So Many Roads, the
grand new album from bassist/composer Anne Mette Iversen's Double Life, to be
released on Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records on April 22, is a very personal
recording for Iversen. The artist explains, "Its conception and realisation
has been a long journey. Along the road I had many ideas about how to present
it to you: which story to tell you, which words to describe it with and which
pictures to paint in your head. In the end, I rejected them all to let the
music speak for itself, and, hopefully, to leave space for it to become your
own personal journey."
The music on So
Many Roads has the ability to conjure up and provoke emotions, feelings and
vivid images. In a word, it is picturesque. Good art transforms within the
listener, viewer or reader, to become a deeply personal experience and bring
them on a journey as well. "It is my hope that the art, the music, on this
album is strong enough to give the listener an experience that sends them on
their own personal journey; and therefore, in this context, my personal journey
is irrelevant," commented Iversen.
So Many Roads was
composed specifically for Iversen's group Double Life, which consists of her
long running quartet, the Anne Mette Iversen Quartet, featuring John Ellis
(soprano & tenor saxophone), Danny Grissett (piano), Otis Brown III (drums
& cymbals) and special guest, the outstanding Swedish trombonist Peter
Dahlgren, of the Norrbotten Big Band (who also appeared on the bassist's very
first recording, On the Other Side, ten years ago); plus, the string quartet,
4Corners, featuring members of the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra, who also
appeared on Iversen's 2008 recording, Best of the West.
Iversen's band
members always claim that the critically acclaimed bassist/composer has a quick
turnaround time with her new recordings. This may seem to be the case due to
her unblinking dedication to her craft, her professionalism and her admirable
skill at seeing a highly creative project through to accouchement. However, So
Many Roads has in fact been nearly five years in the making. "I remember
clearly when I first sat down and wrote the first notes in our apartment in Red
Hook, Brooklyn. It was the section that gave the thematic material which became
the theme that connects the piece, and characterizes the entire musical
journey," explained Iversen.
So Many Roads,
"started out with the idea of being a journey through a mythological
world, an imaginary description of travel and related experiences, but it ended
up being so closely connected to my own personal life and actually describing a
very special period and special experience of my life instead," said
Iversen. One could say that a journey, as a theme, has been a part of Iversen's
music all along, but So Many Roads became both a premonition and a resolution
to 57 months of her own life instead of some fantasy world. "During the
protracted period of creating this album, the subject matter quickly changed
from the imaginary to reality!," said Iversen.
The music on So
Many Roads is quite unique in that it utilizes a one-movement compositional
form, and boasts an exquisite balance of integration and interaction between
the string group and the jazz group. Take note of the musicians' excellent
blend, and exchange of ideas and emotions.
The album opens
with a solo bass statement (a way of leading the listener into the composer's
universe), before the presentation of the main theme, which comes fully
orchestrated and lush, and sets up the framework for the piece. Out of the main
theme grows new themes and songs with their own identities, orchestrated in
various ways by selected combinations of the musicians from the jazz quintet
and the string quartet. One example is the lovely ballad, indicated on the physical
disc by Chapter Three, which is played by trombone, string quartet and
drums.The music is also characterized by the many transitional
sections/elements that serve to connect the piece, but also reveal their own
identity. The evolution of the music throughout the album takes you through
states of uncertainty, peace, fun, beauty, stress, running the emotional gamut,
similar to what one experiences in life.
On So Many Roads,
Iversen sought to strike a fine balance between improvisation and composition,
and between the jazz quintet and the string quartet. The jazz quintet leads by
their expertise with improvising, but are also given important written ensemble
parts, which they perform equally well.
Conversly, the classical string players contribute to the jazz sections
with a deep understanding of phrasing and rhythm. A wonderful example is the
strings' interaction with Otis Brown III during his solo towards the end of the
piece. The carpet they provide for him is full of playfulness and humor, and reflects
a strong sense of mutual respect and enjoyment inherent in these musicians'
collaboration, which is apparent on and off the stage/studio
Iversen knows very
well that these days details about an artist's life can be just as important to
public perception and acceptance as the art itself, especially in pop-culture.
Fortunately within the jazz genre the fan is still a genuine lover of the
music, so the attachment and devotion is very much about the music and the
experience. Iversen elaborates, "getting deep into something, in general,
is rewarding. But although there is plenty of expertise found in our societies
today, I wonder how much in-depth study is being spent on art and music.
Understanding an art requires commitment and time, something not always easily
found in our lives, but the reward for taking this time is high, and I strongly
recommend it. Therefore, I only hope that you will give it 36:31 focused
minutes of your time, to go on a journey with us, and hopefully find it an
emotional enriching experience."
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