Pot Pourri

Metamorphose - Shawn Mativetsky; Amir Amiri; Sarah Pagé

Metamorphose
Shawn Mativetsky; Amir Amiri; Sarah Pagé
Independent FHM104 (mativetskyamiripage.bandcamp.com/album/metamorphose)

This sublime, multi-disciplinary and ambient world music triumvirate was formed in 2019, and is comprised of three skilled, Montreal-based musician/composers: harpist and producer of this project, Sarah Pagé; classically trained Irani performer/composer and santur (Persian dulcimer) master, Amir Amiri; and Canadian “Ambassador” of the Benares style of tabla playing, Shawn Mativetsky. With the release of Metamorphose, this unique and “unbound” trio has synthesized elements of seminal Persian music and ancient Hindustani rhythmic modalities, which have been manifested through a veil of unconventional, but technically pristine, classicism.

There are five stirring tracks here, opening with Yavaran (Companions). This is the only composition here with lilting vocals, drawn from a Sufi devotional song, and it includes a dynamic dance motif in section two (Lexgi from Azerbaijan), before returning to the primary melodic theme. Pagé’s luminous harp transports us on this track, brilliantly supported by Amiri and Matavetsky. The title track also crosses the Bosphorus with themes of transformation expressed through a venerable Kurdish melody, gorgeously propelled by Amiri.

The three movements of Quarter Tone Suite reflect the very bedrock of Persian music, and the musical lens widens with Maktrismos, which embraces both an ambient electronic landscape and Greek melodic motifs, dis-interred from deep antiquity and catapulted into our present sensibilities with skill and taste. All of the inspired music presented by these three masters seems to posit that in the arts, “time” is not linear, but plastic and subjective, and that any artistic point in time may be accessed and celebrated – just as it has been so magnificently on this recording.

Weaving Gold in Broken Places - Medusa Quartet

Weaving Gold in Broken Places
Medusa Quartet
Independent (medusaquartet.bandcamp.com/album/weaving-gold-in-broken-places-2)

Toronto-based Medusa Quartet – Saskia Tomkins, Marta Solek, Lea Kirstein and Geo Hathaway – create unique global, chamber, and folk music on violin, viola and cello, and such rarely-heard bowed traditional string instruments like the Polish suka, Płock fidel, and Swedish nyckelharpa. Their inspiration to musically blend international, traditional folk and original music in their first full-length album is drawn from Japanese practice of Kintsugi, which mends broken pottery with gold.

Each composition on this ten-track release is a combination of such styles as chamber, pop, classical and world music. The title track, for violin, nyckelharpa, viola and cello, is composed by Kirstein and arranged by Medusa. It starts slow, with a low pitched, somewhat “sad” melody. This develops into different melodic sections with tight group playing, syncopated rhythms, slightly higher pitched sections, then back to the low theme and a rewarding brief ritardando closing of this folk/classical string quartet.

Kujawiak/Oberek are contrasting Polish dances arranged by Medusa for nyckelharpa, violin, płock fiddle, suka, and cello, the first traditional and the second composed by Sołek. Kujawiak starts slowly, in the lower registers. Love the lower grounding backdrop notes under the expressive melody. Fast Oberek enters with repeated melody lines and toe-tapping rhythms to closing.

Vulgar Bulgar, composed by Tomkins, features great syncopated melodies, and the pairing of loud rock-like and Bulgarian rhythms. Medusa musicians perform here on nyckelharpa, violin, lyra, and cello and are joined by guest hand percussionist Persian Naghmeh Farahmand.

A “must-listen-to” recording!

Listen to 'Weaving Gold in Broken Places' Now in the Listening Room

Ruta De La Clave - Joaquin Núñez & Habana Safari

Ruta De La Clave
Joaquin Núñez & Habana Safari
Lula World Records LWR051A (lulaworldrecords.ca/joaquin-nunez-habana-safari)

Five years in the making, noted JUNO-winning, Cuban-Canadian percussionist, composer and producer, Joaquin Núñez has produced an exquisite, contemporary Latin-Jazz recording. Núñez’s partner here is sizzling New York City-based Cuban pianist, Dayramir Gonzalez. All of the superb compositions were penned by the pair, and are a celebration of the essential heartbeat of Afro-Jazz, the “clave” rhythm, which can be found in nearly every Latin-Indigenous culture positioned along the Caribbean slave routes from West Africa.

Although incorporating motifs from a number of Latin musics – this CD is clearly a New York project, infused with Cuban cultural identity, but also baptized in that special energy, creativity and magic that can only be found in one place. Núñez’s gifted colleagues here, include Gonzalez on piano/keyboards, Roberto Riveron and Paco Luviano on bass, Alexander Brown on trumpet and flugelhorn, Jeff King on tenor sax, Luis Deniz on alto sax, Bill McBirnie on flute, Colleen Allen on clarinet, Esteban Vargas on violin and viola, and vocalists Marta Elena, Joanna Majoko and Dyalis Núñez-Machado.

Things kick off with the incendiary Afrocubanos, which features thrilling percussion from Núñez, potent bop-infused horn lines and a face-melting tenor solo by King, as well as a ridiculous trumpet solo by Brown. The listener takes a deep dive into Afro-Cuban mysticism on Mi Changui, supported by dynamic vocals and an exquisite solo from Deniz on alto as well as a volcanic percussion-infused coda. Other stand out tunes include the stirring title track Ruta De La Clave, which boasts a skilled arrangement with plenty of Cuban flavour, and the magnificent Una Guajira En NY (Cuban country girl in New York), which is loaded with fine bop-centric soloing and continued reverence to the sacred “clave” itself!

