Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Susie Ibarra Trio: Songbird Suite

142

Susie Ibarra Trio: Songbird Suite

By

Sign in to view read count
Susie Ibarra Trio: Songbird Suite
Songbird Suite offers some of the most direct and heartfelt music you could ever want to hear. Honestly. The depth of these pieces is reflected in just about every aspect of recording. For instance, the very title of the album acts as a unifying theme throughout the individual pieces. Every song seems imbued with bird-like qualities... a spiralling/elliptical rhythm pattern in many of these pieces suggests the wiry sophistication of a warbler; Craig Taborn's piano themes and electronic textures possess a twittering high energy common to a flock of birds roosting in the branches of winter trees; and Jennifer Choi takes her violin for fanciful flights high into the air. There is an air of Cecil Taylor's music invested into these pieces.

Having said that, I think this music is more open and initially inviting than that characterization would suggest. An overall sense of fun, frolic, and playfulness captured by this group allows the listener into the inner workings of each song. This is a very attractive element, and a great way to introduce people to "difficult music."

Susie Ibarra studied percussion with Melford Graves, Vernell Fournier, and Denis Charles, and it's easy to hear the connection she shares with those great musicians. She fully embraces the textural intricacies of Mr. Graves' work in her brush, kit, and cymbal technique. She has a rhythmic precision and dancing quality in her tom and snare work that tips its hat to Mr. Fournier's work with Ahmad Jamal, and she has the drive of Denis Charles. Like any attentive and brilliant student she has taken the insights of her teachers, integrated them into her psyche, and developed her own voice. Her compositions and playing on this album are brilliant.

These compositions move freely between the worlds of modern classical, musique concrete, free jazz, new music, and oddly enough... ancient Greek music. An underlying discipline to this album is reminiscent of Sun Ra's smaller ensemble work. There is a sense that we are being invited into heretofore unknown worlds. The first piece moves and swings with angular piano lines that twist and shake, staccato violin, and fluid percussion. The second piece explores the modern-day implications of a tone poem...absolutely beautiful and thoroughly modern. The third piece is a jungle filled with tropical birds and filtered sunlight. The fourth piece is chamber music for Salvador Dali's parlor. The fifth piece is a duet between Ibarra and special guest Ikue Mori playing her laptop computer.

Rather than offering more colorful descriptions of her work here, I'll simply state that Ms. Ibarra and company have created a masterpiece of modern music. This album is one of my 2002 top ten.

Visit Tzadik at: http://www.tzadik.com

Track Listing

1. Azul 2.Songbird Suite 3.Trance No.1 4. Illumination 5. Trance No.2 6. Flower After Flower 7.Nocturne 8. Trance No.3 9. Passing Clouds

Personnel

Susie Ibarra
percussion

Jennifer Choi-violin Craig Taborn-piano, samples, electronics Susie Ibarra-drums Ikue Mori-laptop computer (tracks 5,6,8)

Album information

Title: Songbird Suite | Year Released: 2003 | Record Label: Tzadik

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Sensual
Rachel Z
Over and Over
Tony Monaco Trio

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.