The Songs of Steve Dalachinsky
Featuring Scott Fields on electric guitar & compositions, Annette Maye on clarinets, Melvyn Poore on tuba, Norbert Rodenkirchen on flutes, Florian Stadler on accordion, Eva Popplein on electronics and Barbara Schactner on vocals. The thing that I’ve always dug about American-born, Austrian-based guitarist/composer Scott Fields is that nearly all of his 3 dozen-plus discs have a concept in mind and are not mainly free improv excursions. The concept for this disc was/is taking the poetry of the late Downtown poet Steve Dalachinsky and using his words an inspiration for the sextet that Mr. Fields has organized here. Steve Dalachinsky was an old, dear friend of mine who I would meet at more concerts than anyone else throughout the four decades that we were friends. Although I didn’t know he was a poet until the early nineties, we were kindred spirits as far as having a passion to check out as many Creative Music concerts as was possible. It turned out that Dalachinsky was also a wonderful poet and did the best job I knew of documenting/discussing (through his poetry) the music that a handful of us lived to hear played live many times a week for many years. Mr. Dalachinsky and his lovely wife Yuko Otomo, Irving & Stephanie Stone and yours truly would often be the only folks to attend many of the same concerts, especially during the early years of the Downtown Scene. When Mr. Dalachinsky passed away in September of 2019, we lost a special creative spirit who was a friend to many of the musicians, artists & serious listeners of the Downtown Scene.
Mr. Fields takes six of Mr. Dalachinsky’s poems and sets them to music which sounds partially free yet somehow directed. Mr. Fields has been living and thriving in Austria some three decades and this is where all or most of the musicians here are based. I only know a couple of the names here like Melvyn Poore (who has worked with Frank Gratkowski & the King Ubu Orchestra) and Norbert Rodenkirchen (who has worked with Albrecht Maurer). The music here is continuous with short interludes in between each piece. Although vocalist Barbara Schachtner sounds like an opera singer, she is used sparingly and is an integral member of this sextet. Dalachinsky’s poems are reprinted in the enclosed booklet so we can savor their meaning. The music often sounds like chamber music and is thoughtfully composed and focused. There are little or no actual solos here yet the music is consistently fascinating and quirky with some unexpected twists and turns. The only member who gets a chance to stretch a bit is Mr. Fields who often adds some odd, barbed spice at times. Although the music doesn’t remind me of the irascible Mr. Dalachinsky, hearing the words at times does recall his gift for describing the life of us serious Downtown listeners. — Downtown Music Gallery
Hornets Collage
Like all cds on the nuscope label, this one is extremely well recorded, so one can rapt attention to the smallest or quietest detail. From ultra sparse sections to busy portions, there is an absorbing thread that holds this all together. “When She Speaks…” recalls that quirky Giuffre type of excursion with tight little flashes of notes that quickly erupt. Five of these pieces are collective improvs and each is an adventure unto itself, open ended, boisterous and mysterious, yet somehow connected through deep listening and reacting. The majority of these pieces are (well) written and involve a variety of strategies and textures. Concentrated, thoughtful and provocative sounds to ponder. — Downtown Music Gallery
Song Songs Song
This strange electric guitar duo recording is perhaps one the oddest and most un-jazz-like of the vast Delmark catalogue, which mostly deals with jazz and blues dates from the fifties onwards. Chicago-based Jeff Parker does have some jazz credentials, playing with the Chicago Underground and Fred Anderson, yet he can’t really be pegged as most of the current Chicago underground continues to pursue diversity and unpredictability. Wisconsin based Scott Field is also a great improviser, as well as a unique composer, his more than a dozen releases also embrace diverse approaches and an ever-changing cast of players to work with. Each of the six pieces here also cover a variety of approaches. Jeff’s “LK” is a calm, haunting and even jazz-like in its rather melodic guitar tone, it is a sort of ballad that is quietly deconstructed as it evolves. “Untitled, 1968” sounds like it could be Fred Frith and Henry Kaiser (maybe a Dead space jam?), with all those volume pedal swirls, free yet focused noise sections, but never going too far out. By “Untitled, 2004,” they start to go further out, faster, freer and more intense, but never losing sight of each other as they work together, trading ideas and licks, suspending time as they weave lines together into one sound/blend. “Untitled, 2001” has both Jeff and Scott playing with that warm, relaxed jazz guitar tone, Les Paul meets Joe Pass? Actually, they move through a variety of approaches quickly, casting off one idea after another. “Untitled, 1955” is a long work that again shows a quite a bit of unorthodox techniques, twisted harmonies, intricate noise-work, both subtle and intense abstractions, q and a sections, quickly tapped harmonics, alien textures and some nice quiet and spooky moments. Jeff Parker and Scott Fields work quite well together, combining forces and blending their sound into one story-like journey. In a blindfold test, most folks would have little clue who they really are listening to. — Downtown Music Gallery