Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Kevin Clark: Once Upon A Song I Flew

126

Kevin Clark: Once Upon A Song I Flew

By

Sign in to view read count
Kevin Clark: Once Upon A Song I Flew
So-called "world jazz" never found as international a traveler as Kevin Clark. His independently- released record Once Upon A Song I Flew takes its title to heart in both transcontinental and transcendental senses. Clark left South Africa three decades ago for New Zealand, but he never abandoned his roots. In the interim, he has traveled and absorbed styles from South America and the Caribbean. All that translates into a gentle marriage between discovery and tradition, realized here on this (mostly) quintet (mostly) acoustic (mostly) jazz set.

All that mostly business refers to the open-ended nature of the project. Clark plays piano, flugelhorn, and trumpet, so his voice is not always easy to pin down. The rest of his core crew— apparently Kiwis—includes drummer Maurice Philips, saxophonist Colin Hemmingsen, percussionist Lance Philip, and either electric bassist Tim Robertson or acoustic bassist Paul Dyne. While the jazz side of the record tends toward a warm, soft-edged bop, it has its moments of intensity as well.

"Township Talk" most directly illustrates the South African influence, realized through the bouncy cyclical harmonies of so-called "township jazz" or mbaqanga. The piece takes advantage of a lilting soprano melody and regular returns to the upbeat refrain. Clark implies a non-linear rhythmic edge through his blocky chording, reinforced by Philip's oblique, Cuban-inspired accents. "Samba de Praia" delves into the Brazilian side of the diaspora, riding lightly over cymbal and bell rhythms. Without pretense or ambition, the samba brings cultures together quite elegantly.

Other tunes include the meditative, neoclassical "Raganometry" (aptly named, given its sound and Eastern instrumentation); a couple of straight-ahead jazz tunes ("Scroggin's Waltz" and the title track, which adds vocalist Robin McLennan to marginal benefit); plus excursions into Celtic, Caribbean, and Arabic traditions. But from the beginning to the end, South Africa remains the dominant inspiration in tone, style, and instrumentation. (Listen for the traditional pennywhistle sound on "Kapiti Kwela," for example.)

Despite the fact that Once Upon A Song I Flew never made it onto an official record label, the Kiwis are still very excited about it—the record won this year's New Zealand Jazz Music Award. That is but a parenthetical reason to check out one man's truly global vision, realized with the help of a vibrant and sympathetic group of like-minded artists.

Contact: Kevin Clark, Tel(04)233 8202, 56 Steyne Avenue, Plimmerton, New Zealand. Email: [email protected].
This disc is available from Smoke CDs on the web.

Track Listing

A Night in Okavango; Samba de Praia; Sapkamma; Township Talk; Raganometry; Scroggin's Waltz; Once Upon A Song I Flew; Egoli Jump; Celticrocity; Kapiti Kwela; Under the Southern Cross; The Tararua Camelbacks; Sikelele uMandela.

Personnel

Kevin Clark: piano, flugelhorn, and trumpet; Maurice Philips: drums; Paul Dyne: acoustic bass (1,2,3,6,7,8); Tim Robertson: electric bass (4,5,9,10,11,12); Colin Hemmingsen: tenor and soprano saxophones, EWI (10); Lance Philip: percussion; Dave Parsons: Indian string instruments (5,12); Robin McLennan: vocal (7); Fran Barton: vocal instrumentation (2,11). Recorded February 2002 at Massey University Conservatorium of Music, Wellington, New Zealand.

Album information

Title: Once Upon A Song I Flew | Year Released: 2003 | Record Label: Self Produced

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Fiesta at Caroga
Afro-Caribbean Jazz Collective
Fellowship
David Gibson
Immense Blue
Olie Brice / Rachel Musson / Mark Sanders

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.