PAT Cover - Tommy Smith

PAOLO VINACCIA
ARILD ANDERSEN
TOMMY SMITH
th
The HERALD, Rob Adams, Dec 5 , 2008
Andersen.Smith.Vinaccia, The Lot, Edinburgh
Star rating: ****
Louis Armstrong's assertion that jazz is folk music gets much support in this trio. Themes from the Scottish,
Middle Eastern and Scandinavian traditions suggest themselves, form the glue that binds various
movements and inspire the high-level solo improvisation and quick- witted intercommunication that make it
one of the most revered groups working in Europe.
If this gig didn't have the visceral excitement produced when bassist Arild Andersen and saxophonist
Tommy Smith drafted in Scots drummer Alyn Cosker for the absent Paolo Vinaccia at this year's Edinburgh
Jazz Festival, it did sho w ho w much more deeply the cast has gro wn into the script, even since they
recorded their excellent album, Live at Belleville. It's all about masters at work: Andersen creating big,
w arm structures through real-time double tracking and his fingers scampering gleefully over the strings;
Smith variously understated, magisterial and venomous; and Vinaccia a brilliantly responsive, subtly
propulsive live wire whose dynamic range enhances quiet atmosphere and charging tempo alike.
Familiar though they are with this material, there's a real sense of enjoyment and of creating it anew every
time. Smith's Prelude to a Kiss, with its questing intro and soulful, down ward slides, was a gorgeous rereading of Ellington's melody and the encore of Andersen's beautifully gliding, ethereal Dreamhorse w ould,
alone, make the final dates of this Scottish Arts Council Tune-up tour in Glasgo w and Lanark this weekend
unmissable.
The SCOTSMAN
Gig review: Arild Andersen, Paolo Vinaccia, Tommy Smith
KENNY MATHIESON
Published Date: 05 December 2008
ARILD ANDERSEN, PAOLO VINACCIA, TOMMY SMITH
THE LOT, EDINBURGH
THIS stellar European trio served up a memorable performance for a full house. The shimmering bass
harmonics that open Arild Andersen's Independency launched a gripping and unbroken performance of the
four-part suite that ebbed and flo wed in compelling fashion.
If the concert lacked the final edge of one-off adrenaline-pumping energy that fuelled Andersen and Smith's
Edinburgh Jazz Festival performance with deputising drummer Alyn Cosker at The Hub back in August, the
level of musical engagement, responsive interaction and subtly co-ordinated dynamics never faltered.
It was a sustained display of high-level musicianship in which Andersen took the acoustic bass (plus some
additional electronics) into territory that remains inaccessible to most players, while Smith demonstrated
once again that he is a saxophonist of world-class standing in any company. His flo w of musical invention
combined with a rich, lustrous sonority on tenor saxophone to dramatic effect. Vinaccia's probing
drumming played a full part in the three- way musical conversation.
They opened the second set with a determined but unsuccessful attempt to find the music for a new tune
by Smith with a distinctly Scottish melodic feel that they were playing for the first time – but then played it
any way.
Duke Ellington's Prelude to a Kiss nodded to the standard jazz repertoire, the fierce Outhouse allowed them
to pump up both the tempo and the heat, and Andersen's Dreamhorse provided a limpid, hauntingly beautiful
encore. They play Glasgo w RSAMD tomorro w and Greyfriars Parish Church, Lanark, on Sunday.
Moment's Notice
Recent CDs Briefly Reviewed (continued)
Arild Andersen Live At Belleville ECM 2078
The great Norwegian bassist is capable of almost anything, as his ambitious Hyperborean,
and his Electra for the Athens Olympics both demonstrated, but he always seems at his
best in a trio context. One thinks of Triptykon with Jan Garbarek and Edward Vesala a
quarter of a century ago and now surely a modern classic, or more recently The Triangle
with Vassilis Tsabropoulos and John Marshall, or, away from ECM, the searching Hues with
Sam Rivers and Barry Altschul on Impulse! These records propose a very different
Andersen from the gentle watercolorist all ‘ECM artists’ are presumed to be, or even the
avuncular bandleader and mentor of Masqualero twenty five years ago. The bass playing is
firm and well-founded, closer to Wilbur Ware than to Eberhard Weber, with a clear line on
every piece and no gestural wastage.
