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Michael Bates: Acrobat: Music For, And By, Dimitri Shostakovich
ByIt seems, though, that the character of one of the 20th Century's greatest composers was made for a new life in jazz; at least this is what is posited by the extraordinary bassist Michael Bates on Acrobat: Music For, And By, Dimitri Shostakovich. Actually, the composer was celebrated by Keith Jarrett with a legendary recording Dimitri Shostakovich: 24 Preludes and Fugues Op.87. (ECM New Series, 1992). In that recording Jarrett took what is probably the second most famous section in Shostakovich's oeuvre and interpreted them in his stately manner. Bates, however takes inspiration from the entire Shostakovich book and re-imagines it. So there are hints from Shostakovich's music for small ensembles as well as his sweeping symphonic work. And everywhere there is evidence that the bassist understands the essence of the Russian's style, one that combines the three strands of "high-spirited humor, introspective meditation and declamatory grandeur," as espoused by the ethnomusicologist, Boris Schwarz.
The spectacular manner in which Bates captures this is particularly noteworthy in his classic re-imagination of "Dance of Death," where both the beauty and grotesqueness of life becomes a spectacular musical reality. The music composer Shostakovich will always be open to greater scrutiny as interpretations may go one way or the other. However, Bates has pierced the skin of the great composer with such precision and extracted his essence with what can only be described as musical forensics. Then, with ingenious use of instrumentation he has recreated the proverbial sonic assault of Shostakovich in a truly inspired manner. Inspiration comes in the form of instrumentation, and chief among these is clarinetist Chris Speed, who animates characters and situations with a majesty all his own. There is also keyboardist Russ Lossing's Fender Rhodes, which has not been played with so much creativity and ingenuity since Chick Corea employed it in his seminal electric ensembles decades ago. And finally there is Bates, who masterminds everything with sheer genius.
Track Listing
Dance Of Death; Talking Bird; Strong Arm; Some Wounds; Fugitive Pieces; Silent Witness; The Given Day; Yurodivy; Arcangela.
Personnel
Michael Bates
bassChris Speed: saxophone, clarinet; Russ Johnson: trumpet; Russ Lossing: piano, Fender Rhodes; Tom Rainey: drums; Michael Bates: double bass.
Album information
Title: Acrobat: Music For, And By, Dimitri Shostakovich | Year Released: 2012 | Record Label: Sunnyside Records