With three parts having already happened of their five part festival, C.C had come together for what would be a great showcase of music @ Shape-Shifter lab (bringing their musical creativity to Bklyn). Entitled "Nine-Live" (nice play on the phrase "Nine-lives"), it was an ensemble of 9 composers performing 9 different pieces written by each of them.
 |
| Dan Cooper (7 string bass) |
Out of the 9, four of the pieces were premieres, while the others were excerpts or full compositions created at another time. The nine of them together had a very unique presence and sound, you could hear the individual skill of each. Although, at times it felt as if they lacked full cohesion that would propel them as one.
 |
| Gene Pritsker (front-Guitar), & Dan Cooper-7 string bass |
"Festival music":Peter Jarvis, "Miser Miser": Dave Soldier, "Dodola": Milica Paranosic, "Herky-Jerky": Gene Pritsker, "Cures":Patrick Grant, and "Tu Felix Jump":Franz Hackl, were all really well composed pieces, each with a great sound, flow and feel. Interesting arrangements, syncopation(especially "Tu Felix Austria Jump")and a contemporary vibe all there own.
However, the best pieces I think were "Gefilte Funk" - arguably one of Dan Coopers best - with its Jazz/Funk, contemporary sound that really seemed to bring the nine composers together and bind them as one. The piece had edge to it that made you perk-up and listen, Coopers 7 string bass guiding the flow without being overbearing. I could tell the audience loved it. "Outrage" by John Clark was also one of the best. Clark was seriously on point with this. Somber, playful, with a wicked dramatic touch resulting in sudden collective moments of extreme passion.
The top spot for the evening goes to Kinan Azmeh's "Ibn Arabi Postlude" (after a Arab muslim mystic. "...the piece is inspired by a school of thought in which free thinking is sacred, and therefore free music is sacred.")A rhythmic piece with the essence of Arabic folk elements on a contemporary scale. It brought out the best in all of the musician/composers that evening, you could here each one's individual best, and yet collectively they truly played as one whole. Gene Pritsker and Dan Cooper's playing melded smoothly with Kinan whose clarinet at first, was subtle, then Hackl (trumpet) and Clark (horn) slipped in gently to prop it all up beautifully, while Jarvis seemed to come to life in a way he did not before- his percussion's fused with the others moving them along like a drummer on a galley-ship providing perfect momentum for the rowers. Milica's sultry voice present, here and there, with keyboard in the mix so well. Patrick Grant tickled the ivory in perfect harmony the others, and of course Dave Soldier's violin really "sang" and came through oh so well. Then it all died down perfectly, and you wanted more, lots more.
No comments:
Post a Comment