This new trio teams Andersen with Italian percussionist and composer Paolo Vinaccia and
with Scottish tenor saxophonist Tommy Smith, who having concentrated largely on his
own groups and his own Spartacus imprint now once again seems willing to bring his
distinctive voice to other leaders’ situations. Smith is at the height of his powers. There
are few saxophonists of any age capable of what he does on “Prelude To A Kiss,” which
manages to sound lyrical and iron-hard, free and logically watertight. For years he
struggled under an inevitable comparison with Jan Garbarek. One has to pick one’s
Garbarek sets carefully – though Triptykon would certainly be one – to make the parallel
or the influence work. These days, Smith sounds like no one but himself, a supremely
confident artist working in the company of his peers.
The four-part “Independency” suite which dominates this live set from Oslo ’s Belleville
club was written to mark the centenary of Norway ’s peaceful political secession from
Sweden . Norway ’s newness as a sovereign country does still resonate through the work
of its artists, and critical responses that equate “Nordic” with something atavistic, chthonic
or rigorously traditional miss that point entirely. “Independency,” which seems to
reference the anthem, Ole Bull, folk song and other national references, including a
passage by Andersen which evokes the hardfele or Hardanger fiddle, is an affirmative work
that doesn’t lack for ambiguity. Strategically and culturally, Norway has never considered
itself to be on the fringes of continental Europe, but at a particular nexus of east and west,
north and south, and in Andersen’s piece one hears him stretching the stylistic geography
of the music to a remarkable degree. In this, Vinaccia is a willing accomplice, his
polystylistic approach and background brought to the fore on almost every track. Smith to
some extent has the easiest job: stand at the front and improvise. However, he’s also in
listening mode here, highly responsive to the players on either side of him, brokering
translations and compromises, asserting himself when space allows (as on the Ellington
piece), working high up in his instrument’s stratosphere much of the time but with such
ideal control you wonder at it. As you do at the whole record: a contemporary
masterwork. –Brian Morton
Live at Belleville ALLABOUTJAZZ.COM
Arild Andersen | ECM Records (2008)
By John Kelman
The general international perception of Norway's jazz scene as "Nordic Cool,"
is, like most generalizations, inevitably distanced from truth. Atomic, The
Coreand Motif may possess no shortage of heat, but ECM has undeniably
helped define that unmistakable Norwegian aesthetic. One of the "big four,"
brought to international attention in the early 1970s alongside guitarist Terje
Rypdal, saxophonist Jan Garbarek, and drummer Jon Christensen, bassist
Arild Andersen's ECM releases have largely avoided the kind of burning
improvisational energy of his powerful trio disc Triptykon (1973), with
Garbarek and Finnish drummer Edward Vesala. Live at Belleville—Andersen's
first live album for ECM since his equally potent but stylistically
different Molde Concert (1982)—recalls Triptykon's fiery intensity, but also
reflects the same assimilation of traditional Norwegian music of albums
including Sagn (1991).
Live at Belleville is, like Triptykon, a trio date, featuring expat Italian
drummer Paolo Vinaccia and Scottish saxophonist Tommy Smith. Andersen
couldn't have made better choices. When Smith graduated from Berklee
College of Music in the 1980s, his sound was a cogent combination of Jan
Garbarek's biting tone and Michael Brecker's Americanized soulfulness. Since
then his voice has become his own, but Garbarek and Brecker still loom and,
while Garbarek's Mai Jazz 2008performance in Stavanger, Norway made
clear he's still capable of edgy spontaneity, Smith has stayed more clearly
within definable jazz borders, playing with a stunning combination of
measured lyricism and inspired improvisational abandon.
Vinaccia, a Norwegian resident for over 20 years, works regularly with
Andersen and Rypdal, heard on the bassist's Electra (ECM, 2005) and
guitarist's Vossabrygg(ECM, 2006). Capable of the unabashed energy
required to propel Andersen's fiercely swinging "Independency Part 2"—part
of the bassist's four-movement "Independency" suite celebrating Norway's
100-year liberation from its Swedish union—Vinaccia also paints with the
sparest of colors on the closing "Dreamhorse," as Andersen and Smith play a
folkloric melody reminiscent, in spirit, of Jim Pepper's classic "Witchi-Tai-To"
over the bassist's gentle, real-time looping.
Despite its clear virtuosity, Live at Belleville demonstrates a compelling
balance between reckless unpredictability and careful construction.
