Steve Swallow/Ohad Talmor Sextet

Steve Swallow/Ohad Talmor Sextet: L'Histoire du Clochard (The Bum's Tale)

by Ty Cumbie
August 23, 2004

Steve Swallow's music for the new L'Histoire du Clochard is mostly soft watercolor, ranging from subtle pastels to more complex, light shades, but nothing much stronger. Writing for brass, reeds and strings, Swallow shows off his mastery of harmony here, but doesn't try to leave us with any infectious melodies. He's more interested in putting us in a certain mood than getting us to tap our feet or whistle a snatch of a tune later. The absence of drums helps ...