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Dominic Duval String & Brass Ensemble: American Scrapbook
ByThe opening and closing renditions of “America” serve as somber, but richly textured bookends. Between their borders lies a sonic journey marked by familiar signposts such as the time-immemorial ode to the witching hour “Round Midnight” as well as heated forays into free improvisations such the early duet between Varner and Ulrich on the conspicuously titled “Tomastrom.” On the former piece, the standard’s melancholy hues are brought into bass relief by bucolic brass and slowly swaying arco strings. Shorter pieces evidence less cohesion than the longer ones where the tonal differences (and similarities) between the horns and strings are McPhee sticks solely to cornet, and his prowess on the round-toned bugle begs the question as to why he doesn’t hoist it to pursed lips more often. Duval is the anchor both symbolically and logistically. From behind his rosin-slicked strings he pilots his ship of partners down channels that are at once emotionally revelatory and painful. Varner is particularly adept in this regard and The Spirit Room’s submerging acoustics, at times unusually unforgiving to stringed instruments, are held largely at bay by a combination of strong musicianship and engineer Marc Rusch’s studious attention to the ensemble’s natural dynamics. Calling this music jazz, or any other label for that matter, is at best arbitrary and at worst reductionist. The sounds speak for themselves and through an eloquent gathering of voices reference values and sentiments that we seem dangerously on the verge of forgetting these days.
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Track Listing
America/ Tomastom/
Personnel
Dominic Duval
bassDominic Duval- bass; Jason Hwang- violin; Tomas Ulrich- cello; Tom Varner- French horn; Joe McPhee- cornet; Steve Swell- trombone. Recorded: January 8-10, 2002, Rossie, NY.
Album information
Title: American Scrapbook | Year Released: 2002 | Record Label: CIMP Records