Storyteller

Jazz | May 2004

Reviews

Craig Matsumoto
Reviewed 2004-06-10
Piano trio pieces with veterans Mark Helias (bass) and Paul Motian (drums) backing up Crispell in a slow crash of free-floating improvisation. Gentle jam sessions -- familiar territory for the ECM label.

In the past, Crispell has done spiky, adventurous piano pieces; lately she's been "ECM'ed," playing slower, exploratory styles that generally sound "nicer." (Traces of her old self show up on 8 and 10.)

Tempo is very loose throughout. All tracks feel kind of mid/slow.

1- Gentle midtempo; crystalline
2- Soft and lyrical, very pretty and obvious. The "hit single," if you will.
3- Still calm, but a bit stern
4- Floaty
5- Cascading theme
6- Midtempo, with a light energy
8- Second half gets energetic
9- Cute fluttering theme
10- Relatively fast, with tightly curled piano lines
11- Slow. Starts with crisp bass solo

Recent airplay

Flight of the Bluejay
Storytime!--WomenAug 14, 2004
Cosmology
Memory SelectJul 30, 2004
Harmonic Line
Memory SelectJul 23, 2004
So Far, So Near
Civil SocietyJul 14, 2004
Flight of the Bluejay, Wild Rose
Storytime!: PiratesJul 10, 2004
Flight of the Bluejay
No Cover, No MinimumJul 02, 2004

Charting

2004-05-31 — 2004-08-02 Jazz
Week EndingAirplays
Aug 1 1
Jul 25 1
Jul 18 1
Jul 11 1
Jul 4 2
Jun 20 1
Jun 6 1

Track listing

1. Wild Rose
2. Flight of the Bluejay
3. The Storyteller
4. Alone
5. Harmonic Line
6. Cosmology
7. Limbo
8. Play
9. The Sunflower
10. So Far, So Near