Four innovative and creative pianists performing solo at the Western Front between 1985 and 2015--Anthony Davis, Paul Plimley, Al Neil, John Kameel Farah--compiled on this extraordinary LP, the 2nd essential archive from one of Canada's most important performance spaces.
"Second in a series of archival releases, this album represents the work of four innovative pianists that performed at the Western Front between 1985 and 2015. The record features archival performances from the legendary Anthony Davis and Vancouver renegade Al Neil from 1985's PIANO series, as well as a Paul Plimley performance from the 1989 Vancouver du Maurier International Jazz Festival. Side B includes two pieces from Toronto composer John Kameel Farah, developed and performed during his 2015 compositional residency at the Western Front.
BIOGRAPHIES:
Perennially traversing the boundaries of jazz and classical music, Anthony Davis has charted his own path to become a major voice in American contemporary music. Renowned internationally as a composer, educator and jazz pianist, he soared to critical acclaim as a virtuoso soloist in the 1970s. Today, Davis is known as an award- winning composer of operatic works and film scores. Recognized as a "National Treasure" for his pioneering work in opera including X: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MALCOLM X (1986). His most recent work, Lear on the 2nd Floor (2013) reimagines Shakespeare's most enduring protagonist.
Since 1975, Paul Plimley has been advancing the fields of composition and improvisation along a continuum of American and European music traditions. With a stylistic range that moves from explosiveness to introspection, Plimley's kinetic energy has made for remarkable collaborations with numerous celebrated musicians.
Al Neil's work in music is the beginning and the core of his artistic practice. In the 1950s he helped open The Cellar, Vancouver's first experimental jazz club. In the early 1960s his group, the Al Neil Trio, produced some of the most inventive work of its time, influencing the future of Vancouver's creative music scene.
Toronto pianist, composer and improviser John Kameel Farah occupies an expansive musical landscape, weaving together baroque motifs with Middle-Eastern modes and ambient minimalism. His solo performances exist between the worlds of the concert pianist and the electronic producer, exploring a range of musical sensibilities from Bach to Schoenberg and electronic music.
"This compilation album highlights extraordinary presentations of technical facility, compositional artistry and improvisatory savoir-faire on piano -with results that are stunningly original and personal." -Dana Reason, Ph.D