These are the first issues on Bley’s own label, and they are a marvellous start. The solo album is quite similar in idiom to that on ECM, with extreme introversion, and exceptional and effective sparseness in many of the chords (beautifully chosen two- and four-note chords are particularly striking). There is an intoxicating sense of slow ‘tempi’ (though there’s no continuous time stated), with almost continuous rubato (in the sense of sustained notes in the midst of moving groups, and of successively longer notes as such groups proceed). Blue notes abound, tonality prevails, and there are some huge melodic jumps, and occasionally, glissandi inside the piano, resolving onto chords sustained with the keys. For me, a highly meaningful album.
The trio album I find less moving, and not of the same calibre as the earlier Bley-Giuffre collaborations. There are some oriental-sounding clarinet solos, and signs of Coltrane’s influence in Giuffre, but excessive sentimentality takes over on some of the flute sections and on Carol. The finest parts are probably Bley’s solo work on Play, much more extrovert than the solo LP, and the poignant Goodbye with effective clarinet sliding notes and a strong climax. Connors is sensitive, but not forceful enough to contribute much.
Bley is positively fierce on the 1964 quartet tracks, particularly Ictus, which is an almost completely free performance. Rhythmically, all the tracks are very flexible, even when the tempo is only implied. Gilmore is very impressive, with some lovely harmonics, and Peacock plays particularly well on Calls, and with rapid scalar motives, imposes his own personality to the full. The only exception is on Turning where he repeats the rising scales too often. Two tracks represent the 1968 trio sessions which produced the ‘Mr. Joy’ LP. Although enjoyable in their rhythmic subtlety, they are not of the same substance as the remainder of this exciting record. I welcome these LPs, and look forward immensely to succeeding issues: further material from 1964 and earlier would be almost as interesting as new recordings.
Discography
Alone Again
Ojos De Gato; Ballade; And Now The Queen; Glad; Lovers; Dreams; Explanations
Bley (solo-pno). Oslo, 8-9/8/74.
(Improvising Artists 373840)
Quiet Song
Solo; Duet; Play Blue; Clarinet; Yeah Guitar; Carol; Trio; Goodbye; Laurent; Quiet Song
Bley (pno); Giuffre (clt/flt/ten): Bill Connors (gtr). NY.
(Improvising Artists 373839)
Turning Point
Calls; Turning; King Korn; Ictus; Mr. Joy*; Kid Dynamite*; Ida Lupino
Bley (pno); Gilmore (ten); Paul Motian (dm); Gary Peacock (bs). *Bley with Motian and Billy Elgart (dm). NYC, 9/3/64. *Seattle 10/5/68.
(Improvising Artists 373841)
