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David Friesen: Day Of Rest
ByHis late career productivityand quality of artistryfor Origin Records parallels reedman & composer Henry Threadgill's ongoing stint with Pi Recordings which began in 2001. Like Threadgill, Friesen is a brilliant and somewhat overlooked and uncompromising artist who has followed his muse. His approach is unpretentious and genuine concerning the crafting of his sound.
Post-Testimony Friesen releasedagain, on Origin RecordsPassage (2021), a duo outing with pianist Bob Ravenscroft. With Day of Rest, his second 2021 release for the record label, Friesen presents a solo piano set which is introspective, tranquil, sparely articulated and starkly beautiful.
Though best known as a bassist & composer, Friesen plays piano more than competentlyhe sat at the keyboard, skillfully, in parts of his previously- mentioned Testimony. Bassist Charles Mingus' Mingus Plays Piano (Impulse!,1964) is an apt comparison for Day Of Rest. In terms of technical virtuosity, no-one was running around comparing Mingus to Bill Evans back in the day; and no one will compare Friesen to Keith Jarrett or Brad Mehldau, but both Mingus and Friesen had/have deep personal powers of expression, spirituality and soul music in the marrow of their bonesand the ability to express the emotions of artistic world views on an instrument not considered their number one means of creating sound.
Directness and (relative) simplicity, compassion and an uncluttered pursuit of excellence are the trademarks of the twenty brief tunes presented here. It is an alluring sound, an auditory experience with a spiritual feeling as it presents Friesen's world view, providing peaceful reassurance and understated beauty.
Track Listing
Backward Glance; Day Dream; Goal In Mind; Green Hills Slowly Passing By; Remembering The Moment; Day Of Rest; Distant Shores; Everything We Are; In The Moment; Lovely Lady; Meaningful; Mindful Of Your Tears; My Dance; My Dog Ellie; Place Of Point; Shining Star; Song For Tristan; Time Never Ends; Unfolding; Going Forth.
Personnel
David Friesen
bassAdditional Instrumentation
David Friesen: Ravenscroft Grand Piano.
Album information
Title: Day Of Rest | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: Origin Records