"Independency Part 1" unfolds slowly, Andersen's robust bass tone creating
such an expansive sound that, even when he's not tastefully employing
electronics, it often feels larger than a trio, as he simultaneously anchors the
sound and provides a melodic foil for Smith. Smith's solo builds with piercing
inevitability, harsh screams balanced with economical melodicism. His
thrilling duet with Vinaccia at the center of "Part 2" channels hints of Albert
Ayler, an early Garbarek influence, and is an early highlight of the 75-minute
set, as is the equally galvanizing bass/drums duet that follows.
With enough form to lend cohesive shape to the entire set and plenty of
freedom to allow Andersen, Smith and Vinaccia to take the music where they
will, Live at Belleville is Andersen's most exciting release to date. Even more,
balanced with its lyrical and, at times, near-orchestral tendencies, it's the
best disc of Andersen's long and varied career.
Arild Andersen at All About Jazz. Visit Arild Andersen on the web.
Track listing: Independency Part 1; Independency Part 2; Independency Part
3; Independency Part 4; Prelude to a Kiss; Outhouse; Dreamhorse.
Personnel: Arild Andersen: double-bass, live electronics; Tommy Smith:
tenor saxophone; Paolo Vinaccia: drums.
The SCOTSMAN
JAZZ
ARILD ANDERSEN: LIVE AT BELLEVILLE *****
ECM RECORDS,
MY JAZZ album of the year. Norwegian bass maestro teams up with
saxophonist Tommy Smith and Italian drummer Paolo Vinaccia in a trio that is
brimming over with compelling ideas and creative invention. Other than an
unusually abstract reading of Ellington's Prelude to a Kiss, the music is all
composed by Andersen. The disc opens with the four-part, 45-minute suite
Independency, written in 2005 to mark the centenary of Norway's liberation from
the union with Sweden. The music never flags for an instant, whether in slowmoving, atmospheric explorations or fiery up-tempo jousting. Outhouse is a
fierce workout, while the closing Dreamhorse is simple and very beautiful – the
applause at the end seems rudely intrusive on the lovely mood it invokes.
Andersen's extended playing technique and use of electronics places his
approach to the double bass on a different level to most other players, while
Smith's keening saxophone work and Vinaccia's supple, responsive drumming
make their own essential impact. Scottish audiences had a taste of what to
expect at the Edinburgh Jazz Festival, with Alyn Cosker standing in superbly for
the drummer, and the album personnel will be heard here next month –
needless to say, not to be missed. KENNY MATHIESON
Andersens morsomste lag
http://www.vl.no/kultur/anmeldelser/musikk/article3863936.ece?service=print
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Foto Scanpix
Med Paolo Vinaccia og Tommy Smith har Arild Andersen spilt inn en liveplate med nerve.
Andersens morsomste lag
Bassisten Arild Andersen har gjennom 40 år skapt jazz med stor levedyktighet. Denne liveinnspillingen gjør
ikke skam på samlingen.
1 av 2
21-10-08 11:31
Andersens morsomste lag
Av Ragnar Kasbo
http://www.vl.no/kultur/anmeldelser/musikk/article3863936.ece?service=print
Publisert 20.10.2008 - 07:00 Oppdatert 20.10.2008 - 15:27
Ikke et vondt ord om tidligere stjernelag, men dette er etter min oppfatning det
morsomste. Arild Andersen har skrevet alle sangene unntatt Ellingtons «Prelude to a
kiss». CD-en innledes med en firedelt suite; Independency 1-4, som varer i over 40
minutter.
Dynamikk. Paolo Vinaccio har en rikdom i spillet, og samtidig en enhet i uttrykket
som er relativt enestående. Disse egenskapene viser han her til fulle. Innenfor
Andersens relativt lange komposisjoner bidrar han sterkt til dynamikk og
sammenheng.
Saxofonisten Tommy Smith er et «beskrevet blad», som neppe vil skjemmes over
denne produksjonen. Han leder tankene til Jan Garbareks gyllene klang, og spiller
hurtig som en John Coltrane. Her får han tumleplass, og viser at frapperende teknikk
ikke nødvendigvis distraherer viljen og evnen til å skape magi.
Vakkert. Musikken er både vakker, kompleks og voldsom. Andersen har lenge vist
oss at bassen er et fremragende soloinstrument. Og her synger bassen renere og
vakrere enn noensinne.
