(Classical, Chamber jazz) Noam Buchman - Chance Encounters - 2010, FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Jazz Sebastian Bach - Chance Encounters
by Uri Brener was inspired by an idea of Noam Buchman's, who there upon commissioned the work expressly for this collection. Taking the form of a suite, each of the movements builds upon a fragment extracted from the works of Bach - in the tradition of the Swingle Singers, Jacques Loussier and others. Its unique distinction lies in its achieving an organic integration of original contemporary music with that of Bach. Of additional interest is the fact that each of the sections bears the stamp of a particular stylistic influence or point of view, which accounts for the various musicians (and an author) referenced in the titles; and hence, the secondary title - Chance Encounters.
Prelude: The opening section sets the stage with an explosive burst of energy inspired by a motif from the Allegro of the E minor Flute Sonata (ВWV 1034) counter balanced by a contrasting slow fragment from the Piano Sonata in D major (BWV 963).
First Encounter - "Presto... with the Duke"- Based on the Presto from the В minor Flute Sonata (BWV 1030), it evokes an encounter between a fugue theme and a combo-jazz feel. What is, in its original form, a melody of rhythmic simplicity is infused here with stylistic elements and atmospheric overtones in the bebop tradition. At certain points "Duke-style" piano riffs assert themselves, only to yield, eventually, to a traditional contrabass solo with roots in the fugue's main theme.
Second Encounter - "Ciciliane...with Dave Brubeck": This section is a reworking of the famous and beautiful Ciciliane from the G minor Flute Sonata (BWV 1031); informed with new harmonic ideas it undergoes rearrangement as a nostalgic jazz-waltz in the spirit of the sixties. The theme ultimately contracts into 5/8 time - a conscious reference to the perennial favorite "Take Five" made famous by Brubeck's quartet.
Third Encounter - "Presto ... with Agatha": This is perhaps the most intriguing section of all in that a meeting takes place here between Bach and someone who is, strictly speaking, a non-musical figure - Agatha Christie! The starting point is the second half of the initial В minor Presto found in the First Encounter. Against a backdrop of a characteristic descending, steady-paced ostinato in contrabass, some "suspicious" and somewhat disjointed sounds and musical elements begin to emerge, assembling themselves by fits and starts, puzzle-like into a reasonably close approximation of Bach's melody - only to scatter once more into relative disarray at movement's end.
Fourth Encounter -"Adagio...with Michel Legrand": This theme was used by Bach both in his Piano Concerto in F minor and his Violin Concerto in G minor (BWV 1056). But now the tranquil, introverted lyricism of the melodic chant is enhanced by means of a new harmonic "dressing" in the spirit of the ballads made popular in musicals and music films of Hollywood and Broadway.
Fifth Encounter - "Allegro ... with Chick Corea": This section closes the circle through a reprise of the Suite's introductory theme. The reworking of the Allegro from the E minor Flute Sonata is resumed, but now with redoubled vigor. The sounds of Bach's original melody are fused into a distinctive scale progression, rich in underlying syncopation and punctuated by sudden, unexpected turns. In this final movement we have a dialogue between J.S.Bach and one of the prominent exponents of the "new wave" in jazz.
Histoire du Tango
Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992), more than anyone else, is responsible for the wide exposure and popularity of the Argentinean tango. Reared in two musical traditions - firstly as a bandoneon player and arranger in a tango orchestra during his adolescent years, and later as a "Classical Composition" student under Ginastera and Nadia Boulanger - he was well qualified to elevate the vernacular tango music to the plane of more serious composition. This work depicts the evolution of the tango from its earliest beginnings to its contemporary form.
Bordel 1900 presents the good-humored character of the tango at its emergence - a picaresque dance, to be danced by a male couple awaiting their "turn" at the neighborhood bordello. There are the echoes and gestures of the rustic milonga rhythms from the rural areas influenced by the European dances being introduced by Italian, French and Spanish immigrants. We are reminded of the tango's origins beyond the pale of "polite society", in the "underground" so-to-speak, by means of motifs which bring to mind the sounds of someone knocking at the door and the blowing of police whistles.
Cafe 1930 shows how the tango developed from a light and "naughty" dance into a lyrical and emotional song. Emblematic of this period was the singer/idol Carlos Gardel (1887 - 1935) whose songs, nostalgic and sentimental, are still heard today in the cafes and shops of Buenos Aires and Montevideo.
Night-Club 1960 is a "reference" to the transformation the tango underwent in the 50's and 60's with the emergence of rock'n'roll and pop music; a time when the new generation abandoned the tango dance clubs and cafes of the Rio de la Plata cities. The increasing influence of foreign styles (jazz, bossa nova, French chanson) is to be heard. Indeed, the tango evolves from being music of song and dance to music for being listened to, cocktail in hand.
