much more from Nobles and from Contact members including also Sarah Fraser Raff, violin, Mary Katherine Finch, cello, Wallace Halladay, saxophones, and Peter Pavlovsky, double bass, joined here by Emma Elkinson, flute.

MC Maguire - Nothing Left to Destroy
Benjamin Bowman; Douglas Stewart; MC Maguire
Innova 813 www.innova.mu

Once upon a time on the musical planet inhabited by wall-of-sound composer MC Maguire there must have been a catastrophic explosion, scattering the treasures of civilization together with all the cast-off junk of consumerism and the fallout of post-modern warfare. Through the blasted landscape come the remaining voices of humanity, represented on this latest Maguire release by violinist Ben Bowman and flutist Doug Stewart. The CD is called “Nothing Left to Destroy,” and for those interested in references, consider his choice of artist for the jacket: uber bad-boy Istvan Kantor.

Maguire’s works are massively layered and require repeated listenings for one to begin to sort the material out. His is a creative imagination that never seems to lack for material inspiration. Consider the sonic blast-scape of the first track, The Discofication of the Mongols. He references a contemporary icon (nay, cliché), the lonely herdsman with the iPod, to explain his thematic material. If I can decipher nothing else in his liner note explaining the piece’s structure, I can at least appreciate what he means about the loss of indigenous culture, and when you hear Bowman’s gorgeous violin playing drowned by the eventually overpowering disco beat, you understand the intent of the piece. Along the way you’ll want to listen for anything you recognize. “Paul is dead” in retrograde inversion might even be there.

Track two is somewhat shorter and much sweeter. S’Wonderful (that the man I love watches over me) is more homage than lament, remixing three Gershwin songs and quotes lifted from depression-era cinema. Stewart’s flute wanders lonely as a drunken Ginger Rogers, one busted high heel, still dancing with her imaginary Fred. Again, I want to hear the instrumentalist but lose him too often as he ducks behind the scenery. In fact, the critique that feels almost to miss the point is that Maguire’s sonic default setting is too often on “stun.” Regardless, the results are without a doubt stunning and worth the listen.

Ann Southam - Soundings for a New Piano
R. Andrew Lee
Irritable Hedgehog IHM002 www.irritablehedgehog.com

Most people would celebrate a friend’s purchase of a new piano by bringing over a bottle of bubbly. But when Toronto pianist Jane Blackstone bought a grand piano in 1986, composer Ann Southam showed up with a magnificent new work called Soundings for a New Piano, dedicated to Blackstone. On this new release, US pianist R. Andrew Lee gives the work what I believe is its recording premiere.

Southam subtitled the piece “12 meditations on a Twelve Tone Row;” each of its 13 concise movements is like the turning of a musical kaleidoscope that enables the composer to explore a different emotional facet of a 12-interval row. Southam loved this form of musical inquiry, and used it in a number of piano works, culminating in her deeply contemplative Simple Lines of Enquiry (2007). It’s fascinating, in fact, to find several strands of musical DNA from SLoE in Soundings – not just a nearly identical tone row, but also some shared rhythmic and metric features, and a persistent questioning quality in the musical rhetoric.

Lee captures the spirit of curiosity that propels Soundings, and vividly conveys the distinctive, richly nuanced characters found in these 13 compact movements, from the bold insistence of the opening movement through complex tendernesses and passionate outbursts, all of it grounded by a gentle rocking sequence that keeps recurring, at once questioning and comforting.

A welcome addition to the Southam discography, this recording is available as a 23-minute CD or as download from www.irritablehedgehog.com.

Concert Note: Pianist Eve Egoyan launches her latest recording of music by Ann Southam - Returnings – at Glenn Gould Studio on December 2.