Michael Mantler - Review
ARTIST.....: Michael Mantler
TITLE......: Review
LABEL......: ECM
URL........: http://www.mantlermusic.com
RIP DATE...: Oct-03-2007
STORE DATE.: Feb-20-2007
GENRE......: Jazz
QUALITY....: VBR / 44.1Hz / Joint-Stereo
SIZE.......: 95,5 MB
Track Listing:
01 - unsaid 01:29
02 - i'm glad you're glad 02:15
03 - one symphony - part 3 04:38
04 - introductions 07:57
05 - love ends 01:24
06 - understanding 05:05
07 - solitudine , lontano , l'illuminata 04:08
rugiada , proverbi
08 - speechless 01:56
09 - folly seeing all this 05:26
10 - pss 01:47
11 - comrade 01:06
12 - a l'abbattoir 02:45
13 - when i run 02:31
14 - alien - part 1 02:55
15 - twenty 05:24
16 - movie two 05:28
17 - sometimes i see people 02:42
18 - the sinking spell 04:47
19 - 13 02:43
20 - number six - part four 02:05
21 - preview 03:30
22 - it makes no difference to me 02:10
─────
74:11 min
Release Notes:
The first anthology of the work of Michael Mantler, ôReviewö
features material chosen by the trumpeter/composer, and draws upon
more than 30 years of recordings for JCOA, WATT and ECM. It is a
powerful album, which traces a unique musical path.
After studying trumpet and musicology in Vienna, Michael Mantler
(born 1943) moved to Boston in 1962 to continue his education at
the Berklee School. Within two years he was living in New York,
playing with Cecil Taylor, and at the heart of new jazz
activities. With Taylor, Bill Dixon, Archie Shepp, Sun Ra, Paul
Bley, John Tchicai and others he was a member of the Jazz
ComposerÆs Guild, and beneath its umbrella founded, with Carla
Bley, the Jazz ComposerÆs Orchestra, the first large ensemble of
its kind. At 25, Mantler wrote extraordinary orchestral frames,
ôto complement, surround, and inspire (but not to control or
restrict) some of the truly great and original improvisers of free
jazzö. On ôPreviewö, from 1968, we hear Pharoah Sanders soloing
explosively in what is certainly one of his most astonishing
performances on record.
With the founding of the WATT label Mantler began bringing non-
æjazzÆ voices into his work, alongside the jazz improvisers, and
also initiated his series of literary settings. Rock singer Jack
Bruce conveys the words of Samuel Beckett, and Don Cherry plays
the trumpet, on ôNumber Sixö from ôNo Answerö, recorded 1973
(based on BeckettÆs ôHow It Isö).
MantlerÆs ô13ö (recorded 1975) featured ôfurther elaboration on
composition for large orchestraö, with ôsome freedom of
interpretation, but no improvisation. The orchestra is the
soloist.ö The excerpt from ô13ö marks the first time this music
has appeared on CD.
ôThe Sinking Spellö is from MantlerÆs much-loved album ôThe
Hapless Childö (recorded1975/6) where the humorously dark stories
of Edward Gorey seem ideally suited to singer Robert WyattÆs
deadpan delivery. And what a band, with Jack DeJohnette, Steve
Swallow, Carla Bley, and Terje Rypdal. A ætimelessÆ performance,
ôThe Sinking Spellö would work as a single today, thirty years
after it was recorded.
Wyatt appears again as one of a strange trio of voices û with
Carla Bley and Kevin Coyne û on ôSometimes I See Peopleö, with
words taken from Harold PinterÆs play ôSilenceö (1976). Jack Bruce
later sung ôWhen I Runö from the ôSilenceö pieces, in the concert
interpretations heard on ôLiveö (1987).
ôMoviesö (1977) was MantlerÆs reckoning with the language of jazz
-rock, its exuberance controlled and focused by the fine, taut
compositions û and by the superb drums of Tony Williams. The small
group context proves a stimulating one for Mantler as trumpeter,
too, and for guitarist Larry Coryell.
Mike Stern was guitarist with Miles DavisÆs band when he
collaborated with Mantler on ôSomething Thereö in 1982, which also
featured the London Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Mike
Gibbs, and the Pink FloydÆs Nick Mason on drums. One of the
largest casts on a Mantler disc was followed by the smallest, the
ôAlienö duo, with ex-Mothers of Invention keyboardist Don Preston
(1985) making resourceful use of synthesizers.
ôMany Have No Speechö (1987), the last of MantlerÆs WATT albums,
intensified the work with text (Meister, Soupault, Beckett) and
language (German, French, English) and added a third striking
voice to those of Jack Bruce and Robert Wyatt: the voice of
Marianne Faithfull. Three pieces from the recording are included û
ôPSSö, an excerpt from ôComradeö and ôA LÆAbbattoirö û with each
of the singers.
ôFolly Seeing All Thisö (1992) û the first of MantlerÆs ECM disc,
ôexploring the string quartet, eventually enlarging it to what
will become the basic instrumentation for most future productions
from now on: the Chamber Music and Songs Ensembleö. The new unit,
based û as Mantler now was, in Copenhagen û was featured on ôSongs
and One Symphonyö (the ôSongsö section recorded in 1993) and
introduced the powerful voice of Mona Larsen, and the guitar of
Bjarne Roup?.
In 1994, the versatile Larsen tackled Giuseppe UngarettiÆs poetry,
in the original Italian, on ôCerco Un Paese Innocenteö, in the
company of the Danish Radio Big Band, and was one of
many strong voices featured on ôThe School of Understanding
ô(1996), described by Mantler as ôSort-of-an-operaö and unique
amongst his compositions inasmuch as he is the author of the
libretto as well as the music.
Improvisation, at a premium in MantlerÆs works through the 1990s,
was banished altogether from ôOne Symphonyö (1998) on which Peter
Rundel sensitively conducted The Radio Symphony Orchestra
Frankfurt.
On ôHide and Seekö (2000), Mantler adapted a short play by Paul
Auster, with the authorÆs approval and encouragement. Robert Wyatt
sings once more, in conversational exchanges with Susi Hyldgaard
which are linked by instrumental pieces.
***
After a lengthy absence from the worldÆs stages û and almost five
years of playing no trumpet at all û Michael Mantler recently
returned to live performance with the Chamber Music and Songs
Ensemble in three days of concerts in his hometown of Vienna, an
event closely monitored by Austrian television, radio and press.
The lesson learned from the concerts is one that the ôReviewö
anthology underlines: this is music built to last, capable of
addressing, most eloquently, a new generation of listeners...
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