If, in the world of popular music, there has been a song, much less an album, by a prominent musician in opposition to the genocide currently taking place in Gaza, this listener is unaware of it (and a search using various parameters yields nothing as of mid-April). It's rare enough among the outer fringes of contemporary music; Lucio Capece has been organizing concerts along these lines in Berlin and I'm sure there are others. The recording at hand stands front and center in this regard, subtitled, 'A Large Instigation for Palestine'. The notes enclosed further make this explicit and all proceeds from the sale of this item will go to support UNRWA in Gaza. The recording, of a live event, consists of three pieces by a seventeen-strong ensemble, composed and directed by bassist Clayton Thomas.
It's safe to say that if the listener encountered this session without the above knowledge, there's really no way to ascertain that it's even a general comment on war, brutality, imperialism, etc., much less the particular situation in Gaza. Not only are there (perhaps happily) no variations on Palestinian folk songs or even Middle Eastern music generally, but, at least to this listener, there's no programmatic sense of struggle, fear, oppression, what have you; it's not an updating of the Liberation Music Orchestra. This is all well and good, though given the textual context, it goes somewhat against expectations. Again, fine, if the music stands on its own, which is hit and miss.
I believe the ensemble is made up, by and large, of Australian musicians and the instrumental range is fairly "standard": reeds, brass, strings, percussion, piano.There are three relatively lengthy tracks, whose composition is credited (on the bandcamp site, not the physical release) to Thomas, who is also credited with "direction". In fact, the resultant music sounds somewhat akin to Butch Morris's conductions of the late 80s and 90s. 'Over Land Under Fire' begins, in perhaps a nod to a much earlier political work, with a bass and viola duet that brings to mind Charlie Haden's 'Song for Che'; whether or not intentional, it's a striking several minutes. From thereon, it's a gradual swell both in volume and complication as more instruments enter. But that's pretty much the story; at given moments that blending can be routine or interesting. Arguably, the reed lines heard some ten minutes in possess something of a wailing, sorrowful character that could be read as an evocation of the current tragedy though, again, without the accompanying text, I'm not sure that would have registered. Various groupings emerge including a not-too-engaging drum solo and a better feature for piano over brooding reeds and arco strings, bringing to mind Barry Guy's large ensemble work of the 90s. There's an inevitable build-up to mass volume and chaos before an abrupt ending. Overall, it has its moments but also drags on a bit and follows a tried-and-true path that's somewhat wanting.
'Blurred Bodies' starts as a semi-quiet rustle, rattling percussion buttressed by soft organ swells, occasionally enhanced by soprano sax (a crying child?), piano or guitar lines. The bottom drops out midway through, leaving those instruments continuing their lines, perhaps forlornly. Matters coalesce as, once again, the group advances toward that culminating crescendo, here led by a charging electric guitar, before things evaporate into the haze. As earlier, the piece is alright though the arc is predictable.
Lastly is 'Ceased, Fire', my favorite track. It opens with a lovely, somber dirge, beautifully arranged, very deep. It splinters a bit, shimmering slightly, light percussion entering, then disappears at just the right point. Entrancing.
Some high points then, and for a good cause. I'm curious to hear more large-scale operations from Thomas, either with grater concision or...more chaos.
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