a r t i s t : NOW Orchestra & Marilyn Crispell
t i t l e : POLA
d a t e : 2005
l a b e l : Victo
g e n r e : Jazz
r l s. d a t e : Jul/2007
t r a c k s : 06
b i t r a t e : VBRkbps
s i z e : 71,8 MB
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Now Orchestra - Pola
Victo (2005)
Marilyn Crispell (piano);
Now Orchestra:
Kate Hammett-Vaughan (voice); Bruce Fredman (alto sax); Graham
Ord (tenor and soprano sax, flute); Saul Berson (alto sax,
clarinet, flute); John Korsrud (trompet, bugle); Keven
Elaschuck (trumpet, bugle); Rod Murray (trombone); Brad
Muirhead (bass trombone); Ron Samworth (guitar); Paul Blaney,
Clyde Reed (contrabass); Dylan van der Schyff (drums)
"I regard the NOW Orchestra as one of the finest large
creative ensembles active in the last twenty years. The
combinations of high levels of individual creativity and
virtuosity with a strong sense of collectivity is a rare and
treasured combination that the NOW Orchestra manifests very
strongly." -George Lewis, Earshot Magazine, (Seattle, USA)
The NOW Orchestra is keen on working with guest artists,
either workshop or residence style. Past collaborators have
included Rene Lussier (Le Tour du Bloc) and George Lewis (The
Shadowgraph Series). These previous projects cast the outside
musician/composer as a featured guest. Pola puts Marilyn
Crispell in the role of an integrated guest -- which probably
explains why the album is billed to the NOW Orchestra with
Crispell, and not the other way around, as was the case with
the Lussier and Lewis projects. The grande dame's piano is not
mixed front center; she is not taking one solo after another,
either. She is simply playing with the orchestra, as part of
the orchestra. She also contributes one composition, the
15-minute "Yin Yang," which gives the NOW quite a workout.
High in dynamics, with excellent use of the band's skillful
brass section, the piece is an exhilarating run for your
money. Ron Samworth's "M.C." (a set of initials that should be
easy to solve) is where the pianist is featured the most and
offers another highlight. Artistic director, conductor, and
sax player Coat Cooke penned the other four pieces, including
the punchy three-minute conduction "Pola" and the concluding
"Suffused with Blue Light," a delicate work with recitation by
vocalist Kate Hammett-Vaughan, who is otherwise underused on
this album. Every instrument in this 14-piece big band is
exquisitely recorded and separated, giving all the more
"whoomp" to the massed trumpets and trombones. Some fans of
Crispell will probably feel she deserved a bigger spotlight,
but the NOW Orchestra is always worth a listen, with or
without her. ~ Francois Couture, All Music Guide
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01-pola (Coat Cooke) [03:03]
02-yin yang (Marilyn Crispell) [15:38]
03-march (Coat Cooke) [03:03]
04-mc (Ron Samworth) [12:35]
05-broken dreams (Coat Cooke) [12:17]
06-suffused with blue light (Coat Cooke) [10:36]
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57:12 min