Continuation

Jazz | Feb 2009

Reviews

Fo
Reviewed 2009-03-01
ALEX CLINE: Continuation
Cryptogramophone, 2009

AVANT/WORLD-JAZZ – Percussionist Cline leads an unusual quintet with strings and piano through adventurous, complex compositions with lots of space for improvising. There’s a definite Asian flavor to most of the melodies, with 1+7 being almost entirely melodic and the sprawling 5+6 going farthest afield. 2+4 are oblique modern jazz. It’s captivating from start to finish, the product of groundbreaking vision.

* * * * | All great, but 5 & 6 are long and rambling

1. 10:04 – slow, tranquil, beautiful: melody makes the rounds, surges & falls
2. 7:34 – solo bass, then a moody jazz pulse builds up; elusive harmony
3. 4:54 – very slow & atmospheric: loud clattery noises over simple piano line
4. 11:15 – heavy, Asian-tinged modern jazz: great drums, 2nd half goes “out”
5. 18:25 – alternates gradually between quiet, mysterious soundscapes, sad string melody, crashing & clattering percussion, bells & harmonium
6. 18:38 – long suite, many abrupt changes: calm abstraction, aggressive avant-bop, edgy strings, sweet melodies, ponderous drums, etc.
7. 5:59 – starts sparse, picks up a slow melody; pretty, but kind of gloomy too

[ Fo ] 03/01/09

Recent airplay

Nourishing Our Roots
No Cover, No MinimumFeb 24, 2012
Steadfast
Music CasseroleDec 10, 2011
Nourishing Our Roots
No Cover, No MinimumJun 19, 2009
On The Bones Of The Homegoing Thunder [excerpt]
Memory SelectMay 01, 2009
Clearing Our Streams
Memory SelectApr 24, 2009
Steadfast
No Cover, No MinimumApr 24, 2009

Charting

2009-03-01 — 2009-05-03 Jazz
Week EndingAirplays
May 3 1
Apr 26 2
Apr 19 1
Apr 12 1
Apr 5 2
Mar 22 4
Mar 8 3

Track listing

1. Nourishing Our Roots
2. Clearing Our Streams
3. Fade To Green
4. Steadfast
5. Submerge
6. On The Bones Of The Homegoing Thunder
7. Open Hands (Receive, Release)