MARC COPLAND
POETIC MOTION SKETCH
Marc Copland - piano
Recorded October 24 & 25, 2001 at Studio La Buissonne, Pernes
les Fontaines.
 Sketch CD SKE
333020
Crotchet |
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1. Second Sight
2. Blackboard
3. Not Going Gently
4. Nevertheless
5. Spartacus Love Theme
6. When We Met
7. Bittersweet Road
8. Dark Territory
9. Naima
All compositions by Marc Copland except "Spartacus" by Alex North
and " Naima" by John Coltrane.
This is an unusual recording of solo piano. The general
atmosphere is dark, brooding and reflective. The concept behind this
release is to portray, in terms of music, a series of poems, some well
known and some a little more obscure. Half of the verses printed on
the liner notes are in French and half in English ( Although why the
Virgil should be in French as it is a translation from the Latin is
not clear) . However, this really does not matter as the music stands
on its own quite adequately without the need to understand the text
from which it is derived. It is perhaps best to regard these poems as
a source of inspiration to the composer rather than treating the whole
as programme music.
Marc Copland is an interesting musician in that he
started his career playing saxophone with the likes of Chico Hamilton,
Ralph Towner and John Abercrombie, experimenting with the electric alto
saxophone. He then became unhappy with his personal direction in music
and took time out to study the piano. He made his comeback in the mid
1980's and has subsequently worked with such as James Moody, Joe Lovano,
Wallace Roney and many others. He has also renewed his musical acquaintance
with Abercrombie. His style is modern, with a certain density in his
chordal usage. At the same time he is capable of wonderful rhythmic
passages featuring a delightfully understated swing. Some of the music
on this disc would not be misplaced on the Wyndham Hill label as it
often conveys a similar mesmeric quality to the one found on many of
that company's releases.
The selections on this recording are mainly of a slow
to medium tempo and display strong yet unexpected harmonic movement
interspersed with restrained melodic passages. Copland has a highly
subtle touch on the piano which he uses to great effect, weighing each
note carefully before placing it into his general synopsis. This is
a disc that is not at all obvious in its impact but is well worth repeated
playing as each time fresh perspectives are audible.
Dick Stafford.
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