Customer Reviews

The Seeker

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you've been lucky enough to hear The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra live, you'll want this CD to relive the experience. Although this release contains only three compositions by Mark Harvey, AJO's music director & conductor, the pieces are very good. You'll find The Seeker which is a hard driving piece that AJO has performed since the mid-1990s, Heartsong a more abstract composition that explores the boundry between noise and music, and Passages/Psalm IV a reflective composition that was inspired by the Psalms.

The Seeker starts out with the title track: 'The Seeker'. It is a propulsive piece of music (18:10). Appropriate introduction, then a luscious tenor saxophone solo over a repeated figure with the rich horns in and out, building and building. An interlude, and then a soprano sax solo section that's relatively quiet with percussion and builds with two sopranos to a crescendo and a brief interlude. Then over an exquisite and elaborate hand clap rhythm one of the fiercest baritone saxophone solos you'll ever hear, with the rich horns in and out. And finally a taste of group freedom before a very consonant finale. This cut never lets up and will keep you alert from the opening percussion to the final bow. This CD is worth owning just for the title track. It's a fantastic piece of music.

Second track 'Heartsong' is fine but doesn't quite 'ring my bell' (9:25). The last 'tune''Passages/Psalms iV'(39:02)is more like ten tunes in one. Be patient. I like the lively stuff, and the driving rhythms, but there are classical interludes, etc. It's a rich piece of music that is rewarding if you stick with it. Yes, some of this is very outside, but this band swings, lets loose, and plays tight arrangements. There's a lot going on...

I keep returning to 'The Seeker' (the title track.) I find I'll play it twice in a row, then play the rest of the CD, then play 'The Seeker' twice in a row and then play 'Passages/Psalms IV'. Rich music deserving 5 stars. Recorded live so don't expect a stellar audio environment, but the music is very good. The band deserves kudos for what they do.