Three recent releases from Innova Records mix elements of jazz, classical and modern thought.Five pieces by Jesse Jones mix poetry, prose and passion here, with moods and textures changing with each piece. “Abraxas” I sperformed by the Argento Chamber Ensemble, including moody clarinet and strings, while dreamy and dramatic solo piano passions are released by Xak Bjerken on “Epemera.”A charming trio of clariet, violin and piano make for a chamber of shadows on “Unisono” and Sharon Harms’ husky soprano voice delivers words by Poe and guitar with electronics on a dark as raven “The Mystery Which Binds Me Still” while she brods an aria with strings and woodwinds with spoken words by Lambert Bumiller during a liturgical “Harmonies Poetiques Et Religieuses.” A flickering candelabra.
Composer Dorothy Hndman produces a 2 disc collection of varying moods and ensembles, ranging from solo classical guitar to chamber ensemble. Some wonderful guitar moods are produced by the Corono Guitar Kvaret on “Taut” while Paul Bowman’s solo strings are ebullient on “Needlepoint.” Craig Hultgren’s cello gets tensile with ‘fixed media’ on a brooding “Sound” and dreamy and pastoral on amplified cello during “drowningXnumbers.” Robert Black’s double bass stretches out on “Time Management” and a ceelo-violin duet between Jason Calloway and Mari-Liss dance together on “Monumenti.” Overall, the moods are post modern, and the moods sepia-toned.
The music of Eric Stokes is given deft interpretation by a nonet of Trudi Anderson/fl, Jennifer Gerth/cl, Laurie Hatcher Merz/bsoon, James Jacobson/cel, Maria Jette/sop, Kathy Kienzie/harp, Merilee Klemp/ob-Eh,Sonja Thompson/p and Matt Wilson/fh. The four major suites have 405 parts, with a single piece, “Give and Take” a wrestling match between Klemp and Jacobson. Hints of Peter and the Wolf pop up on the plaintive “The Lyrical Pickpocket” while Jette’s sweet voice glides with Klemp during “Western Wind.” Modern classical moments team with clariente on “Woodwind Quintet #2” and the team gets quirky during “Song Circle” which has Anderson’s flute twirling and Kathy Kienzle’s harp adding buoyant adjectives. Playful!