Beat Reader
| Beat Reader | ||||
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| Studio album by Ken Vandermark & The Vandermark 5 | ||||
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Publication |
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| Label (s) | Atavistic Records | |||
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Format (s) |
CD, 2 CD |
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Title (number) |
8/11 |
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running time |
1.09: 23 |
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| occupation |
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Studio (s) |
Semaphore, Chicago |
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Beat Reader is a jazz album by Ken Vandermark & The Vandermark 5. The recordings made on December 19 and 20, 2006 in Semaphore Studio, Chicago, were released on CD in January 2008 and, expanded by The New York Suite , as a limited edition under this name Double CD on Atavistic Records . (The three-part New York Suite was performed live by the band at The Hideout venue in Chicago in June 2007.)
background
Beat Reader is the tenth studio album with original material by the Chicago quintet The Vandermark 5 around the composer and woodwind player Ken Vandermark. Since their debut recording Single Piece Flow (Atavistic, 1997), the ensemble has been regarded as the “ flagship ” of Vandermark and has continued to develop, which has led to a number of personnel changes over the years. Since A Discontinuous Line (Atavistic, 2006), cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm (who replaced trombonist / guitarist Jeb Bishop ) has been part of the quintet as the newest member . Vandermark has removed the tenor saxophone in this line-up from his arsenal, decided on a baritone saxophone and a selection of clarinets and left the middle range to saxophonist Dave Rempis.
Track list
- The Vandermark 5: Beat Reader (Atavistic ALP184CD)
- Friction (For György Ligeti ) 8:36
- New Acrylic (For Andreas Gursky ) 9:38
- Any Given Number (For Bernd and Hilla Becher ) 8:02
- Signposts (For Lee Friedlander ) 8:56
- Speedplay (For Max Roach ) 7:08
- Compass Shatters Magnet (For Paul Rutherford ) 11:54
- Further from the Truth (For Walker Evans ) 6:28
- Desireless (For Daidō Moriyama ) 8:44
- 2-CD edition
- The New York Suite also includes
- Part 1: Painters (for Willem de Kooning , Hans Hopfmann , Jackson Pollock , and Mark Rothko ) 11:21
- Part 2: Composers (for Earle Brown , John Cage , Morton Feldman , and Christian Wolff ) 12:29
- Part 3: Improvisers (for Don Cherry , Steve Lacy , Archie Shepp , and Cecil Taylor ) 24:10
- All compositions are by Ken Vandermark.
reception
Ken Vandermark storms through eight tracks of radiant beauty in Beat Reader , according to the Allmusic review , and Vandermark and Company led “a dynamic ensemble”. The highlights included “New Acrylic”, the cool, unusual swing on “Further from the Truth” and the crackling improvisations on “Compass Shatters Magnet”. As always, the mix of post-bop and avant-garde at Vandermark 5 is exciting and absolutely unique.
According to Troy Collins, who gave the album the top five-star rating on All About Jazz , Vandermark's advanced composing demonstrated a way to scream interlocking cellular structures that harmonized unique arrangements with plenty of room for individual expression. “Stylistically diverse, but immediately recognizable, Vandermark's versatile melodies always bear the unmistakable mark of his longstanding and unique voice. As is his custom, Vandermark dedicates each melody to a fellow artist, from drummer Max Roach to photographer Walker Evans . His boundless range of interests illuminates his integrative approach and gives credibility to his stylistic diversity. Beat Reader is challenging, inventive and incredibly fun, ”the author sums up. "Vandermark's enduring ensemble is entering the second decade as energetically as it was on their debut."
The critic of the Free Jazz Blog noted that the cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm certainly gives the Vandermark 5 a bit of spice and a change of perspective. The quintet is thus moving more into avant-garde and free improvisation territory, with a touch of chamber jazz, prog rock and even Hendrix- like sounds and creating variations in abundance with many unexpected twists. On “Signposts” both Lonberg-Holm on the cello and Kent Kessler on the bass created a nervous background intoxication with their bows, while Vandermark and Rempis slowly played melancholy tones about the madness of the strings. "Speedplay" is wonderful free bop, according to the author, "high speed, full energy, great fun". A track does not have a unity of style or approach, but rather is broken down into many parts without losing coherence. This is probably one of the strongest compositional strengths of Vandermark: structuring carefully with strong melodic lines while leaving the freedom to act, integrate many things, and create something new. "A captivating, surprising, intense album."
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Stylistic classification according to discogs
- ↑ Stylistic classification according to Allmusic
- ^ A b Troy Collins: Vandermark 5: Beat Reader. All About Jazz, January 23, 2008, accessed June 22, 2020 .
- ↑ Beat Reader at Discogs
- ↑ Vandermark 5 Beat Reader (2LP) at Discogs
- ^ Review of the album at Allmusic (English). Retrieved April 1, 2020.
- ^ The Vandermark 5: Beat Reader. Free Jazz Blog, January 25, 2008, accessed June 22, 2020 .