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Dan McCarthy's Epoch and City Abstract on Origin Records
ByCity Abstract is the kind of album that will set the day's good mood and fill heads with melodies to hum to.
Dan McCarthy
Epoch
Origin Records
2019
Six original compositions make up the tranquilly reflective journey that McCarthy and his sidemen on strings take the listener on with Epoch. Tranquil mainly in the sense of relative volume. For Opening "A Dream, Wake" greets the listener with dissonance and discord that seem everything other than calm. Fuzzy, distorted guitar droning is met by fluttering violin brushes and isolated vibraphone melodies experimentalist Monder doesn't hesitate to go full speed on what seems to be a metal guitar riff. As soon as the storm quiets down and merges into "Fugitive Epoch" however, what seemed to be arbitrary by design becomes very carefully constructed interplay between deep bass-pulses and strikingly sad melodies. Violin, guitar and vibes share their roles in equal partsfrom picking up the melody, handing it over to then framing the new leader. Feldman's emotive violin playing digs deep into the percussive register of the instrument while seamlessly gliding through the notes with little forays into the gypsy minor scale. Surprising harmonic shifts combined with soft guitar strokes from Monder let "Softly She Sings Her Song" ring echoes of John Abercrombie while "Strange Medicine on the Desert" shines a light on the patient interplay and careful arrangement between the four. The closing exercise "A Dream, Asleep" confirms that no matter in what state, to McCarthy dreams apparently are quite the roller coaster. An introverted and difficult recording that is all the more rewarding.
Dan Mccarthy
City Abstract
Origin Records
2019
Performed with another quartet, the 6 months later released City Abstract shows McCarthy from his more immediate side. This time around the vibraphonist is joined by fellow Canadian musicians Ted Quinlan on guitar, Pat Collins on bass and Ted Warren on drums. A tribute to Carla Bley as well as Gary Burton, the set is made up of seven originals crafted with their inspiration in mind and the Pat Metheny composition "Midwestern Nights Dream" as well as Keith Jarrett's "Coral." The melodies come bubbling out from guitar and vibes with determination on the opening Bley homage "Bleyto" and set the mood for the record. Collins' walking bass forms a coherent rhythmic partnership with Warren's traditional drumwork while Quinlan and McCarthy trade solos and motifs in a joyful way. Both covers are treated with much attention to detail. The dreamy ballad from Metheny's chef d'oeuvre of a debut album Bright Size Life (ECM, 1976) is interpreted with much respect for the original versionthe vibraphone being a perfect instrument to expand on the atmospheric nature of the tune. The liveliness of "Go beserk" comes as a welcome shift towards a more electric direction and sees Quinlan go full fusion on his distorted guitar tone while the vibraphone's sustain layers the single notes to form a harmonic whole. Drums and bass are given more room to unfold in as the album progresses and demonstrate a patient yet gripping foundation for the melodic voices to flourish inin the quieter ballads such as "Other things of less consequence" or "Utviklingssang" as well as the mid-tempo grooves "Sparrow Lake" or "Thoughts and Reveries." The album couldn't close on a more fitting note than with the bluesy and pop-friendly Gary Burton homage "Desert Roads." City Abstract is the kind of album that will set the day's good mood and fill heads with melodies to hum to.
Tracks and Personnel
Epoch
Tracks: A Dream, Wake; Fugitive Epoch; Softly She Sings Her Song; Desert Entrance; Strange Medicine on the Desert; A Dream, Asleep.
Personnel: Dan McCarthy: Vibraphone; Ben Monder: guitar; Mark Feldman: violin; Steve Swallow: bass.
City Abstract
Tracks: Bleyto (For Carly Bley); Midwestern Nights Dream; Coral; Go Berserk; Sparrow Lake; Other Things Of Less Consequence; Utviklingssang; Thoughts and Reveries; Desert Roads (For Gary Burton).
Personnel: Dan McCarthy: vibraphone; Ted Quinlan: guitar; Pat Collins: bass; Ted Warren: drums.
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About Dan McCarthy
Instrument: Vibraphone
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Multiple Reviews
Dan McCarthy
Friedrich Kunzmann
Steve Swallow
Ben Monder
Mark Feldman
Origin Records
TED QUINLAN
Pat Collins
Ted Warren
carla bley
Gary Burton
pat metheny
Keith Jarret