| Sign up for our Email Newsletter & Subscriber Only Specials
|
|
|
Requiem
|
|
|
|
|
| Listen |
 Audio Sample 1 |
| Audio Sample 2 |
 |
| When William Parker convened his Bass Quartet to close out the Ninth Vision Festival in 2004, the environment was a giddy one. Henry Grimes was back to playing regularly, Alan Silva was in town and a few days earlier, the Revolutionary Ensemble had reformed and Sirone's playing was dynamic. The group's significance stemmed from the stylistic lineage evident from Grimes to Silva to Sirone to Parker and the addition of guest saxophonist Charles Gayle added a wrinkle, an uncommon hierarchy with a horn playing over four bassists. This reviewer's notes from the concert indicate not much listening onstage and an impression of the four basses as one thick instrument matched against Gayle's alto. But unusually for this kind of improvised scenario, the recording is more satisfying than the performance. In the comfort of home, with that all-important good stereo (and excellent recording quality), more of the subtleties come through. Gayle, originally the odd man out, makes absolutely vital contributions, providing refreshing spikes and edgy contrasts to the bubbling underneath. Perhaps some direction or shorter, distinct pieces would have worked better but that was not the objective. This was a memorial to the late bassists Wilber Morris and Peter Kowald (and others mentioned in remarks after). Given where those two fit on the bass tree that is Requiem, anything more disciplined would have been not the point. |
ARTISTS
William Parker, Henry Grimes, Alan Silva, Sirone (basses); Charles Gayle (alto sax) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shopping Cart