Concert d'aujourd'hui is the most explicit expression in this cycle of the style that Piazzolla developed over the decades. It belongs to the genre of the "tango nuevo", a term he himself coined for the new approach that blends the basic rhythmic and gestural elements of the traditional tango with modern trends of twentieth century music. With this the cycle is brought to a frenzied finale.
Suite for Flute & Jazz Piano by Claude Boiling
The Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio was written for the legendary flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal. With its ingenious synthesis of Classical music and Jazz, it was revolutionary for its time when released on LP in 1976. In this sense Claude Boiling can be deservedly credited with the creation of "crossover" music. And indeed, the Suite was an immediate success; America's appreciation for this innovative approach catapulted it to the top of the charts where it remained for two whole years, being ranked by Billboard for ten.
The excerpts on this CD are its so-called "highlights". "Baroque and Blue" contains the essential "motto" of the piece - combining the Baroque with Jazz. "Sentimentale" is a wonderfully lyrical ballade with a lively middle part in the French spirit. "Irlandaise" is full of elegant grace. And lastly, the impetuous "Veloce" offers the individual performers a chance to demonstrate their virtuosity.
NOAM BUCHMAN
Israel's highly acclaimed flutist, is Principal Flute of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. As a soloist he has appeared in numerous concerts and recordings, both in Israel as well as in leading concert halls throughout Europe, North and South America. He plays and records with diverse chamber ensembles and is a founding member of the Israel Contemporary Players. Noam Buchman has many CDs to his credit; these include, among other works, flute concertos by Nielsen, Ibert, Partos, Gronich and Ernest Bloch, as well as chamber music by Bach, Schubert, R. Strauss, Ben-Haim, Zehavi, Leef, Ran and Sheriff. His repertoire is a varied and rich offering of musical artistry that ranges from the Baroque and the Classical periods to the contemporary.
A significant part of Noam Buchman's activity has been devoted to bringing Israeli music to the attention of a wider audience and many of the more prominent Israeli composers have dedicated their works to him. In recognition of his unique contribution in this area he was awarded the "Prize for Excellence in Performing Israeli Music" by the Arts and Culture Council of Israel, and the "Oedeon Partos Prize" by the Israeli Minister of Culture. Noam Buchman teaches flute at the Jerusalem Music Academy.
URI BRENER
composer, arranger, bassoonist and pianist, immigrated to Israel from his native Russia in 1996. Studies in Moscow, Germany and the Netherlands were continued in his adopted home, culminating in a Ph.D. in Musicology from Bar-Ilan University, as well as in ordination as Uri Brener's compositions have enjoyed much success, both in Israel and abroad. He is the recipient of several awards; among them the Klon Prize for young composers, the Israel Composers' Association Prize, and the Prime Minister's Award for Composers. He is also an avid jazz musician and recently came out with an album of his own piano works entitled "A Walk".
Sebastian Bach Chance Encounters" is by no means Uri Brener's first "interdisciplinary" experiment; he devotes many of his performances to the integration of improvised music with written music of many different periods and styles. As an outgrowth of this activity he established the jazz trio "TABULA RASA" in 2004 with Edmond Gilmore on contrabass and Shlomo Deshet on drums.
Edmond Gilmore graduated from the Jerusalem and Tel Aviv Music Academies, while pursuing his interest in both the electric and acoustic bass. He honed his skills yet further by studying with Jeff Andrews in New York. Edmond Gilmore's group, Shazam, performed widely, in Israel and abroad, and in 2007 he was chosen to play with composer Steve Reich at the composer's seventieth birthday celebration. Currently residing in Israel, Edmond Gilmore is one of the most sought-after bassists in the country, making regular appearances on radio, television and stage.
Shlomo Deshet - drummer, percussionist, composer and producer - is one of the leading exponents of Ethno Jazz. As a founding member of the band Esta, he has appeared in concert in the White House, Carnegie Hall, the Blue Note Jazz Club, on Radio France and in many other well-known music venues in Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas.
RUBEN SEROUSSI
guitarist and composer, was born in Montevideo, Uruguay. A leading performer in Israel, Seroussi has also appeared in recital in Europe, the United States and South America, both as a soloist and in conjunction with other musicians. He has recorded two CDs that have enjoyed worldwide distribution. A prominent composer, Ruben Seroussi's works are given regular performances in Israel and abroad. He coordinates the Composition Department at the Buchmann - Mehta School of Music at Tel Aviv University.

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auCDtect: CD records authenticity detector, version 0.8.2
Copyright (c) 2004 Oleg Berngardt. All rights reserved.
Copyright (c) 2004 Alexander Djourik. All rights reserved.
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