Billy Childs Ensemble feat. the Ying Quartet – Autumn: In Moving Pictures (Jazz-Chamber Music Vol. 2) – ArtistShare AS 0104, 1 hour *****:
(Billy Childs – composer & piano; Larry Koonse – acoustic guitars; Bob Sheppard – alto & soprano sax, Bb clarinet; Carol Robbins – harp; Scott Colley – bass; Antonio Sanchez & Brian Blade, drums; The Ying String Quartet; Winds: Pamela Vliek Martchev, Gerard Reuter, Teag Reaves, Judith Farmer)
Frank Glover – Abacus – Owl Studios OWL00124, 45.9 min. *****:
(Frank Glover – clarinet, soprano sax; Jack Helsley – acoustic & electric bass; Zach Lapidus – piano, keyboards; Dave Scalia – percussion, drums; Orchestra cond. by Frank Glover)
Some recent chamber jazz releases have been excellent – the equal of the best of many years ago and especially of most of the Third Stream efforts. These are two of them. The Billy Childs CD is the second with his jazz chamber ensemble. He describes his music as a hybrid form rooted in third stream and fusion. His orchestrations include his piano with acoustic guitar, sax, flute, harp, bass, drums, woodwind quintet and a string quartet – all in different combinations depending on which of the seven tracks.
An impressionistic feeling is primary in this collection, and Child’s tone-paintings aren’t only about the falling leaves of Autumn, but about all the feelings of that time of year. The various pieces mix the sophisticated timbres and structures of classical chamber music with the freedom and improvisation of jazz. One of the most-heard classical encores – Faure’s Pavane, is the most classical of the bunch, being conducted by Patrick Gandy. It’s a lovely lyrical arrangement of the familiar theme. Childs’ own Prelude in E minor is also a wonderfully laid-back classically-oriented piece, with a center section in which some of Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin influenced Childs.
The two longest tracks are quite impressionistic Childs’ compositions utilizing many of the musicians involved. The autumnal Path Among the Trees is the impressive opener, and A Man Chasing the Horizon another lengthy orchestral work. His arrangement of Bill Evans’ Waltz for Debby gives it a strong classical bent, with the concert harp opening the track, and also appearing in many of the other tracks. Childs’ creative vision is a fine addition to the modern jazz scene.
TrackList (Childs): The Path Among the Trees, Waltz for Debby, Prelude in E minor, A Man Chasing the Horizon, Pavane, Raindrop Patterns, The Red Wheelbarrow.
Frank Glover is an Indianapolis-based musician not well-known elsewhere. For his second Owl album he has fashioned a three-movement symphony-concerto that mixes jazz improvisation with modern classical writing. There are nine separate tracks listed, but everything fits together as more of a single musical story with much variety but a cohesive thread going thru the whole thing. The general melodic style is less tonal than Billy Childs’ album, but full of fascinating instrumental colors and feelings. Glover is inspired in his soprano sax work by John Coltrane, but his clarinet is at the fore on most of the tracks. His second movement is titled “Ballerina” and is the longest as well as more moving section of the work. Pianist Zach Lapidus has a lovely solo, joined later by the French horn. The title tune, which is one of the four that make up the first movement, was inspired by the clicking of the beads on the ancient mathematical device, the Abacus; this becomes the sound of the marimba. Memories of a trip to the ancient town of Salamanca in western Spain becomes a lyrical respite between two more intense tunes in the third movement of the work. Although this is basically a concerto pitting Glover’s quartet (which he calls Kihlo) against the orchestra, it sounds quite different from other such efforts.
Glover’s impressive soundscapes bear repeated hearings to reveal their unique stories. Top-quality sonics aid one’s effort.
TrackList (Glover): Two Shades of Green; Lost Sumino; Abacus; Domino; Ballerina; Lighthouse; Modern Times; Salamanca; Robot.
— John Henry
