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Brian Carpenter’s Ghost Train Orchestra: Book of Rhapsodies

By Vincenzo Roggero
March 11, 2014
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Prendete la musica di quattro formazioni operanti nella fervida scena musicale americana degli anni Trenta e Quaranta, un ensemble di undici musicisti tra cui spiccano i nomi del leader Brian Carpenter’s Ghost Train Orchestra, del sassofonista Andy Laster, del trombonista Curtis Hasselbring, un gruppo vocale di sei elementi, prestate attenzione al titolo e avrete un'idea della musica contenuta in Book of Rapsodies.

Autori già allora impegnati in una ricerca lessicale e semantica che allargasse i confini più tradizionali del jazz accostandosi più o meno apertamente alla musica classica e ad espressioni musicali altre, Alec Wilder, John Kirby, Raymond Scott e Reginald Foresyte trovano in questa formazione un'ideale ponte attraverso i decenni che li immerge pienamente e con pertinenza nella contemporaneità.

Carpenter sceglie la strada di un approccio rispettoso, quasi riverente in modo da esaltare attraverso arrangiamenti sfavillanti la bellezza intrinseca delle composizioni. E arricchisce il tutto con intuizioni—la chitarra elettrica di Avi Bortnick vicina alle sonorità di Dick Dale la più appariscente—che impreziosiscono ulteriormente un bel lavoro nel quale ricerca filologica e sensibilità interpretativa si incontrano magnificamente.

Track Listing

Charlie's Prelude; Beethoven Riffs On; Volcanic (Eruption for Orchestra); Dance Man Buys a Farm; At an Arabian House Party; It's Silk. Feel It!; Dawn on the Desert; Happy Farmer; Revolt of the Yes Men; Children Met the Train; Her Old Man Was (at Times) Suspicious; Celebration on the Planet Mars.

Personnel

Brian Carpenter’s Ghost Train Orchestra

band / ensemble / orchestra

Brian Carpenter: voce, tromba, tromba a coulisse; Andy Laster: flauto, sax alto; Dennis Lichtman: clarinetto; Petr Cancura: clarinetto, sax tenore; Curtis Hasselbring: trombone; Ron Caswell: tuba; Mazz Swift: violino; Tanya Kalmanovitch: viola; Avi Bortnick: chitarra; Michael Bates: contrabbasso; Rob Garcia: batteria; Brandon Seabrook: banjo (8); Matt Samolis: flauto (9, 10); Book of Rhapsodies Choir: Brian Carpneter: soprano; Yolanda Scott: soprano; Katie Seiler: mezzo soprano; Tomás Cruz: tenore; Mazz Swift: alto; Joe Chappell: basso.

Album information

Title: Book of Rhapsodies | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Accurate Records

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Instrument: Band / ensemble / orchestra

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