This CD is a very personal statement from Marilyn Crispell. MEMORIA / FOR PESSA MALKA was composed as a memorial to her relatives who died in the Second World War, and to her parents, husband, and close friends who have passed on during the past several years. The five movements comprise a journey through suffering to redemption. First half of the CD is a trio with Tanya Kalmanovitch (violin) and Richard Teitelbaum (electronics), while the second half is a duo with Tanya. The seven violin/piano improvisations are not connected to the memorial piece, but they seemed to fit the ambience established by it.
This historic session was recorded at Soundscape on Valentine's Day 1981 and was the duo's only American appearance. Kevin Whitehead, in his album note points out that: "The success of free-improvised depends to a great extent on something independent of equipment or technique, the ability to listen and respond... The choices Cyrille and Teitelbaum make, improvising in the moment, acknowledge the big picture, showing their concern with broad arcs of rhythm, dynamics, density and changing timbre. Richard takes these good old Milton Babbit blurps and whooshes and hisses and makes them flow like nobody else. The proof is everywhere. And the flow is oxygen for Cyrille, as it is for all swingers." This CD is an extraordinarily fascinating and exciting exposition of rare synthesizer and percussion artistry. Impressions of a piece on this CD, via a letter from Andrew Cyrille: "Imagine one sliding on a fragile, somewhat slippery, delicate, wafting bubble moving through the air. One is sliding to and fro, side to side. However, one is somehow attached to the bubble and not able to be released from it. One experiences an aeronautical traveling adventure prompted by the caprices of a mildly blowing wind. Not being able to navigate, one observes what is taking place around one... more
1. Dance Astral 09:07
2. San Andreas Fault 13:04
3. Cluck Cluck Clock 11:13
4. Double Clutch 15:52
5. Sliding on a Bubble 09:58
6. Driving Pistons 12:36
Andrew Cyrille Ludwig drums, Zildijan cymbals, LP percussion instruments
Richard Teitelbaum PolyMoog synthesizer, modified MicroMoog synthesizer, Zannini custom random generator, SYM-1 single board computer
The great avant-jazz drummer andrew cyrille - whose associations have ranged from a long, vintage collaboration with cecil taylor to co-leading current all-star collective trio 3 with oliver lake and reggie workman - makes his ecm leader debut with the declaration of musical independence.
Featuring a quartet with guitar luminary bill frisell, keyboardist richard teitelbaum and bassist ben street, the album kicks off with an artfully oblique interpretation of john coltrane’s “coltrane time”, led by cyrille’s solo drum intro. the disc then features a sequence of sonically arresting originals, including street’s luminous “say...” and frisell’s deeply felt “kaddish” and “song for andrew”, with frisell’s guitar alternately cutting and billowing, the edge evoking some of his most illustrious past ecm performances. there are three atmospheric spontaneous compositions by the band - including the dynamic soundscape “dazzling (perchordally yours)” - that highlight cyrille’s individual sense of percussive drama. cyrille appeared on classic ecm and watt albums by the likes of marion brown, carla bley and the jazz composer’s orchestra, but this album puts a deserved spotlight on an icon of jazz drumming. the new york times has called cyrille an “avant-garde eminence”, praising his bone-deep knowledge of not only vintage jazz drumming but also pan-african rhythms - and noting how his “watchful, flowing pulse” has influenced so many of today’s most artful drummers.
