Two Fred Hersch releases

[GA Russell]

I've received these two press releases recently.

BENOIT DELBECQ AND FRED HERSCH DOUBLE TRIO'S FUN HOUSE

AND

CHRIS CLARK'S DEBUT, CEDAR WISELY,

COMING FROM SONGLINES IN MARCH

March 12 Releases Highlight Unique Collaboration From Acclaimed Pianists And Introduce Noteworthy Debut From Young Tenor Saxophonist

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Quick Links

SONGLINES WEBSITE

CHRIS CLARK'S WEBSITE

BENOIT DELBECQ'S WEBSITE

FRED HERSCH'S WEBSITE

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Songlines will release a pair of extremely diverse yet equally exciting albums on March 12. Fun House, the first recorded collaboration between the critically acclaimed pianists Benoit Delbecq and Fred Hersch, finds them performing in a rare double-trio configuration. It's a ground-breaking encounter and between jazz piano and the sonic resources of contemporary classical music, between American tradition and the European avant-garde.

Hersch's quest for absolute beauty and impeccable virtuosity have become legendary. Delbecq is one of Europe's most prominent jazz keyboardists; his compositions and elegant, complex improvisations build on John Cage's prepared piano techniques. Add to this Steve Argüelles' stealth "assistance and obstacles" live sampling, and three of the most celebrated rhythm section players of today (Jean-Jacques Avenel and Mark Helias on bass, and Steve Argüelles and Gerry Hemingway on drums), and the result is a multi-faceted collaboration, with opportunities for various combinations of duos and trios as well as full-group interaction. The music has its moments of abstraction, its moonlit soundscapes such as "One is Several," but it also embraces a jazzier aesthetic, for example on the Monkisyh/Lacyish "Night for Day."

The project was sparked in 2008 when Hersch came to a New York gig that Delbecq was playing with the John Hébert Trio. They had only met once before, but had been digging each other's playing on record. "The first time I listened to Pursuit I was completely mesmerized," says Hersch. "It is an amazing project and showed me that Benoit is a completely unique pianist, composer and conceptualist. I suggested we do something with two pianos, not realizing that he already had a duo project with Andy Milne (Where is Panonica?). So we thought, 'What would be novel and bit outrageous?"

https://thumbnail.constantcontact.com/remoting/v1/vthumb/VIMEO/9ee0c6c045854140b358ca0839065b62 Benoit Delbecq and Fred Hersch Double Trio - FUN HOUSE

Delbecq came up with the idea of double trio including his longtime collaborators Avenel and Argüelles, and Hersch had a long history with Helias and Hemingway. Delbecq notes, "the personnel came very naturally. Everybody knew each other already. I had worked with Mark for the Phonetics project and had met and played with Gerry several times. The first minutes of the first rehearsal I remember very precisely, they just showed we'd made a great choice! The music found its flow and its freedom from the very beginning."

Tenor saxophonist Chris Clark's debut for Songlines, Cedar Wisely, is a result of an unsolicited demo that he sent to label owner Tony Reif. Reif recounts how his mood changed as he listened to the CD, from beginning to end. Here was an artist who know how to judiciously pace the listener's experience with, as Clark says, "a natural flow of energy or emotion," while continuously expanding the music's range; to draw from the resources of modern jazz a personal, deeply felt statement; to create a fine expressive balance between composition and improvisation, combining a structure and spontaneity.

Clark's compositions draw from contemporary edge, chamber elements, and a rich lyricism to form a spectrum of moods ranging from raucous to bittersweet. And he has a band that's there with him every step of the way.

His Quintet was formed specifically for this recording session, although its members - Davie Ake on piano, Zack Teran on bass, Jesus Vega on drums and Peter Epstein on alto and soprano saxophones - had played in various combinations in and around the jazz program at the University of Nevada, Reno, where Clark had come to study with Epstein, who was head of the department. Clark, Teran and Vega, students at the time, performed frequently in the area as the trio Fiscus. David Ake is also a professor at UNR and leads his own ensembles.

"A freedom to really listen and follow the music is one of the aspects that make this group special, and I think one can hear that on the album," comments Clark. This commitment and passion for improvising does indeed come across, along with a sense of how to make a performance build and resonate without forcing its intensity. Say Epstein, "Finding a balance point between intent and result, without thinking about things too much so a real sense of flow can be established, leads to that elusive place that we all want to get to at all times, so it's particularly nice when it happens...Many of the folks I've enjoyed playing with (Chris, Zack and Jesus certainly being among this number) seem to be coming from a perspective where there's little or no separation between genres, styles, historical periods, or anything else that might provide inspiration or influence."