This Thing Called Love - Liona Boyd

This Thing Called Love
Liona Boyd
Moston Music 471603 (lionaboyd.com)

Internationally renowned, multi-award-winning Canadian musician Liona Boyd blends her classical guitar with folk, pop and Latin music, her singing, and song/lyrics writing skills here. This surprisingly memorable 14-track release, Boyd explains, “covers” her full range of lifetime emotional experiences. It marks her 50-year career, which has included more than 30 recordings.

The first two tracks are covers. The Everly Brother’s Bye Bye Love has Boyd singing with Mark Masri (of The Tenors) in an upbeat rendition with guitar strums and solos. Producer and longtime collaborator Peter Bond’s bass supports Boyd and Srdjan Givoje vocals in Jamaica Farewell. Two of Boyd’s earlier collaborative compositions/recordings are reimagined here. Gordon Lightfoot, a tribute to the late musician’s classics, includes Ronnie Hawkins vocals. Boyd also revisits her collaboration with the late Olivia Newton-John on lead and harmony vocals, with classical instrumental touches in Summer Dreams.

The other tracks are Boyd compositions. My Dog (Dedicated to all animal lovers) is a heartwarming song about pets, in duet with Andrew Dolson, who also plays steel string guitar here. Guitar melody phrasing is perfect. Nice woof-woof like guitar plucks at the ending. My Canada is a rambunctious patriotic work featuring a full orchestra arranged by Mark Lalarna, choirs and numerous Canadian vocalists. Boyd passionately expresses her personal feelings in the instrumental This Thing Called Love, a moving Boyd/Dolson classical guitar duet. Introspective My Life Alone, and high-pitched Living on Borrowed Time are heartbreaking storytelling songs about the ups and downs of Boyd’s life.

Thanks to this iconic artist for sharing her personal emotions and this marvellous music.

Listen to 'This Thing Called Love' Now in the Listening Room

Walkin’ Each Other Home - Clela Errington

Walkin’ Each Other Home
Clela Errington
Independent (clelaerrington.bandcamp.com/album/walkin-each-other-home)

In today’s musical world of autotune, synthesized everything and the outright fakery of AI, having a new album of genuine artistry and stripped-down arrangements is a refreshing treat. Imagine someone simply sitting at a mic with an acoustic guitar and singing good songs. What a concept. But that’s exactly what veteran singer-songwriter-guitarist, Clela Errington has done.

Yes, she’s gotten a little help from some very musical friends, most notably blues/roots master Jimmy Bowskill, who does co-producer duty, and plays guitar, mandolin and bass. Other main musicians include Steve O’Connor on keyboards and accordion and Ian McKeown on drums and percussion. But it’s Errington’s soulful vocal interpretations that carry the album, which explores a few styles, but leans heavily toward slow and mid-tempo, bluesy numbers. It opens strongly with a traditional song, I Know You Rider, that kind of puts me in mind of early Stevie Winwood. Careless Love is another traditional song, but in more of a country vein, with a distinct lilt. Got to Make a Change Blues, is a fun sassy cover of a Memphis Minnie blues shuffle designed to get you up on your feet.

If you’ve not yet heard of Errington, despite this being her fifth album, you could be forgiven, since she spent much of her adult life in Prince Edward Island. But she’s been back in the Toronto area for a while now and can regularly be seen gracing stages here with her warm presence. She often performs with her daughter, singer Jocelyn Barth, who lends her voice to two tracks here, including the Errington original that closes out the album, Full Moon Dark Time, and the blend is exquisite.

Overall, Errington’s warm vocals and accessible style, along with the intimate recording technique, make Walkin’ Each Other Home feel like a good friend is sitting right over there singing these songs just for us.

Mi Pequeña - Eliana Cuevas; Jorge Glem

Mi Pequeña
Eliana Cuevas; Jorge Glem
Lula World Records (lulaworldrecords.ca/product-page/mi-penqueña-by-eliana-cuevas)

Venezuelan/Canadian/International chanteuse and composer, Eliana Cuevas, has long been acclaimed for her previous six well-received albums and dynamic live performances, as well as for her vision as a bandleader and composer. Her choices are rife with diverse cultural and cross-ethnic musical influences. Cuevas’ Mi Pequena (My Little Girl) was created in collaboration with the well-respected multi-Latin GRAMMY-winning cuatro player, Jorge Glem. The cuatro (sometimes mis-identified as a Ukelele by the un-enlightened) is at the very core of indigenous Venezuelan music, and Glem is one of the foremost cuatro artists to be found on the globe.

The opening title track was composed by former Cuevas collaborator, the late, iconic Aquilas Baez and features a diaphanous intro by Glem, which is joined by Cuevas’ sensual, sibilant and resonant voice, dancing through this lovely, melodic, folk-inspired composition. Cuevas is blessed with not only a supple vocal instrument, but is also a master communicator – beyond language or culture – existing in the shared musical stratosphere. On La Partida (Simon Diaz/Carlos Bennett) Glem reaches levels of artistry and technique on the cuatro which are breathtaking, as is Cuevas’ powerful and gymnastic vocal.

Other exquisite tracks include Henry Martinez’ muy romantico ballad, Venme a Buscar. Cuevas exposes her very soul here, using vocal dynamics like a paintbrush. On Glem’s delightful Cambur Pinton, rapid fire Spanish lyrics rendered exquisitely by Cuevas intensify the rhythmic dynamism of Glem and the under-exposed scope of the essential cuatro. Cueva’s only composition here, El Quarto Venezolano (The Venezuelan Fourth) is a stunner, with Cuevas on piano, re-enforcing the rhythmic spine, with Glem’s cuatro and Cuevas’ sumptuous voice weaving a powerful Venezuelan spell that will captivate all listeners of this finely crafted and exceptionally performed recording.