CD jazz
Arild Andersen bass, Paolo Vinaccia trommer,
Tommy Smith sax
Live at Belleville
ECM 2078 177 4448/ Musikklosen
Copyright declaration
Innholdet i utskriften er vernet etter åndsverklovens regler. Utskriften er kun til privat bruk og kan ikke benyttes på
annen måte. Kopiering eller spredning av innholdet krever avtale med rettighetshaver eller Kopinor.
2 av 2
21-10-08 11:31
Trio i toppslag
Klubbjobb for evigheten.
JAZZ_Terje Mosnes
Live at Belleville
Artist: Arild Andersen/Paolo Vinaccia/Tommy Smith
Plateselskap: ECM/Musikkoperatørene
CD: Arild Andersen er en av de ytterst få kontrabassistene med format til å
gjøre en trioplate til en noe nær orkestral lytteopplevelse, og på «Live at
Belleville» står han fram i all sin inviterende velde og autoritet sammen med
to romantiske råskinn som matcher ham perfekt: Den skotske saksofonisten
Tommy Smith – bedre enn noensinne – og den italienske, lenge Norge-bosatte
trommeslageren Paolo Vinaccia.
KLANGLIG rår Andersen, med litt elektronisk hjelp, over en mangefarget palett
som han utnytter med sikker sans for hva han ønsker å formidle til enhver
tid. Nyansene i intonasjon og frasering har han finslipt gjennom 40 års
allsidig musisering, og når, som her, den stadig mer spennende komponisten
Andersen trår fram i sømløs symbiose med improvisatoren ved samme navn,
blir resultatet formidabelt.__Hovedverket, den fire-satsede «Independency»,
er besettende historiefortelling med spenn fra strid og kaos til overjordisk
skjønnhet. Her møtes Smiths mektige tenor og Vinaccias intuitivt
«kontrapunktiske» perkusjon i inspirert kommunikasjon med hverandre og
med Andersens allestedsnærværende bass, og også platas «bonusspor» –
Andersens på-alle-plugger-kjørende «Outhouse» og fløyelsmyke
«Dreamhorse» samt Ellingtons «Prelude to a Kiss» som en ren
maktdemonstrasjon fra Smith – er med på å gjøre «Live at Belleville» til en
hjørnestein i Andersens diskografi.
Arts
Performing at the spee
T
en minutes into a conversation with Tommy Smith and it
would come as no surprise if
the saxophonist inserted the
news that he had scientists
working privately on a project to extend
the number of hours in a day.
It’s Sunday lunchtime when we meet in
Edinburgh’s Queen’s Hall. Smith has just
flown up from London, where the previous
evening he was playing a Southbank concert
with Norwegian bassist Arild Andersen’s
trio. That concert is sandwiched between
Scottish National Jazz Orchestra concerts
in Edinburgh and Linlithgow for the
Youth Music Initiative. The previous
Monday, Smith was also in London for a
doubleheader with SNJO, playing their
Steely Dan programme to a raucously
appreciative audience, and his youth jazz
orchestra at London Jazz Festival.
On top of this, he has the curriculum to
draw up for Scotland’s first full-time jazz
course, which begins at the RSAMD in
Glasgow next September and for which
auditions have recently been held. There’s
also a late November/early December
tour with Andersen to prepare for, an
orchestral work to revise for Celtic
Connections in January, and a new SNJO
CD featuring the orchestra’s adaptation of
Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue to finalise.
I’m sure I’ve missed something but
this busy-ness seems
always to have been
the way with Smith.
He sees things
needing done, and
goes ahead and does
them. Scotland
needed a national
jazz orchestra on a
par with, for example,
France: now it has
one. The torrent of
young jazz musicians Scotland has been
producing over the past decade needed
an orchestral outlet and big band training,
so Smith formed his own youth jazz
orchestra – at his own expense. And for
years Smith has been campaigning for
graduate level jazz education in Scotland,
a cause he picked up from his early
mentor, the late saxophonist and broadcaster Gordon Cruickshank and that he
is in the process – finally, he underlines
with a certain satisfaction – of bringing
to fruition.
“It’s eight years since I first approached
the RSAMD,” he says, “and now that we
have our first intake of students ready to
begin next year, it’s really exciting.”
