Anat Fort, A Long Story (ECM)

[Guy Berger]

Anybody heard this? Worth picking up? I'm a little wary of another slow-tempo introspective piano-centered disc on ECM, but supposedly this was recorded by Anat Fort on her own initiative before ECM got their hands on it. Plus the presence of Robinson could add some sparks.

Guy

[GA Russell]

Guy, my copy is on the way. The disc goes on sale tomorrow.

Initially, I confused Anat Fort with another musician who has a new album coming out (actually two) named Anat Cohen.

I don't think I've ever heard a record with Paul Motian I didn't like, so I'm looking forward to it. I'll let you know.

[king ubu]

I missed their Zurich concert, but from the review I heard it was *very* weak. And Robinson was terribly out of tune all evening long... the disc seems to be rather tame, I read.

[Bol]

So far, this seems like a very nice recording. Nothing earth-shattering, but very good. Paul Motian's sound is really addictive. I like his drumming more and more every day. I am not crazy about his EBB. But as for the small group recordings he has done recently as a leader or a sideman, the ones with Enrico Pieranunzi are the only ones I found disappointing. Looking forward to his new trio recording with Lovano and Frisell in April.

[Guy Berger]

Based on a few spins, I think this one is pretty good but not great. The best track (and best title), IMHO, is "re-haired".

Perry Robinson has a very unusual tone on clarinet -- almost like a soprano sax.

Guy

[GA Russell]

Perry Robinson has a very unusual tone on clarinet -- almost like a soprano sax.

It's interesting you should say that, Guy. Just the other day I was listening to some Paul Desmond RCA tracks, and thought his tone was very much like a clarinet.

[GA Russell]

My copy arrived in the mail today. I've listened to it twice, and have a generally positive reaction.

From what I have gleaned from the press release and the liner notes, Anat Fort dreamed for years of recording with Paul Motian. She is an Israeli pianist who since 1996 has been based in New York. She even asked him out of the blue to record with her, and of course he (never having heard her music) said "No." However, her bassist Ed Schuller had recorded with Motian back in '81, and he persuaded him to sit in for a record date.

The date, with Schuller and clarinetist Perry Robinson, occurred over two days in March of 2004. Apparently the tapes sat in the can for two years. It's not clear to me how Manfred Eicher got involved, but he did, and mixed and edited the tapes for ECM more than two years later. So now A Long Story is seeing the light of day three years after it was recorded.

Now on to the music. Is there such a thing as good new age music? Guy mentioned to start this thread that this might be "another slow-tempo introspective piano-centered disc on ECM". It is that. But Fort's touch on the keyboard doesn't remind me of an ECM pianist as much as it does Liz Story. Fort wrote all of the compositions (eleven, totalling 56 minutes), and I can't tell where the compositions end and the improvisations begin. Interestingly, she wanted to recorded a few standards, but Motian talked her out of it.

Meaning no disrepsect, but Fort seems to be the least talented musician on the record. Motian is great, and Schuller, whom I am not familiar with, is a real find here. He has played a great deal with Robinson's group over the years.

Today I give this three stars. If it grows on me over the coming months I might raise it to four. It's a good record, but I don't think it's up to ECM's standards.

[7/4]

All good points. On first listen, I like it. The clarinet is a nice touch.

[B. Goren.]

An interview with Anat Fort on AAJ. Thank you Nitzan.

[danasgoodstuff]

I'll be interested to hear this, mostly 'cause I've met Perry and think he's a heck of a nice guy...

[Matthew]

I'll be interested to hear this, mostly 'cause I've met Perry and think he's a heck of a nice guy...

If you like Robinson, you might want to check out the new release The Soul In The Mist on Ictus Records. I think very highly of this cd, it's not a "barn burner" by any means, but this cd grows on me with each listen.