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Show l^p-teto Waxin1 Your Ears PftulEUIngsoo Solo Jazz Piano, Volume One Ivy Jazz This album (from the southeastern-most outer limits of the Northwest, Salt Lake City) requires two kinds of attention - attention to the extensive liner notes explaining Ellingson's musical theories and attention to the music around which the theories are wrapped Unfortunately, I don't mink you get much back for your attention. Ellingson's writing rambles and is often obscure; the liner notes are quite confusing. EHingson thinks that jazz, when heard through the theoretical apparatus of western classical music, is harmonically more ambiguous (and therefore, more "advanced") than modern classical music. In jazz, extended chords imply scales that are far removed from tile stated key of a piece; the music is more vertical than it is horizontal and often does not clearly resolve to a tonic according to standard rules of musical grammar. His theory is not too different from the practice of, say, George Russell or Charles Mingus, but their music helps clarify their theories. Ellingson gets so tangled up trying to untie himself from the rules of functional harmony that he is less clear than would be helpful in these matters. Add to this the fact that he seems unaware of a lot of work from the classical new music realm that shares a conceptual base with the best new improvised music and the liner notes make for some pretty un-enlightening reading. Still, those of you who don't care about all this theoretical blather may want to know what Ellingson's playing sounds like. For me, Ellingson's ideas are not borne out by his playing, at least his own work is not as far-reaching as his theory. If youVe heard solo work by Lennie Tristano, Paul Bley and Bill Evans you've heard music mat is at least as harmonically complex, and arguably more in the jazz tradition. While Ellingson does play several jazz standards on this two-record set, his wooden time sense adds little to the performances. Most of the album is made up of his own rambling compositionAmprovisations with a few oddities like "Go Down Moses" and "Lord's Prayer" thrown in. If Ellingson didn't try so hard to place this music in the jazz tradition I might not be so tough on him, but musically there's very little here. Herb Levy Earshot Jazz VoL4No.6 ©1988 Earshot Jazz The monthly magazine Earshot Jan if edited by Paul de Barros. Staff writers: Sandra Buiiin-game and Joseph Murphy. Contributor*: Herb Levy, Ted Dzielak, Dak Stirling, ShebaBumey, Roberta Penn, Ken Wiley, Susan Golden, Watty Shoup, Gary Bannister, Bruce Kocfais, Nancy Curtis, Taina Honkalehto and Sheila Espinoza. Calendar editor Bob Mariano (364-9357). Editorial assistance and proofreading: Jeff Thomas. Desktop publishing by Vicki AngelinL Mailing and computer assistance by Rich Minor, Adri-enne Weaver and her students at Kimball Elementary School - Linda Lioe, Rosemarie Ca-ballo and Phuong Nguyen. Advertising Manager, Jeff Ferguson (328-6199). Earshot Board of Directors: Lola Pedrini, Gary Bannister, Bruce Kochis, Sandra Burlin-game, Judy de Banos, Paul de Barros, Cherrie Adams, Mark Solomon, Anthony Green wald and Bob Mariano. General Information, (206) 285-8893. Address all correspondence to PO Box 85851, Seattle, WA 98145-2858. Earshot Jazz is printed by Murray Publishing Company of Seattle, 2312 Third Ave.^461-1300._____________ if' gto retrieve. musical persiflage >f course this band. t that; more like a ng-or-other. KAT mallet MH» fHerbig, tenor and impositions are by and I found myself sne Wilder in Mel ndnot succeeding frawn) to not get a 3 then I wondered: s just too busy, too floating around the hat one great big aewhere in " Abso- was so wonderful, You listen on, synthesizers, right? Kmcing them. The ive used it to great purpose, but not here. Here, it simply adds to the already overburdened collective contrivance. Re: synthesizer. Listen to the 1970 Arkestra concerts of Sun Ra: Construction, playfulness and, if you will, ecstasy strike a balance. And what of musical line here? Like the directing of the eye through a painting, a sketch, the eye and the ear through a sentence, a line. That directed Thelonious Monk to ask Coleman Hawkins in regard to Hawkins* performance of "Body and Soul" - "What are those people listenin' to?" But, they were listening and they were directed, beautifully. Ken WOey DavkJLanz and Paul S Desert Vision Narad* 8412* David Lanz and Paul Speer are two Seattle musicians who are creating heat waves. Both from commercial music backgrounds, they joined forces in Seattle in 1980 to create a single musical spirit. They now have a large following here and one of the cuts, "Desert Rain," from their current album, Desert Vision, is receiving regular airplay. The music on the "album was originally created for their video album of the same name. The concept was inspired by the Southwest landscape, apparent in its New Age sound as well as in the titles of the cuts. All original compositions, the album consists of a blend of lyrical, evocative and powerful melodies that range from soft rock and electric guitar to the jazzy and meditative. Vistas of intense blue horizons, sand and dry heat and images of calm and silence floated through my mind as I listened to the album. One of my favorites was "Sculptures," which evoked an image of a Navajo atop a jagged peak surveying the Grand Canyon. I could hear the slow, rhythmic beat of the native drum and, emerging through the strains of the electric guitar played by Speer, the terrific sounds of Richard Wamer on alto sax intertwined with Deuter on flute. David Lanz, who plays acoustic piano and synthesizer on the album, synthesizes Celtic harp (via Yamaha DX7 keyboard) on "Desert Rain," the most beautiful cut on the album, with Deuter playing flute - a nice 14 combination. Paul Speer plays synthesizer and rock-influenced guitar, particulary on "Sculptures." He creates a strong, rhythmic momentum without being overpowering. Lanz and Speer are supported by Neal Speer (drums), James Reynolds (electronicpercussion), Deuter (flute and Tibetan bells), Richard Wamer (alto sax, C flute and bamboo flute), John Serrie (synths) and Steve Allen (bass guitar). The album was recorded locally at Miramar, Kay Smith and Steve Lawson studios. Sheila M. Espinoza |