None of them force themselves to the forefront, and without relying on the traditional forms of improvising, there is plenty of depth to this music with its ever-shifting subtleties and its ability to envelop the listener in the sonic conceptions made up of amazingly close intervals, beautiful textures, and a realization that simplicity truly is complex. As cheesy as it sounds, this group feels organic in its playing. They embrace the blend that is achievable by focusing on a single instrument as the foundation of the musical unit, and that greatly informs their nuanced approach to stretched out ideas and allowing sound to beautifully intermingle. The results ring with as much genius and beauty as any contemporary composition.
I was lucky enough to catch The Clarinets at Barbés in Brooklyn over a year ago and was completely delighted–I bet I was grinning from ear to ear. Though they don't appear to be playing too much (probably because the respective players are in-demand musicians with other things on their plate), everyone needs to take the time to digest this remarkable group.
As a side note, it is worth checking out all of the other music released by Skirl Records, the artist-run record label that released The Clarinets only album. Some artists that caught my ear were Ted Reichman, the Shelley Burgon and Trevor Dunn duo, and the duo of Jessica Pavone and Mary Halvorson.
Chris, Oscar, Anthony, thank you for this. I hope to hear more.
No comments:
Post a Comment