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Bill Gerhardt: Stained Glass
Gerhardt contributes four pieces, with one each from the other three members. Each has its own singular character and sound that carries through both arranged and improvised sections. The longest, most ambitious track is Gerhardt's title original, an episodic piece that adds Ron Horton's trumpet and waterphones (glass, water-filled bowls with xylophone-like bars attached) played by Holstein and another bassist, Mark Reboul, with their bows. (A waterphone is also played, like a vibes, in the theme of Holstein's "Holding Noa.") "Stained Glass" begins with squeals and moans from the waterphones leading to a bouncing melody from the horns and piano that segues into a second melodic strain with a flamenco rhythm. The piano solos over this section and then the horns take off from the melody in different directions in tandem trumpet and sax solos. This fades to a bass solo leading to out choruses extending the original melodic lines from the horns, piano obligati giving way to a closing from the eerie waterphones.
Other highlights include Gerhardt's two mood-and-theme focused pieces, "Paragraph" and "Words," the first processionally repeating the frame of a slowly unfolding melody throughout the improvisations, the second an airy, semi-rubato setting for floating horn solos. Throughout, Gerhardt's architectonic solos contrast with Mommaas' more expressionistic sax, which has a vocal tone ranging from plaintive to querulous.
Track Listing
Visitor; Little Penny; Paragraph; Words; Stained Glass; Video Tapes and Lies; Holding Noa.
Personnel
Bill Gerhardt
pianoBill Gerhardt: piano; Mike Holstein: bass; Tim Horner: drums; Marc Mommaas: tenor sax.
Album information
Title: Stained Glass | Year Released: 2008 | Record Label: SteepleChase Records
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