Melford, Myra Extended Ensemble

Even the Sounds Shine

Label: Hatology Country: Switzerland

"The music was recorded about halfway through a three week tour in Europe April/May 1994. We recorded two nighs and one afternoon at the same venue in Wuppertal. In putting the project together I was interested in building on what had been established with my trio, the familiarity we had with my music and with each other's playing. By adding horns to the grop, I was looking to expand the sonic and structural possibilities while still exploring the uses of improvisation to develop written material. This was especially true in the new pieces which are a series (or string) of musical episodes woven together through improvisation"-Myra Melford, from the liner notes

This release from Myra Melford 's first Extended Ensemble tour -- trumpeter Dave Douglas and saxophonist Marty Ehrlich were added to a trio which included bassist Lindsey Horner and drummer Reggie Nicholson -- is revealing in that it displays more than any of her other recordings; she's charting her own development while in transition. Of the five pieces here, two, 'That The Peace,' and 'Evening Might Still' were written purposely for the trio plus horns; they score in lots of room for improvisation and dynamic while being closely arranged. Of the others which were written for the trio and expanded upon, the 'La Mezquita Suite,' which encompasses four different compositions, explores how many pairings and trios can exist inside them. There is plenty of room for soloing, but it is interesting to note how Melford 's own role changes from one movement to the next. The title composition is an exercise in both the interplay of sonorities and in how, in various intervals, one instrument, when shaded by others, can take on an entirely different persona. In all, Even The Sounds Shine is a beautifully guided tour through Melford 's musical psyche of the time. Possibilities and problems present themselves with startling regularity and are either resolved, transmuted, or abandoned. This is exhilarating listening, and a historical look at Melford 's development as a composer as she moved from her trio setting into something more dimensional and challenging."-Thom Jurek, All Music Guide