The Squid's Ear Magazine


Lisbon String Trio with Blaise Siwula : K'ampokol Che K'aay (Creative Sources)

One of the most active albums from the set of Lisbon String Trio (plus one) albums released in 2017, saxophonist Blaise Siwula brings a unique virtuosity to this live album from Galeria Monumental in Lisbon, prompting at times a chamber jazz feeling, alongside very free improvisation with impressive transitions from spacious to highly detailed playing.
 

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Personnel:



Ernesto Rodrigues-viola

Miguel Mira-cello

Alvaro Rosso-double bass

Blaise Siwula-clarinet


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UPC: 5609063404531

Label: Creative Sources
Catalog ID: cs453
Squidco Product Code: 24275

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2017
Country: Portugal
Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold
Recorded live at Galeria Monumental, Lisbon, Portugal, on March 13th, 2017, by Carlos Santos.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"Two days after recording Proletariat, the Lisbon String Trio was joined by Blaise Siwula to record K'Ampokol Che K'Aay (also live): The title is Mayan, and indicates the "song" of a particular tree or shrub in the same large biological "order" as coffee. I don't know its significance (although it seems to be translated generically as "wood" in some sources), but such a title would seem to invoke Siwula's Mérida Encuentro series. (The second volume, Songs of Deception, was discussed here in July 2016.)

Like most Creative Sources releases, K'Ampokol Che K'Aay doesn't have a textual discussion included, but Siwula adds a few remarks on his site(s): He suggests that it consists of "sounds from nature in a dance of light" & "natural twists of wind." Although not mentioned by Siwula, such naturism is allied to classical technique, such that one might even speak of a Romantic sweep, of a series of tone poems. The tapestry includes emergent traditional gestures, both European & American, and once again a bit of traffic as well. Indeed, one wonders (as in a recent entry) whether some of the gestures, both from clarinet & strings, derive from the basic mechanics of the instruments themselves: This is undeniably true, but the conjuring of idiom per se also seems to arise from instrumental configuration, sometimes without intent.

That said, the playing is highly virtuosic throughout, with the musicians showing plenty of "straight" technique behind their more experimental timbral explorations: Indeed, the Lisbon String Trio tends more toward traditional string virtuosity than many of Rodrigues's ensembles. (Of course, one might also think of the title, translated as "wood music," as indicating their instruments.) Beyond that, Siwula's description of his first Creative Sources album - the duo Waterscapes, recorded in New York in 2016 with guitarist Jorge Nuno - seems apt as well, noting as it does a "constant shift from foreground to background." The tapestry metaphor seems particularly worthwhile here, as K'Ampokol Che K'Aay does not exhibit a particular moment of coming together (in consciousness or otherwise), or much of the "gallop" noted in the previous entry: It maintains a "chamber music" feel, with ideas weaving in & out quickly, and with the different tracks marking new starting points.

The first track starts very quietly - thus invoking a bit of my usual fear that such music will be quieter than my own environment - but emerges strongly by the two minute mark, and yields a piece in which so much occurs that it seems almost symphonic on its own. (It's amazing how much happens in this one fifteen minute track.) This seems to be something of a characteristic of Siwula - who was first mentioned in this space back in September 2014 - as his trio album Tesla Coils also opens with its longest track, a forceful introduction & interrogation of what's to follow, almost a summary in reverse. Although Siwula plays saxophones on Tesla Coils, and the album is otherwise electronic (including the guitar), there's a familiarity that emerges from his approach, and indeed a similar density & speed. (The fineness of the resulting cloth is obviously something I appreciate.)

The result is surprisingly sophisticated when it comes to relating Siwula's brand of Americanism with that coming out of Lisbon these days. Even the slower moments retain a sense of drama & tension, amid constantly shifting harmonies & foreground-background motions - perhaps "meandering" in the terms of the previous entry, and in this case (at least per Siwula) evoking wind. K'Ampokol Che K'Aay does leave one listening to the environment in its wake - a sometimes-awesome "awareness" effect of some of these albums - but it's not really environmental (or traditional) music: This is music music, about tones & intervals & rhythms & timbres & tempos, etc. (It's informed by serialism.) And so ultimately it's also about human mediation & relation per se."-Todd McComb's Jazz Thoughts


Artist Biographies

"He has been playing the violin for 30 years and in that time has played all genres of music ranging from contemporary music to free jazz and improvised music, live and in the studio.

