Immediately recognizable saxophone voices: Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane.
To this list we must add Jan Garbarek.
Every musician brings something unique to the aural world. A way of phrasing. Romanticism of melody. Cryptic storytelling with chords. Energy. Shocking bursts of seeming anti-logic. Tone.
Tone.
In the jazz/instrumental music realm, tone is it. The musician's voice. We as listeners identify with that sound and can use it, even in 'blind' situations, to make an identification. It's always amazed me how quickly that connection can be made. A pair of notes follow by an octave (well, almost) leap and we know it's Ornette Coleman. A few dark notes from Miles' trumpet...and you're there.
If we're talking about Jan Garbarek, a single note is sufficient. One high, expressive note from that soprano sax and you just know. There's no mistaking Garbarek's sound.
Now, if you want to categorize Garbarek's music, well, that's a more difficult task. He's produced out-there abstractions, variations on Nordic folk music, pensive and ambient solo workouts, film music and majestic neoclassical beauty (just check out his collaborations with the Hilliard Ensemble).
Garbarek's latest, In Praise Of Dreams, brings some new bits into the mix. Namely, the viola of Kim Kashkashian and the percussion of Manu Katché.
Katché, who has played with an impressive list of artists from many genres including Al DiMeola, Loreena McKennit, Peter Gabriel, Youssou N'Dour, Sting, and Jan Garbarek, adds just a hint of groove, never gets in the way and seems to be on the hunt for 'the perfect accent'.
In Kim Kashkashian, Garbarek may have found his ultimate counterpart. Tonally, her viola is more than just complementary to Garbarek's sax (both soprano and tenor)...it is at home.
Together, these three musicians work some understated magic. On "Knot of place and time", Katché sets up the shell of a groove while Garbarek and Kashkashian play melodic statements and counterpoints. It's like hearing the two players dance.
Article comments
1 - Temple Stark
Mark,
I threw this up on Advance.net.
If you are committed to good "first draft" you might want to look over the copy on Advance.net and see the small changes - and sometimes big changes. The big changes are almost always done for space, however. NB: I'm posting this message to all reviews, not singling you out at all. :-)
2 - JR
you might want to look over the copy on Advance.net and see the small changes...
Al Di Meola's name is still misspelled.