Winner of the Parliamentary Jazz Award for Best Media, 2019

Review

Fernando Benadon

Intuitivo

image

by Ian Mann

September 29, 2009

/ ALBUM

A brave and innovative record that makes a novel examination of the sometimes thin dividing line between composition and improvisation

From the St. Paul, Minnesota based label Innova comes this intriguing recording by the contemporary composer Fernando Benadon. “Intuitivo” is a good example of the more experimental side of Innova’s music mixing jazz and classical influences and examining the sometimes thin dividing line between composition and improvisation.

Fernando Benadon was born in Buenos Aires but now lives in the U.S.A. where he is a respected musical theorist and educator and an occasional alto saxophonist. Benadon himself doesn’t actually play on his own record, his role is that of visionary/co-ordinator/composer. Benadon approached seven different musicians in seven separate geographical locations and asked them to improvise on their chosen instruments individually. Although each player knew that they were part of a project featuring other musicians none of them received any guidelines from Benadon and none heard what the other musicians had recorded. The musicians were a mix of jazz and classical players and the instrumentation stayed well clear of the orthodox jazz line up -there are no trumpets, saxophones or piano.

Benadon’s chosen players were Courtney Orlando and Evan Price (violins), Kurt Rohde (viola), Marco Mazzini (clarinets), Michael Formanek (double Bass), Christopher Froh (percussion) and Nasar Abadey (drums). Of these Formanek is probably the most familiar name to jazz listeners, he has been a presence on the New York Downtown Scene and British jazz fans may have heard his work with saxophonist Julian Arguelles. 

Benadon states that “my goal was to shape the players’ raw individual ideas into a spontaneously coherent whole, all the while preserving their unique subtleties of time and timbre”. He states that only the most basic editing tools were deployed-cuts and time displacements-as he “trimmed and juxtaposed the improvisations to create an imaginary synchronized performance.”. In this aim he has succeeded brilliantly, listening to the record one would suppose one were listening to a group of musicians improvising collectively. Without prior knowledge the assumption would be that this music was thoroughly organic and live in the studio.

There are fourteen pieces on the finished record, some of them very short and little more than vignettes. There are however a number of lengthier items that seem to grow organically despite the unusual circumstances of their genesis. The instrumental line up Benadon has chosen to deploy makes for some interesting textures. In Benadon’s hands this mix of jazz and classical players sounds remarkably together despite or- maybe because- of the methods by which they were recorded.

Many of the textures are rich and dark courtesy of Formanek’s bowed bass and Mazzini’s woody clarinets including the bass variety. The two percussionists add both rhythm and texture and the string players play with a remarkable sense of freedom. All these qualities can be heard on the two and a half minute opener “MusicOpenFeel” which segues into the following “Vidrios”.

“Quim Font” is essentially a feature for strings with Formanek’s sumptuous bowing catching the ear. The bassist is equally adept playing pizzicato as heard on the both following “Inverosimil” and the earlier “Vidrios.”
“Inverosimil” also features the clarinet of Mazzini, at one point approximating the wail heard at the opening of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody In Blue”. Benadon’s methods ensure that the music is constantly unfolding and always shifting in shape, qualities that are emphasised as “Inverosimil” segues into “Improfission”, one of the album’s lengthier tracks. Strings, double bass and bass clarinet combine to create rich textures as the drums provide rhythmic focus. Eventually the kit drums drop out and Froh’s exotic, metallic percussion takes over dominating the second half of the tune. Froh is heard both solo and in dialogue with other musicians, notably Formanek. The percussionist’s contribution here is dramatic and attention grabbing and the first prolonged solo of the set. Up to this point the focus has been more on colour and developing an “ensemble sound”.

“Overdrive Swing” is another lengthy piece dominated by strings after the percussion led intro. There is almost a folk/ethnic feel to some of the string playing at times. The music becomes more pensive as Mazzini’s bass clarinet comes to the fore, his grainy playing shadowed by the drums. As ever the focus shifts perpetually, this album is akin to a musical kaleidoscope, something the multi coloured cover art seems to be alluding to.
 
Th aptly named “Interludio”  features bass clarinet, arco bass and drums/percussion. It is followed by the title track which draws all the album’s various elements together. Strings are both bowed and plucked, percussion percolates, clarinet adds a definable jazz element and so on. It’s absorbing and remarkably cohesive. The piece morphs into “Mamnakrepcopf” which continues the process.

The brief “Japanese Cups”  is a feature for percussionist Froh with extra colour provided by double bass and bowed/plucked strings. 

“Continuo” is the lengthiest track on the record , seemingly growing organically and encapsulating Benadon’s gently kaleidoscopic approach.

Menor a Mayor” is an striking vignette-mournful and melancholy but totally captivating. It’s one of the most arresting pieces on the record and one that stands up well when played in in isolation. 

“Dumbek” sounds almost Middle Eastern with it’s percussive undertow and ethnic clarinet sound full of bent notes. The closing “Two Epilogues” is as rich and varied as anything else on this remarkable record.

“Intuitivo” is not an easy listen but it is a fascinating and absorbing one. Benadon’s project is undoubtedly a success on it’s own terms and his mysterious sound world with it’s dappled colours and textures quickly draws in the attentive listener. It’s not a record for everybody but there is much fine playing here and Benadon’s drawing together of his various sources is little short of remarkable. This is no “cut and paste” but a real labour of love. 

For jazz listeners Formanek is probably the outstanding instrumentalist on the album and Mazzini and Froh also make memorable contributions but the standard of musicianship is extraordinarily high throughout. This is a brave and innovative record that although challenging is actually more accessible than it’s initial premise might suggest.

blog comments powered by Disqus