His main interest shifted towards contemporary improvised and composed music.

The relationship with his instruments is focused in sonic and textural elements.

Electronic music was an early influence on his approach to violin playing, which challenges traditional romantic concepts of the violin/viola through use of preparations and micro tuning.

Active in different settings on the Portuguese scene for free improvised music, both as a collaborator and in leading his own groups.

Music for Dance, Cinema, Video and Performance.

Has created the record label Creative Sources Recordings in 1999, which mainly concentrates on releasing experimental and electro-acoustic music."

-Creative Sources (http://creativesourcesrec.com/creative_artists.html)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Born in 1958, studying guitar at the Academy of Music Amateurs, in the 70s, with Prof. Nagy. In the late 70 studying bass at the Hot Club, in the early '80s, with Prof. Zé Eduardo.

"Intrigue and permanent and persistent unease with stringed instruments, jazz and improvisation itself. During the last forty years, in concert, in private or in the studio, I had the honor of having played and learned (chronologically) Nuno Grande, Armindo Neves, Emilio Robalo, Celso Carvalho, António Ferro, Arthur Costa, Ze Bitch John Vinegar, John Lucas, Francisco Medina, Abdul moimeme, Rashiim Ausar Sahu, Patrick Brennan, Rodrigo Amado, Scott Fields, Francisco Trindade, Ernesto Rodrigues, Harvey Sorgen and Joe Giardullo.

Today, honor me play (and perpetuate my restlessness) with Rodrigo Amado, Abdul moimeme, John Lucas, Joseph Bruno Parrinha, John Parrinha, João Pedro Viegas, Alipio Carvalho Neto, Gabriel Ferrandini, Ernesto Rodrigues, Armando Gonçalves Pereira, Hernani Faustino, Rodrigo Pinheiro, Zé Lencastre, Louis Desirat, Peter Castello Lopes, Luís Lopes, Luís Vicente, Philip Sousa, Pedro Roxo, Johannes Krieger, George Lamprey, Marcello Maggi, Paulo Curado, Diogo Leal, D' Incise, Virginia and Eduardo Chagas. With some of my friends. I share my musical day in broader bands or ensembles, with other I highlight specific musical encounters and they are my entire curriculum." "

-JACC Records (http://www.jacc-records.com/en/musicians/miguel-mira)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

Alvaro Rosso is a Portuguese double bassist, a member of Variable Geometry Orchestra, ZMVR 4tet, Orgonite, Croniques 3, and String Theory.

-Squidco 3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Blaise Siwula. Born 02-19-1950 in Detroit, MI.

I have been involved with the arts for most of my life. I began studying the alto sax at the age of 14 in middle school and have been playing/ studying in varying capacities since.

After periodic explorations of drama, poetry, architecture, visual art, a B.F.A. and a M.F.A. and a stint in Europe, I arrived in NYC in 1989 with my family and an alto sax.In the past 26 years I have been actively involved with the NYC Improv Scene: Amica Bunker, the Improvisers Collective and most recently the C.O.M.A. series at ABC No-Rio since 1998.

As a composer I have incorporated traditional musical scoring techniques with visual/graphical and performance oriented presentations and a simple philosophy- sound and vision are inter-related in life and art resulting in communication.

As a performer I have been honored to perform in a number of states in the USA and Canada as well countries such as Great Britain, Holland, Switzerland, Germany, Romania, Poland, Croatia, Morocco, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, The Philippines, Portugal, Mexico, Slovenia, Denmark, South Korea and Austria.

Although primarily an alto saxophonist I play a number of reed, flute, percussion and string instruments at varying degrees of competency per composition requirements and recently began including computer altered sound files in performance as background for improvisation.Currently my instruments of choice are:Alto, Tenor & Soprano SaxophonesBb Clarinet, Eb Alto Cl & Bb Bass Cl

This has resulted in my performing and collaborating with an extreme variety of types of improvised musicians including...

