Customer Reviews

The Lost Chords Find Paolo Fresu

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4.5 Stars
Pianist/composer Carla Bley continues to be one of the most consistently satisfying and intriguing musicians on the scene. Often-times mixing political activism and generous doses of humor into her artistry, I consider every release by her to be an event.
Her recorded oeuvre runs the gamut from the jazz opera "Escalator Over The Hill" to the classically inspired "Fancy Chamber Music." She has also done soundtrack work and made indispensable contributions to bassist Charlie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra.
With "The Lost Chords Find Paolo Fresu" she further explores the Lost Chords quartet heard on the '04 disc of the same name by expanding it to a quintet through the addition of the Italian trumpeter.
Adding Fresu to the group at the behest of saxophonist Andy Sheppard, Bley's six-part "The Banana Quintet" spotlights a rare musical symbiosis. Fresu is featured on the gorgeous "One Banana" while Sheppard serves up some inspired tenor sax on the bluesy "Two Banana."
"Four," (part of the suite but sans Banana) finds the quintet visiting the Beatles' "She's So Heavy" from their epic "Abbey Road" LP.
Bley's mini-suite "Death of Superman/Dream Sequence #1-Flying" combines a previously unused piece written for the Italian Instable Orchestra with a big-band piece which borrowed it's theme from "Death."
The disc closes with one of the pianist's most enduring tunes, "Ad Infinitum." Presumably inspired to yet again explore the magic this quintet creates, this marks the fourth time in thirty years that Bley has recorded the piece. It has also been recorded by Art Farmer, Steve Kuhn, and Phil Woods.
It is our good fortune that the Lost Chords found Mr. Fresu.

I think Carla bley and Myriam alter are in the same league , attributing them the credit to share the recognition, of being among the most innovative and intelligent composers in the modern jazz scene today .WONDERFULLY constructed jazz with, excellent and fresh compositions coming out more descriptive and vital , with the addition of the fine italian trumpeter Paolo Fresu .Along with the other stars of her band Carla believes very much in the total result of what will be presented every time as the final one, so you will notice here again that her piano playing leaves smartly the space it is always needed for her band skills to come out and shine equally in this marvelous effort.

I had modest expectations for this recording. Carla Bley albums always manage to disappoint me, usually because it seems that she is just trying to be too musically cute. When I saw the song titles (the word "bananas" receiving inordinate attention) and read some of the accompanying promotional material, my expectations really took a nosedive. Cuteness seemed to be totally out of control.

I was wrong. This is the most solid and musically satisfying recording that Carla Bley has ever released. Thank goodness the Lost Chords found Paolo Fresu! His horn is heard at the very outset of the recording, setting a mellow mood. The Lost Chords comprise Carla Bley on piano, Andy Sheppard on soprano and tenor saxophones, Steve Swallow on bass, and Billy Drummond on drums, with Paolo Fresu joining in on trumpet and flugelhorn. The music is by turns moody and playful, but always enjoyable and just plain fun. All of the musicians get a chance to shine, with Swallow on bass providing color as well as rhythm as he shows once again why he is one of the most versatile of bassists. Fresu and Shepard trade some beautiful lines, Bley and Drummond both shine in their respective roles, and the net result is a recording that should appeal to a wide variety of music fans. Highly recommended.