Passages
Blackwood
Sanctuary Concerts (jeffreilly.bandcamp.com/album/passages)
For over 25 years, the Canadian instrumental duo Blackwood has performed their lyrical music touching on jazz, classical, improvisation, minimalism and contemporary soundscapes. Talented musicians/improvisors/composers Peter-Anthony Togni (pipe organ/piano) and Jeff Reilly (bass clarinet) work closely together “inspired by plainchant, improvisation and holy minimalism.” Passages features Togni on three different Atlantic Canada pipe organs, and Reilly on bass clarinet in three Togni, and two Togni and Reilly compositions. They are joined by special guest cellist India Gailey on two tracks.
Togni/Reilly’s Passages is a colourful accessible duet. Repeated lower organ notes form an accompaniment to a glamorous bass clarinet melody. The piece builds much louder and then, after a a short silence, birdlike clarinet sounds and organ flourishes are enchanting. Togni’s multi-sectional Benedicite (To Alison Howard) opens with Gailey’s calming cello lines above organ sounds. A short silent break is followed by reflective slow clarinet and cello conversations above organ held notes. It makes for gratifying listening as organ chordal modulations, lyrical cello melody, clarinet flourishes and organ volume builds to another silent break. The next “orchestral” section is highlighted by lyrical cello and clarinet lines to an intriguing closing low organ stop. There are mysterious cello and clarinet lines, cello slides, hilarious low clarinet notes and held organ notes in Togni’s To Look Out Beyond Oneself. Togni’s duet Silentio features contrasting lower clarinet below higher organ notes. Togni/Reilly’s Feathery Spirit is mood-lifting, subtle jazz flavoured with slow/fast bass clarinet, and loud wide-ranging pitched organ.
Blackwood performs their musical sections as one, creating calming, mesmerizing music.
