|
|
|
| ACCOUNT INFO | ||||||
|
|
| Home > SHEET MUSIC > DOUBLE BASS & OTHER INSTRUMENTS |
DRESSER Time Changes (Paino, Bass, Drums, Voice) |
| Detailed Description |
|
Mark Dresser - bass Denman Maroney - hyperpiano Michael Sarin - drums, percussion Alexandra Montano - voice 1. Aperitivio 6:26 2. Pulse Field 6:07 3. Heap 3:07 4. M.C. 7:06 5. One Plate 10:25 6. Double You 5:35 7. Harkemony 3:44 8. Lateral Mass 5:35 9. Kilter 7:58 10. Between 17th and Bliss 5:36 11. Ekoneni 6:20 Reviewed by Jay Collins, August 2005 Bassist Mark Dresser and pianist Denman Maroney have teamed up on eight records over the past 16 years, with each exploration presenting the duo’s experiments with sound and rhythm. Their musical telepathy continues to be refined, with Time Changes adding additional grey matter to their collective consciousness. But before a discussion of the music, what about these musicians? For the unaware, Dresser is probably best known for his exploits with Anthony Braxton, John Zorn, and others; the type of player that consistently demonstrates his command of his instrument, realizing the full extent of his pizzicato or arco skills. But Denman Maroney? Is he some mad piano-scientist? What is a hyperpiano? What happened to the good, old-fashioned 88 keys? While Maroney possesses considerable technique as far as “inside” piano playing is concerned, his main focus is on texture and the creation of unique sounds. Influenced by the echoes of his father’s power tools in his basement workshop that wafted through his family’s home, Maroney’s hyperpiano musings attempt to harness the inspirational racket via his instrument. Such a moniker might indicate excitable runs and lightning quick explosions; however, his sound is more about sound as sound itself through his string manipulations. With that in mind, it is surprising, then, that Maroney’s playing here is so accessible when compared to previous releases (like their last, Aquifer), though there are plenty of scraped metallics, burnished dampened notes, etc. On Time Changes this formidable team is joined by percussionist Michael Sarin and, on four tracks, vocalist Alexandra Montano. With Sarin on board, the session takes on the tone of a piano trio session, though this is hardly Bill Evans fare. The primary aim here continues to be exploration, though the journey is decidedly more rhythmic, both in terms of tempo or the elastic nature of musical time. Maroney’s web of sounds covers the romantic, bustling, or startling realms, Dresser consistently instigates, and Sarin proves to be a consummate colorist and groove setter. Montano’s wordless vocals add a Latinesque tinge to the proceedings, with a Portuguese lilt wrapped around the supple opener “Aperitivo”, the funky “M.C.”, the trapeze waltz of “Double You”, or the lulling eddy of “Between 17th and Bliss”. Frankly, these tracks are ravishingly exquisite. As for the trio numbers, they prove surprisingly digestible, though no less arresting due to their shifting foundations, such as the polyrhythmic ping-pong of “Pulse Field”, the peculiar blues of “Harkemony”, the kerflooey frolic of “Kilter”, and the African-tinged playfulness of “Ekoneni”. There are also the expected “abstract” sonorities, like the metallurgy of “Heap” or the scary, junkyard scrapings of “Lateral Mass”. Perhaps the best dissection of the trio’s activities, though, is on the ten-minute “One Plate”, commencing with Dresser’s ghostly arco setting an initial loose vibe as they work their way into a romantic ballad sphere before a groove ensures, highlighted by Sarin’s expressive drum solo. Given Dresser and Maroney’s previous experiments, Time Changes may come as a surprise, especially for those expecting another Aquifer. The extended techniques are here, to be sure, but Montano, in particular, adds a romantic beauty that displays the emotional depth of the compositions and their operatives. Certainly the dark horse of the recent batch of Cryptogramophone releases, this is a difficult one to put away. |
