Customer Reviews

A disc of few or no inhibitions - By: Mr. Rgs Draycott, 05 Feb 2006
This fantastically moody disc is somehow unclassifiable. Sometimes jazz, sometimes classical, definitely crossoverin the truest sense of the word. Ukrainian pianist Misha Alperin is the inspiration behind it. He wrote the work Nightin response to a commission from the 25th VossaJazz Festivalin Norway (April 1998), & this is a live recording made at that event. Classically trained, Alperin came late to jazz, but has developed his own very personal style interwoven with folk influences from his musical roots.

The gorgeously mellow velvet-black sound of cellist Anja Lechner suits Alperin's meditative meanderings perfectly. "Adagio" is particularly stilling, with melodic wanderings complemented by moments of harmonic peace & clarity.

"Tango" is a different story, but toldin the same language. Here a tamed riot of energy meets Alperin's restraining calm, tempered by the understated contributions of Norwegian percussionist Sørensen. He & his marimba come into their ownin "Second Game", where all 3 musicians join togetherin what begins as a sort of fugue, melds itself into several minutes of harmonically rich Glassian minimalism, & eventually develops into an energetic driving jig-style 6/8 rhythm.

"Night", says Alperin, "is a time of suprises". And surprises there are, from the vocal contributions from the percussionist, to the startlingly dramatic ending to "Second Game"; "you can walk through a silent village & catch a blast of sound from a bar door suddenly thrown open". Ah, perhaps that's what it was. "Heavy Hour" is another track which will wake you up rather than send you to sleep, with tribal rhythms & a twangy-zangy cello sound which even sets your teeth on edge at times.

The title track has got to be the most atmospheric: a faintly eerie percussive tick-tock sets the scene, joined by arching, sighing cello phrases & occasional keyboard outbursts. Some of the harmonic tensions & resolutions reach right into the soul.

"It's music for those hours when you don't need to prove anything to the world, when the need for self-presentation subsides".

Its true. This is a disc of few or no inhibitions; it really seems to come from the heart. It is artless art.