The course will be small. Seven students
have been selected from the 30-plus
young musicians who applied from as far
afield as Italy and in the next four years
the faculty will grow to a maximum of 30.
Tuition will be one-to-one – seven of
Scotland’s leading jazz players, including
Smith, trumpeter Ryan Quigley and
drummer Alyn Cosker, have been hired
to share the benefit of their knowledge
and experience.
“Small is good because it allows us to
focus on the individual students,” says
Smith. “And because there’s seven of
them – alto and tenor saxophone, trumpet, guitar, piano, bass and drums – we
have a band. They can grow together and
they’ll be shown how to be professional
musicians from year one. Everything they
need to know about the music business
will be in the course because it’s really
important that we prepare them properly
for their careers, as well as teaching them
to play to the highest standard.”
And if some of these students should
develop into players good enough for
SNJO, Smith will be only too pleased to try
them out. Already a handful of musicians
f ro m h i s To m my Sm i t h Yo u t h Ja zz
Orchestra have made the step up to the
big team, which,
with a new post
being created for an
administrator, is
about to gather
momentum.
Until now, Smith
has taken care of
every detail of
SNJO’s business,
from booking
venues and filling in
funding applications to setting up the PA.
Adding chief cook and washer-upper
would only be a slight exaggeration,
since Smith’s front room doubles as the
orchestra’s rehearsal space and someone
has to round up the coffee cups.
“Our Scottish Arts Council funding has
just been increased significantly, which
means that we can now afford to pay
someone properly to take care of
administration, orchestra management
and finding sponsorship,” he says. “So
from now on, I’ll be free to focus on the
artistic side and if we find the right
“From now on I’ll
be free to focus on
the artistic side and
we should be able to
play more regularly”
person, we should be able to play more
regularly. There’s no shortage of projects
in the pipeline. We have a Buddy Rich
tribute already planned for February and
after that, I’d like to look at Miles Davis’s
electric period, because that’s something
we haven’t really done before, and maybe
bring in John Scofield, who played with
Miles, on guitar and Roy Hargrove on
trumpet as guests. Gospel music’s something else I’d like the orchestra to tackle
and something involving the ECM Records
movement, where we can commission
composers from the label and maybe
invite some musicians associated with
the label to play with the orchestra.”
S
mith’s primary frustration has been
SNJO’s minuscule recorded output.
The Rhapsody in Blue disc will be
only the orchestra’s second release (it’s
now six years since SNJO’s Miles Ahead,
featuring Gil Evans’s 1950s arrangements
for Miles Davis), and he counts off 15
other projects that have been recorded but
remain in the can due to a lack of finances.
A sponsor looking to associate business
with the arts in Scotland could release a
treasure chest of music, including fresh
perspectives on Thelonious Monk, Charles
Mingus and John Coltrane and specially
commissioned works by English composer
Keith Tippett and Smith himself.
All these projects, plans and possibilities
are the public side of Smith. In the background are a family mystery that’s finally
becoming resolved and a new arrival
who has been the cause of some concern.
Smith’s son, Arran, was born seven weeks
ago with gastroschisis, a condition where
the intestines, appendix and colon form
outside the body. Surgeons have rectified
this and Smith is hoping he will be able to
leave hospital soon.
“On the same day my son was born, I
received a photo of my father for the first
time and I could see the likeness,” Smith
says. This is notable, because the man
Smith grew up calling “dad” turned out not
to be his father, and the mysterious Polish
man he was subsequently told about turned
out not to be his father either. Having
known from an early age that he had a
brother and sister somewhere, Smith even
After eight years of lobbying the RSAMD
for a graduate-level jazz course, Tommy
Smith’s efforts have borne fruit: classes
begin next year PICTURE: COLIN ROBERTSON
CD REVIEWS
GLASGOW SCHOOL
OF ART GOES POP
Art Goes Pop
£11.99 ★★★
This disc has nothing
very much to do with
Glasgow’s venerable art
school – in fact, some of
the bands thereon are not from Glasgow at all, but
the Leeds-based label is home to both Popup and
Isosceles, two of the 23 different combos featured.
12 | abc | 29.11.08 | The Herald
The outside eye of a Yorkshire perspective has
probably made possible this compilation of talents
currently making a din in and around the city in a
way that one closer to the scene might not have
done. There is no unifying sound here, and that’s
the joy of it. The theatrical modern music hall of
Punch and the Apostles could hardly be further
from the noise made by the memorably named
Gummy Stumps. There’s a launch event at SWG3
in Eastvale Place, Glasgow, this very evening.