David Haney, Guitarist Sten Hostfalt Saulo Ferreira, Danny Martin, Paul LeGrande & Stuart King, Doug Walker's Alien PlanetscapesCecil Taylor's Ptonagas Microtone composer and guitaristJohn Gilbert William Hooker's Ensembles, Judy Dunaway's Balloon TrioRowe Siwula Miano Trio Dialing Privileges Trio w. Dom Minasi & John Bollinger BCJ Trio with Chris Welcome & John McCellan A + B2 with Robert Marsh Market Street Jazz w. Ken Simon, Hal Onserud, Karen Borca & Jackson Krall Dagaz Trio w. William Parker & Michael Evans BE Duet w. Evan Gallagher Tan Dun Katsuyuki Itakura - "Big Hearts" and now "New York Encuentro" Michael Khoury The Improvisors Collective (NYC), Glass Factory w. Donald Miller, Duet with Ravi Padmanabha, The B & B Duet w. Bob Meyer Erie Nites w. Robyn Siwula, HSM w. Gary Hassay & Toshi Makihara, Trio with Eyal Maoz & Dale Miller, The Jeff Platz Ensemble Joseph Scianni, Jeffrey Hayden Shurdut Music in the Foreground w. Ge-Suk Yeo, the Slam trio w. Adam Lane & Toshi Makihara, The Lower Eastside Social Club w. Matty Paris, Gregory Wildes, Christobal Jacques and Drew Gardner, Expositions of Freedom Now! w. Vattel Cherry & Jeff Arnal, MAMBO MANTIS w. Bonnie Kane, Chris Welcome & Ray Sage, Guitarist Carsten Radtke

I have been honored also to work with these musicians and composers - Peter Kowald, John Fischer, Perry Robinson, Newman Taylor Baker, John Voigt, Wilber Morris Clare De Brunner, Joseph Daly, Vincent Chancey, Christoph Irmer, Maria de Alvear, Theo Jorgesmann, Ralff Schussel, Hans Tammen, Killick, Phillip Lang, Tini Hagler, Michael Zerang, Fred Lomberg Holmes, Stan Nishimura, Nils Gerod, Jesse Henry, Louis Barnes, Mark Hennen, Rashid Bakar, Pelthead, Fly, Frank Keeley, Christian Begemann, Pieter Prije, Olaf Rupp, Harri Sjorstrom, Richard Keene, Tor Snyder, Bob Littman, Matt Weston, Eric Zinman, Glynnis Lomon, Tatsuya Nakatani, Dominic Duval, Jay Rosen, Heiner Metzger, Hans Schüttler, Likas Ligeti, Sarah Weaver, James Ilgenfritz, Motoko Shimizu, Ed Chang, Brian Osborne, Raoul Björkenheim, Sei Mguel, Fala Mariam, Margarida Garcia, Manuel Mota, Ernesto Rodrigues, Guilherme Rodrigues, Moe Staiano, Hill Greene, Joe McPhee, Daniel Carter, Christopher Forbes, Bern Nix, Paul Hession, Francois Grillot, Yuki Saga, Ryusaku Ikezawa, Jiro Shoda, Syd Smart, Mario Rechtern, Jacques Nobili, Hannes Schweiger, Hermann Stangassinger, John Edwards, Mick Beck, Paul Moore, Mike Fortune, Kit Demos, Gary Wallen, Django Carranza, Brian Groder, Jordon Schranz, Mike Pride, Alan Wilkinson

-Blaise Siwula Website (http://www.blaisesiwula.com/bio/)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



1. Untitled 15:15

2. Untitled 7:23

3. Untitled 14:58

4. Untitled 6:38

5. Untitled 5:09

Related Categories of Interest:


Creative Sources
Improvised Music
Free Improvisation
European Improvisation, Composition and Experimental Forms
NY Downtown & Metropolitan Jazz/Improv
Trio Recordings
Quartet Recordings
Staff Picks & Recommended Items
Chamber Jazz

Search for other titles on the label:
Creative Sources.


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