1. Since Forever
2. No War Nowhere
3. Even in the Evening
4. I Know You Know
5. In a Silent Way
6. More Often than Not
7. Simple Psalm
8. Same Difference
9. Ways of Seeing
10. What's the Magic Word?
11. Song of the Sea
12. Beginning / Middle / End
Fred Simon - Piano
Paul McCandless - Soprano sax, oboe, English horn, bass clarinet,
duduk
Steve Rodby - Acoustic bass
Mark Walker - Drums, percussion
There is a style of jazz typified by the group Oregon which is far
away from extrovert jazz, trad groups or foot-tapping big bands. It
might be categorised as "chamber jazz", although this may
give the wrong impression of a cold, detached music. In fact Fred
Simon here produces music which is warmly emotional without being
noisy or flashy.
The comparison with Oregon is apt, as the album also includes multi-instrumentalist
Paul McCandless - a long-time member of Oregon - as well as drummer
Mark Walker, who has played with that group. The bassist (and co-producer
with Fred) is Steve Rodby, familiar from his work with Pat Metheny,
which is another assurance of melodic music.
All the tunes are compositions by pianist Fred Simon - except for
Joe Zawinul's In a Silent Way, which is a tune that seems to
slip through my fingers whenever I try to grasp it. The opening title-track
is dedicated to folk singer Pete Seeger: "the great musician
and humanist", says Simon. The tune sets the mood for an album
which is steadily effective despite its understatement. Paul McCandless
is instrumental (in more ways than one) in this success: interpreting
Simon's inventions on a variety of instruments, most notably the oboe.
And Simon's compositions all have a placid melodic appeal which repays
repeated listening.
I won't describe every track in detail, as you should buy the album
for yourself! But I particularly like the buoyancy of No War Nowhere
and the airiness of More Often Than Not. In any case, the mood
of the music is fairly consistent throughout: unhurried, tranquil,
with the sort of imperturbable atmosphere that can often be found
in the work of such composers as Delius and Vaughan Williams. Some
listeners may dismiss it as bland or sentimental but I love it.
Tony Augarde
CD Reviews
Naim NAIMCD 124