KEITH BRUCE
MACGREGOR,
BRECHIN AND
O’HEADHRA
Sonas
Brechin All Records
£11.99 ★★★★
Comprising one-fifth
of Blazin’ Fiddles’
invigorating front line, one of the most distinctive
accordionists around and the singer-guitarist
from Irish band Anam, this trio had an
embarrassment of riches when it formed in 2006
and has channelled them brilliantly on this, their
first CD. The tune sets combine zest, musicality,
attractive voicings, clean accompaniments and an
exuberance that, with Sandy Brechin’s shivery
accordion style, reaches an infectious peak on
Gordon Duncan’s Zito the Bubbleman, and the
songs in Irish Gaelic perfectly capture Brian
O hEadhra’s gentle strength, with the anthemic
Taladh Na Beinne Guirme a particular highlight.
ROB ADAMS
d of sound
Composer, teacher, conductor, father:
there are few positions Tommy Smith
doesn’t have a finger on, says Rob Adams
hired a private detective to try to find them
and, through them, his father. Then recently,
using the internet and with a rough idea
of their ages, he was able to search a
website and discover their whereabouts.
Happily, they were as pleased to hear
from him as he was finally to know about
his father, who died some 10 years ago.
A post office savings account that his
paternal grandmother had opened under
Smith’s name when he was born in 1967
had miraculously found its way to Smith’s
brother. The £100 investment, which has
now grown to over £2000, has been
lodged in an account for Arran.
By the time the youngster is home, he
could be the son of a Grammy winner,
since Smith has been nominated under the
Best Jazz Solo category for a recording he
made with Czech bassist Miroslav Vitous,
American drummer Adam Nussbaum
and Iraqi cornettist Amir Elsaffar, entitled The Potter’s Field. He could also be
the son of a golf champion as Smith,
whose golfing has been on hold since
Arran’s arrival, has a mini competition at
the Old Course in St Andrews lined up
with fellow saxophonist Branford Marsalis as part of their agreement to appear
at Celtic Connections on January 25.
Meanwhile, Smith’s work with Arild
Andersen’s trio on their new Live at
Belleville CD is gaining rave reviews all
over Europe and offers of gigs are coming
in all the time. The two musicians have an
association going back to the 1980s and
the current group actually began as a duo,
for which Andersen was commissioned
to write the Independency Suite that
occupies much of the live album. Drummer Paolo Vinaccia’s arrival to form a trio
may well be followed by another addition
for dates next year.
“There’s talk of Pat Metheny and Gary
Burton, and Jason Rebello, who used to
play in my band and now works with Jeff
Beck, as possibilities,” says Smith. “But
the way we’ve been playing lately, the
group feels complete as it is. There’s a lot
of light and shade, the whole range of
dynamics involved, and great interplay
between us all, so we’re really looking
forward to playing in Scotland.” ■
Andersen.Smith.Vinaccia play at The Lot,
Edinburgh on Wednesday; The Blue Lamp,
Aberdeen on Thursday; The RSAMD,
Glasgow on Saturday; and Greyfriars Parish
Church, Lanark on Sunday, December 7
THE BEST OF GILBERT
AND SULLIVAN
The Gala Ensemble
Sony BMG
£13.99 ★★★
Backed by TV
advertising, this is one
of the oddest tilts at the
Christmas market, but fans of G&S will surely
wish it well. A baritone, a tenor, two sopranos and
a mezzo trip through the cast of pretty maids,
pirates and policemen in fine style, accompanied
by an entirely uncredited orchestra – some or all
of whom may be connected with August’s G&S
festival at Buxton Opera House. Producer Marcus
Marriot has done a fine job, and his ensemble, all
singing teachers, have an agenda to encourage
others through England’s Sing Up programme in
primary schools. The main drawback is that these
songs are always much funnier in the context of
the shows.
KEITH BRUCE
AN EXCESS OF
PLEASURE/THE
WINGED LION
Palladian Ensemble
Linn £13.99 ★★★★★
The good news from
Linn, reported here a
few months ago, is that
the fine Palladian Ensemble, becalmed since the
departure of stellar recorder player Pamela
Thorby, has been relaunched as Palladians, with
a more versatile line-up. The very good news is that
Linn has repackaged some of the original back
catalogue in a series of budget-priced double CDs,
of which this one, with dazzling performances of
Vivaldi, Matthew Locke, John Blow and others,
launched the group internationally. The best news
is that the full set of four doublers can be snapped
up for 40 quid (a fiver per CD). The collection would
form a handsome Christmas gift.