"There are many different kinds of music which resonate with me, ranging from the more esoteric (Tin Hat Trio, Eric Whitacre, Sun Ra) to pop (Prince, Fiona Apple, Metric,)" adds Clark. "The compositions on Cedar Wisely are strongly influenced by a number of artists. One can hear a very direct Ornette Coleman influence in 'Inside the Gloves,' which was deliberately written with his compositional style in mind. The other tunes have less obvious influences, but some artists whose music has made a strong impact on the formation of my own compositional voice are Cuong Vu, The Brian Blade Fellowship, and Wayne Shorter, specifically his albums from the 1960s and his current quartet. For me, the most important thing is that I feel connected to the music and can perform it with a sense of commitment and sincerity."

Clark will bring the Quintet together for a tour in the fall of 2013.

*****

Caswell Sisters'

"Alive in the Singing Air"

Due March 5 from Their Turtle Ridge Imprint

First Collaboration by

Vocalist Rachel Caswell & Violinist Sara Caswell

Features Pianist Fred Hersch,

Who Also Co-Produced

Midwest & East Coast Tour Includes Stops in

Indianapolis, Bloomington, Baltimore,

Brooklyn, Boston

February 12, 2013

After establishing thriving careers under their own names over the last ten years, sisters Rachel and Sara Caswell have increasingly turned their attention to the musical bond they'd shared since childhood. Vocalist Rachel and violinist Sara first approached Fred Hersch back in 2008 about working with them on a joint project as pianist and co-producer. The results of their collaboration may be heard on Alive in the Singing Air, a breathtaking collection of songs featuring Hersch, one of jazz's most celebrated pianists, with support by bassist Jeremy Allen and drummer Bryson Kern. The CD will be released on March 5 by the sisters' Turtle Ridge Records.

"Both of us are drawn to Fred's style and sensitivity," Rachel says. "He creates such an easy foundation to play on, and he loves working with singers. It was a dream."

"Violin and voice is not exactly your standard front-line in a jazz quintet," observes Hersch in his CD booklet notes. ". . . What sets the Caswell sisters apart -- aside from their superb musicianship and their taste in repertoire -- is the uniqueness of their blend."

Surprises abound in the sisters' repertoire choices. Two Hersch compositions with lyrics by British jazz singer Norma Winstone -- "Song of Life" and "A Wish" -- are especially fine fits. In a nod to their Bloomington, Indiana roots, the Caswells include Hoagy Carmichael's "I Get Along Without You Very Well," and their version of Nancy King's samba "I Sing for You" goes out to King, one of Rachel's favorite singers.

"Rachel and I seek out those pieces with interesting twists and turns harmonically," Sara says. "We love beautiful soaring melodies that go in unexpected directions, but feel very logical. 'Sweet Adelphi' [by saxophonist Christine Jensen] is a great vehicle that really lets our timbres sync together."

Rachel Caswell (b. 1973) and Sara Caswell (b. 1978) grew up in a seriously musical household, the daughters of two academics with doctorates in musicology. Their parents' scholarship was matched by a commitment to performance. "They exposed us to so many styles of music," Rachel says. "We studied early music, classical repertoire, piano, and played in high school band, jazz band, and orchestra as well as performing in a family trio. Eventually jazz is what stuck and became our identity."

As children the sisters studied with the distinguished jazz educator David Baker, a longtime Indiana University music professor, and both attended IU on full scholarship. They both graduated with High Distinction in Classical Performance and Jazz Studies, and went on to earn Master's degrees in Jazz Performance (Rachel at Boston's New England Conservatory and Sara at Manhattan School of Music).

Based in her hometown of Bloomington, Indiana, Rachel Caswell has performed in a wide array of jazz settings, including the Glenn Miller Orchestra, John Blake Jr., Ingrid Jensen, the Billy Taylor Trio, and Curtis Fuller. Her debut recording, Some Other Time, was released in 2003.

Sara Caswell, a resident of Manhattan, has toured and performed with Esperanza Spalding, Gene Bertoncini, Roseanna Vitro, Regina Carter, and John Clayton, in addition to performing with the New York Pops Orchestra. Sara was recognized in the 2011 and 2012 JazzTimes Readers' Poll as one of the top jazz violinists. Her 2000 debut First Song and 2005 follow-up But Beautiful both feature Rachel's vocals.

"When I think of the sound I like," says Rachel, "Sara's playing is what pops into my head. It's the classic jazz quintet, translated into our own image."

"You want to be playing with musicians who inspire you," Sara adds. "One of the musicians who inspires me most is my sister."

The Caswell Sisters will be performing a series of CD release shows in March, beginning with a "teaser" concert and discussion at Indiana University's Hoagy Carmichael Room in Bloomington at 12:00 noon on 3/1. Other dates are 3/1 Jazz Kitchen, Indianapolis, IN; 3/3 First United Church, Bloomington, IN; 3/9 An Die Musik, Baltimore, MD; 3/13 ShapeShifter Lab, Brooklyn, NY; and 3/15 Acton (MA) Jazz Café. In addition, several New England and Midwest concerts are in the works for the coming summer and fall.

Web Site: www.caswellsisters.com