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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Jazzical Chamber Music? Wonderful by any name...., March 10, 2003
By A Customer
The music of Eberhard Weber kind of defies description. It is not traditional "jazz", it is not Classical, it is not Chamber music and it is NOT New Age. It really is a little of all (least New Age)...a true acoustic "hybrid' and amalgam of European "flavored" chamber music, Jazz and Classical; a kind of Jazzical Camber Music. What ever you call it; Eberhard's music has a timeless beauty and resonance that speaks volumes. This is his most recent outing with his long time collaborator Rainer Bruninghaus on piano and keyboards along with Paul McCandless the reed player from Oregon and Michael Dipasqua on drums. It is an OUTSTANDING set of musicians and the payers truly gel with these songs, all written by Eberhard.The music is soft, delicate and highly structured and the recording is absolutely impeccable with tiny taps of the ride cymbal mixed perfectly with the wonderfully recorded, warm piano and the lovely lyrical sounds of the soprano sax, bass clarinet and oboe. Eberhard's 5 string acoustic electric bass is as always, a melodic instrument that speaks with its owner. He creates a unique and distinguished tone as a "bass" player that is not unlike a more classical version of Jaco Pastorius (or the other way round' really with Jaco having been somewhat like "rock" version of Eberhard). The result is a beautifully played set of compositions that are infused with sincerity and sensitivity lacking in much of today's recorded music. It is both compelling and easy to listen to both as foreground or intelligent background music. The music and sounds is refined, intelligent, emotional and quietly passionate and is highly recommended. One of those CD's that will stand the test of time!
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wise and depthful yes, tedious, hardly, June 3, 2001
Eberhard Weber is a master colorist. For more than 30 years he has been forging his own brand of impressionistic European jazz, honing an honest expression of a truly original artistic voice. This album is a worthy contribution to a life's work by one of the true innovators of the bass and a great composer as well.
No, it's not a high energy collection, but then neither was Fluid Rustle or The Following Morning, both classics. Definitely more introspective than Later That Evening, which it will no doubt be compared to because of the presence of Paul McCandless, this is an entirely different work, brooding and dark and subtly orchestrated. But this is most definitely not wimpy music.
Special mention should be made of Weber's revisting of "Last Stages of a Long Journey". Originally written for his quartet, Colors and first presented on the "Little Movements" cd, here it is richly orchestrated and expanded. McCandless handles the multi reed chores and the results are fascinating. This piece is a tone poem, so richly evocative and visual, it could've been part of a movie soundtrack. The piece is served well here, with it's added counterpoint and textures. McCandless's bass clarinet is well suited to the chugging, loping bass line. McCandless is the perfect player for the european style changes in the solo section, and plays exceptionally well here.
This CD is graced with the presence of Rainer Brunninghaus, one of the most underrated jazz pianists around. The regular keyboard man in Jan Garbarek's group, Brunninghaus has had a 30 year association with Weber. Needless to say, these gentleman know how to play together.
I don't know anything about Weber's personal life, but it appears to me that in his maturing process he has dealt with the inevitable losses that human beings encounter and is expressing some of the sadness and profound sense of mystery that pervades the work of a great artist in his maturity. Weber demonstrates a deepening what has been the focus of his musical life, that of refining his expression of the ineffable through the use of space and subtle color, to say more with less, a true jazz minimalist and much more. He imbues his deceptively simple structures with something rarely found in classical minimalism, emotional depth. It is interesting to look at the photo of Mr Weber in the typically spare ECM liner notes. There is new element present in his eyes. Call it wisdom, maturity, soulfulness, whatever you call it it is this human quality that pervades Mr Weber's work and is what this CD is all about.
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14 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Exotic chords put you in another space., June 14, 2001
I first heard Weber's "Endless Days" when sitting outdoors with headphones after twilight, watching a tree slowly heaving in the wind before a thunderstorm. This scene fit the music's mood perfectly. The album put me in a "beach on a grey day" meditative mood.In several songs are synthesizer-produced chords that are unpredictable and challenging, yet beautiful. The dense, sophisticated chords take you to higher realms, reminiscent of Terje Rypdal's "Waves" (on ECM) or Pat Metheny Group's pop symphonies. Weber's highly original compositions and arrangements are intriguing. He also did "The Last Stage of a Great Journey" on an earlier album, and it's interesting to hear the differences. I've been a fan of Eberhard Weber's music since hearing "T on a White Horse" while gazing at a Christmas tree. Another lovely, peaceful composition is Weber's "Maurizius" from the album "Later That Evening." The music is a beautiful, intelligent fusion of classical, New Age and jazz styles. I love it and I give it five stars.
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