John Vanore & Abstract Truth: Easter Island Suite

The first and last movements of Philadelphia-based trumpeter and composer John Vanore's epic Easter Island Suite were recorded thirty-five years apart, in 1989 and 2024, which says a lot about his determination to shepherd the ambitious enterprise to its conclusion. Movements 2 and 3 of the picturesque Suite were recorded in 2012.

Even today, some three hundred years after it was first seen by Western eyes in the form of Dutch explorers led by Jacob Roggeveen, Easter Island, located near the coast of Chile, remains for the most part a baffling and mysterious place. There are about one thousand mammoth moai (statues) on the island, the largest of which is 32 feet tall and weighs about 82 tons. They were apparently built and carved by the island's earliest inhabitants, the Rapu Nui, although no one yet knows how they were able to do it.

Vanore first envisioned the Suite in 1984 after wondering what the loneliest place on earth must be, and looking toward Easter Island as the answer. He started writing the piece that year, and the first movement, "Discovery," was recorded five years later and presented on Blue Route (Acoustical Concepts, 2013), the debut album by Vanore's working ensemble, Abstract Truth. Mindful that there was more to say, Vanore kept working on the Suite, and after relaunching Abstract Truth in 2009 after a fourteen-year hiatus, recorded the second and third movements, "Gods & Devils" and "The Secret Caves," three years later. A dozen years passed before the fourth and final movement, "Rano Raraku," was recorded in June 2024.

The music is clearly thematic, with a dark sense of mystery present in every movement. "The whole idea was to take you to the island," Vanore writes, starting with the intense and intriguing "Discovery," which musically depicts the wonder of coming ashore and seeing the island for the first time. The rhythm section (pianist Ron Thomas, bassist Craig Thomas, drummer Joe Nero) leads the way, setting the stage for an extended solo by tenor saxophonist Mike Falcone and exhilarating passages by the thirteen-member ensemble.

The fast-paced "Gods & Devils" is suitably strong and at times chaotic, with the ensemble opening the door for tenor Bob Howell (whose solo is earnest but uneven) and Vanore's adventurous trumpet before ending it with a thunderous roar. Brian Landrus' bass clarinet and Larry Toft's trombone usher in the cryptic "Sacred Caves," with further atmospheric solos by Michael Mee (flute) and bassist Craig Thomas (waterphone), neither of which excites the ears or quickens the senses. The last movement, "Rano Raraku," is named for the volcano whose stone was quarried to create the massive Easter Island statues. The tempo is slow, the images discordant, as though awaiting an eruption, which never occurs, leaving a lonely and empty feeling as the Suite limps to its conclusion—which may be precisely what Vanore had in mind.

Considering the time and work that went into its creation, Vanore's Easter Island Suite isn't quite as panoramic and breathtaking as one might have envisioned. On the other hand, it has more than enough bright and pleasurable moments to earn the consideration of open-minded and perceptive listeners.

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