By Matty Bannond
A poem about the transience of modern life is the muse for the second
episode in this two-part series from 577 Records.
Shine Hear Volume 1
(review
here)was characterized by urgency and raised tempers. But things are
much calmer on Volume 2. It’s a more contented release with a
soothing spirit, where warm-whispered kindnesses prevail over primal
screaming.
Daniel Carter wrote the poetry that inspires both three-track
Shine Hear
albums. Alongside his saxophone, he also offers flute and trumpet this time
around. Leo Genovese sticks to the piano, while William Parker contributes
double bass and shakuhachi (an end-blown bamboo flute from Japan).
Francisco Mela plays drums and adds traditional Cuban vocalizations.
Those vocals shape the early stages of “Sentimental Moments”. The coarse
quality of Mela’s voice conveys anguish even when singing during gentle
sections of the track. Rippling trills from piano lend a sense of
nervousness to most of the eleven-minute improvisation, but the saxophone’s
cream-and-aloe-vera tone keeps the lid on the pot before a gorgeously
restorative two-minute ending.
Mela also kicks things off for “Vida Mia”. This time his percussive skills
are out in front, while a second vocalist is somewhere in the mix too.
Again, Carter’s saxophone is fulsome and friendly. Parker hoots through his
shakuhachi. The mood is serene, with noodly passages that lovingly quote
fragments of old-time ballads.
A cymbal-driven swing rhythm launches the final track. “Oh Yeah T’ Be
Blessed” features the record’s most peaceful, playful material. It has a
deeply satisfied feeling. This is well-fed music in an armchair by the
hearth. Some agitation arrives later in the piece before the band sinks to
an exhausted finish.
Shine Hear Volume 2lets listeners see the softer side of these four
high-profile improvisers. It’s an album played with patience and packed
with compassion. While modern life may be transient, as Carter’s poem
suggests, it’s clearly still possible to investigate depths of meaning
beneath the fleeting day-to-day mayhem.
The album is available on CD and as a digital download here
.
About the Author
Matty Bannond is a 39-year-old fiction writer and music writer. He was
born and raised near Manchester, UK. He now lives in Germany. Twitter:
@MattyBannond