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Ab Baars: And She Speaks - A Collection Of Ballads
ByBaars, along with his partner Ig Henneman, is a central figure in the Dutch jazz improvisation scene, performing in the ICP Orchestra, also in and with members of The Ex and Sonic Youth, Mats Gustafsson, and Ken Vandermark, besides leading his own trio and, of course, performing solo. He is sought out by poets and dancers for a very good reason. He is, is not what you believe an improvising musician to be.
These nine covers, not covers pass almost dreamlike through your ears. Duke Ellington's "Solitude," here "Solitude Cadmium Yellow," could be mistaken for the screamed expletives in St. Patrick's Cathedral that poet Ted Joans described when referring to an Albert Ayler solo. Baars prefers the mash-up to mimicry, although he is not without nostalgic affections. Oscar Levant's "Blame It On My Youth" is given the most gentle passage on clarinet with "Blame It On My Youth Cadmium Red, and so is his dedication to John Carter heard on "And She Speaks Purple Amaranth." If anything, Baars displays a loving kindness here that is in short supply these days.
Track Listing
Saji Deep Saffron; Body And Soul Cerulean Blue; And She Speaks Purple Amaranth; Naima Blue Saphir; Solitude Cadmium Yellow; And The Moon Swam Back; Poor Wheel Persian Blue; We’ll Be Together Again Blue Amber; Blame It On My Youth Cadmium Red.
Personnel
Ab Baars
clarinetAb Baars: tenor saxophone, clarinet, shakuhachi.
Album information
Title: And She Speaks - A Collection Of Ballads | Year Released: 2018 | Record Label: Wig
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