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CREDITS
1. I KNOW THE TRUTH (Marina Tsvetayeva) 6:10
2.
SONG OF THE WOODS (Osip Mandelstam) 6:20
3.
THE CUCKOO (Anna Akhmatova) 3:26
4.
THE WHISPER (Osip Mandelstam) 5:35
5.
THE SMILE (Anna Akhmatova) 7:32
6.
SKETCH (Osip Mandelstam) 5:05
7.
SWIMMING (Anna Akhmatova) 5:48
8.
PRISON SONG (Osip Mandelstam) 7:26
9.
THE GRAVE (Anna Akhmatova) 4:12
10.
SEQUEL (Osip Mandelstam) 2:59
T.T.
54:38
IRENE
AEBI, voice
FREDERIC RZIEWSKI, piano
STEVE LACY, soprano sax
IN
809 - © 1990 NEW SOUND PLANET - Ponte Lambro (C0) ITALY
All Selections Published by NATISE SOUND MUSIC PUBLISHING (S.I.A.E.)
- DISTRIBUTED BY NOWO
RUSHES
10 SONGS FROM RUSSIA
BY STEVE LACY
Words:
Anna Akhmatoya
Osip Mandelstam
Marina Tsvetayeva
Music
written by Steve Lacy
between February, 1982 and February, 1984, mostly in Paris
Performers:
Irene Aebi, voice
Frederic Rzewski, piano
Steve Lacy, soprano saxophone
Recorded & mixed at NowoSounds Studio in Milan, September/November,
1989
Sound engineers: Dario Caglioni, Franco Zorzi
Produced by Gianfranco Salvatore
Associate producer: Patrizio Visco
Production assistant: Carmela Cadore
Photos by Orio Raffo, Milan, Italy
Cover art by Marinette Cueco
Juncus
Tenuis
(Poverty Rush)
Winter, 1987
Cover Design: Giuseppe Spada
Art Direction by Verios
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LINER NOTES
STEVE
LACY needs no introduction in jazz circles. The New York
born and Paris based performer has been a major figure in
jazz since the mid-Fifties, recognized for his personal sound
and making the soprano saxophone an integral part of the frontiers
of jazz music's creative dimensions while maintaining its
links to the traditions and to the founding fathers of this
art form, Mr. Lacy's inspirations and associations flow from
Ellington to Monk, Cecil Taylor and Gil Evans. He has performed
with many of the important figures of his time. His own composing
is prolific and includes over 150 songs on texts by, among
others, Brion Gysin, William Burroughs, Samuel Beckett, Guilaume
Apollinaire, Paul Eluard, George Braque, Francis Picabia,
texts from the Tao and, of course, by the above poets.
IRENE
AEBI'S association with Mr. Lacy dates back to the '60s
when both lived in Rome. Their artistic relationship has endured
and grown to this day. Many of Mr. Lacy's compositions have
been especially created for Mrs. Aebi's voice.
FREDERIC
RZEWSKI first met Steve Lacy and Irene Aebi in the Rome
period at the time when he was co-founding the experimental
working on the improvisational new music ensemble, Musica Elettronica
Viva. A gifted composer, Mr. Rzewski is noted for blending jazz
and classical styles (improvisation with written scores) with
a committment to social and political change reflected in such
landmark compositions as "Coming Together/Attica" and "The
People United Will Never Be Defeated".
NOTE
DI COPERTINA
Real
Jazz is "dissident" music. In Russia, poetry can be fatal. Of
these three poets, three of the famous "We are four"
(omitting only Pasternak), just one, Akhmatova, lived
a full life. But what a life! Of fame, honor, betrayal, persecution,
deprivation, neglect, and eventual partial restitution, after
much misery.
Mandelstam offended Stalin, and was crushed like an insect,
after having brought forth a carefully preserved, full life's
work, of timeless literature.
Tsvetayeva, another genius, carried on as long as she could,
but killed herself before she was 50.
Many of these texts are not yet available in Russia, except
in oral, or "Samizdat" form. Even in the West, these
poets' works are too little known.
One reason for setting these words to music, is to make them
better known (Set-Sung-Heard-Learned).
The Russian language is already music, especially when
made into rhyming or lyrical structures. My job was to fashion
and fix these strophes and images, without betraying their spirit,
into jazz art-songs; which can be repeated and played with,
for emphasis.
Each song has an introduction, which contains the material
for the improvisation. This "research" music, new every time,
is the elaboration, dialogue, meditation, commentary, on the
nature of the text, and provides the necessary relief, to the
form. The songs are detachable, but form a unity.
The order of the poems, makes a Garland: ABCBCBCBCB.
The progression of themes follows another structure, some
of the principal states of the Russian soul: truth, nature,
innocence, conspiracy, passion, design, suffering, betrayal,
death, redemption.
Elias Canettl said: music takes the sting out of the words.,
the power of these words is such, that the bite remains, especially
when one knows something of the historical context, and the
individual circumstances involved, in the struggle to survive,
and the price that was paid for these verses to have been preserved,
and eventually, find their place in the hearts and minds of
their listeners.
"The
words inform; the music gives wings".
Steve
Lacy (November, 1988)
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"Un disco prezioso e importante, perché ci ricorda
che il jazz è ricerca, dove ricerca significa non limitarsi
allo stato delle cose, ma evolvere, andare avanti, utilizzare
la propria capacità espressiva per dissentire".
Nicola Sani — FARE MUSICA
"Un’opera densa di amore, cultura e verità".
Mario Luzzi — SUONO"
"Un sole tra i pianeti… Malinconia pre-glasnot, ascetica
politezza, e un intelligente senso del dettaglio".
Kevin Whitehead — DOWN BEAT (USA)
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STEVE
LACY