MICHAEL TUMELTY
To order at prices shown, with free P&P, call 01634 832789
The Herald | 29.11.08 | abc | 13
πArild Andersen - Live At Belleville
Written by Pico
Published December 31, 2008
Arild Andersen may not be the first name that comes up when one
thinks of the greatest living acoustic bassists, but he's at least earned
the right to be considered somewhere on that list.
A player of expansive range, lyricism and velocity, Andersen's list of
credits as a sideman reads longer than Charles Manson's rap sheet.
He's gigged with notables from George Russell and Don Cherry, to Bill
Frisell and Nils Peter Molvaer. And then there's his stint in legendary
Eurojazz saxophonist Jan Garbarek's band through the fellow
Norwegian's formative years and much of his initial peak period of the
early seventies.
Since the mid-1970s Andersen himself has recorded as a leader, like
Garbarek, almost exclusively for the ECM label. His records as both a
leader and sideman present music that ranges from continental jazz
and whack jazz, to world fusion and hints of new age. In other words,
a consummate ECM musician.
The last time out found Andersen leading a record of world fusion/
new age music he heavily orchestrated (Electra, 2005). This time
around, Andersen's approach could hardly be more different.
For Live At Belleville, he introduces a new trio, comprised of the Scot
Tommy Smith on tenor saxophone, and the Italian expatriate in
Norway, drummer Paolo Vinnacia. A lean but muscular trio is a far cry
from his prior project, but the musical intent is, too. With only two
other players and four compositions, Andersen is putting out perhaps
the most comprehensive presentation of his music that he ever put on
a single record.
Just from the first song, Andersen covers most of the bases.
To be fair, his extensive "Independency" is a four-part suite. The first
part alludes to Norwegian folk music, the second movement is deft
application of free jazz, the third section is a free-flowing, ambient
piece, and the last segment moves within the realm of angular bop.
The performances from all three are outstanding throughout. Vinnacia
provides the right shadings and cadences, no matter the varying
settings at hand, and Smith's long lines and chunky tones fill up big
chunks of space. Andersen's bass playing leaves such a large sonic
footprint that he often takes up the role of guitarist. He isn't a showoff, but he's got finger speed to spare when the mood strikes, as it
does about two and a half minutes into "Independency Part III." All
three are playing so well attuned to each other despite there being a
lot more of improvised parts than composed parts.
All these impressions comes from listening to the "Independency" suite
only, but there's more.
"Prelude To A Kiss" starts with a some sublime tenor work from Smith,
who gives the Duke Ellington classic a reading bristling with the
romanticism this ballad demands, but without a single copied phrase.
"Outhouse" is a vehicle for the nimble kit work of Vinaccia, who reveals
a lot of subtlety and a great sense of timing on his drums.
All three seem to have a psychic connection to each other, as the
group improvisation on this track is of the highest order. The
individuals solos by Smith and Andersen are even more astonishing.
At the end of the set comes the dreamy "Dreamhorse," where
Andersen discreetly loops the bass line and then solos melodically on
top of it, eventually engaging in call and response with Smith.
Of course, a live performance can be marred by a subpar recording.
Such is not the case here. Andersen produced this album and along
with Jan Erik Kongsaug and label founder Manfred Eicher, mixed and
edited the raw recordings. To cut to the chase, they did a flawless job.
Since this was a live recording, there was also a higher energy level
than most ECM studio recordings, giving Live At Belleville a certain
edge that manages not to sacrifice any of the typical hallmarks of this
label. That, along with some outstanding performances by all three
players, makes this record one of Arild Andersen's more compelling
ones.
Live At Belleville became available on November 25.
Jeff Dayton-Johnson's Best of 2008
Published: January 11, 2009
Arild Andersen Live at Belleville ECM Records
The highlight is a forty-minute suite celebrating the centenary of Norway's
independence from the yolk of Swedish subjugation—seriously. That the
music is so consistently intelligent and passionate is a tribute to all three
members of the trio, but particularly saxophonist Tommy Smith.