column
by Genevieve Williams
Spring has roared in like a lion this year, as those of you who were at the Spring Mysteries festival (only a week past as I write this) can especially appreciate. After an almost balmy winter, a windy, rainy spring seems appropriate.
In one of those odd cases of serendipity that occasionally strikes, this Beltaine edition of Earth Tones happens to contain a lot of season-appropriate music, a goal I often strive for but all too rarely reach. This time, I present Gül: The Rose from Latif Bolat; the debut from John Lee Hooker, Jr.; Mediterranean fusion on the air with Radio Tarifa; a two-disc extravaganza from the Masters of Persian Music; and the one recording of Rite of Spring you ought to own, if you have to pick just one.
Originally from Turkey, Latif Bolat has made his home in the United States in recent years, traveling the country extensively to give concerts and workshops on traditional Turkish music. Gül: The Rose (self-released) is the singer and composer's fourth CD, a tasteful (and tasty) collection of mystical, devotional music; the CD's subtitle is Mystic Love Songs from Turkey. Lyrics and poetry from a variety of sources are set to music mostly of Bolat's composition and performed on instruments ranging from oud and bouzouki to cello and trumpet. The subject, as one might gather from the subtitle, is love: love for the divine, for the world and for one another. A strong Sufi element runs through and informs Bolat's music, fusing references to the divine and the beloved into a unified whole. Bolat, who possesses degrees in folklore and music, and who counts himself a teacher as well as a musician, here alights on the principal purposes of both: to enlighten as well as entertain, and to open the heart as well as the mind. What better accompaniment to this time of year?
The children of famous blues players get it coming and going. In the blues, like in most folk traditions and unlike in pop or rock music, an artist gets no points for youth. Quite the opposite, in fact; Jonny Lang and Kenny Wayne Shepherd notwithstanding (both of whom had mentors), it's fairly unusual to find a blues musician breaking out under the age of 30.
John Lee Hooker, Jr., isn't under 30, but he does have the famous-name thing to contend with. Even the most casual blues fan knows who John Lee Hooker is and might be forgiven for wondering at Hooker, Jr., scoring a Grammy nomination his first time out of the gate with Blues with a Vengeance (Kent Records).
All I have to say is give the CD a spin before making up your mind. I had the good fortune to catch a live show earlier this year (an experience I definitely recommend if you get the chance), but the CD is well worth hearing, too. Hooker, Jr., didn't just start doing this in the last year; in fact, he appeared on an album with his father back in the 1970s, making a promising start to a blues career. That promise disappeared for awhile, derailed by personal problems for a good 25 years. With Blues with a Vengeance, though, Hooker, Jr., comes roaring back. It's a world-wise, world-weary, but overall life-affirming recording brimming with the same energy that had the entire New Orleans Café bouncing on its feet. Hooker, Jr., acknowledges his father while neither imitating him nor refusing to step into his territory. The result is a vibrant collection of solid modern blues music that fans should pick up immediately.
Tarifa is a town in Spain. Located at the southernmost tip of the country, it is the point in Europe that is closest to Africa. Radio Tarifa is an ensemble based on what a radio station in Tarifa would be like, if one actually existed; a musical and cultural blending of Arabian and Mediterranean, rather like Spain itself. The group's live album, Fiebre (World Circuit/Nonesuch), is a celebration of its tenth anniversary. It's an energetic, exciting recording that captures the vitality of a Radio Tarifa live performance about as well as one could expect: It's not the same as being there, but it's as close as one can get on CD. Spanish, North African and Middle Eastern influences swirl about a solid musical foundation, creating a unified whole that successfully incorporates instrumentation, rhythm, and arrangement drawn from all over the world. As I've said before, there's an upside to musical globalization, and this is it: the ability of skilled musicians to create a true stylistic melting pot, out of which comes something truly novel yet accessible.
The group centers around a trio of musicians: Faín S. Dueñas (percussion), Benjamin Escoriza (vocals); and Vincent Molino (flute). They are joined here by several other instrumentalists and backing vocalists, but the result is as tightly wound as a smaller ensemble and roars along like a perfectly tuned engine. Fiebre is infectiously danceable; with strains of flamenco, jazz, traditional folk songs, and plenty more in the mix, there's something for everyone. Need something with a good beat that your circle can dance to? Look no further.
For something a little more low-key, try on the Masters of Persian Music's two-CD set Faryad (World Village) for size. Consisting of three of the most highly recognized and critically acclaimed Iranian musicians and a son of one of those three, the quartet's music features both traditional songs and original compositions in the Persian classical style lately experiencing resurgence in Iran. By focusing on ensemble performance rather than the singer-and-accompanist style more traditional in Persian classical music, the group achieves a modern aesthetic perfectly in keeping with Persia's legendary status as a crossroads of civilization.
The music itself will probably arouse feelings of contemplation in Western listeners, and the Sufi influence on Persian music suggests that this is a valid interpretation. A sense of silence and mystery lies at the heart of this collection; listening to it is like wandering slowly through a series of rooms, passing through curtained doorways to something hidden at the center. Faryad is an engaging auditory experience that, in contrast to the CDs reviewed above, encourages quiet attention.
Igor Stravinsky's Rite of Spring is one of the most-hailed works of classical music of the twentieth century, but at its early performances it attracted notoriety rather than approbation, due at least in part to the style of the ballet. However, the music was unlike anything listeners had heard before. Though it drew on the sense of pagan antiquity that was of such critical importance to the passing Romantic era, there was something thoroughly modern about it in its sensibility and execution. It's a massive work, but not in the overwrought sense of Wagner. Instead, in its obsessive repetition of rhythm or variations on a melody or motif, it develops weight and impact through what are often quite simple musical tropes.
This recording, conducted by Valery Gergiev (whose Firebird also ranks among my favorite classical recordings) and performed by the Kirov Orchestra, stresses the rawness of Stravinsky's composition. Many orchestras tend to soften the Rite's impact, weakening it substantially in the process. This is not a pretty composition; its beauty derives from an entirely different sensibility, one that Gergiev and the Kirov take care to bring about. There is nothing random or uncultivated about their performance, but it does have a feral, unrestrained quality entirely in keeping with Stravinsky's score. This recording was a Gramophone's Choice in Gramophone magazine, an honor reserved for the best in classical music. Listening to it, even if you've never seen the ballet, is a highly uncanny experience. As an added bonus, you also get a recording of Alexander Scriabin's The Poem of Ecstasy. Scriabin was a teacher of Stravinsky's, and although the Poem is highly Romantic in flavor, its influence on the Rite is audible.
That's it until Litha. In the meantime, there are some great shows coming up. Check `em out:
May 1, Gaia Consort and Jamie Sieber perform at the Benefit for the Cascadia Alternative Spirituality Association, and you can see www.gaiaconsort.com for information; May 5--8, performance of Crowley's Rite of Luna at Hugo House in Seattle, www.riteofluna.com; May 18, guitarist Kaki King performs at the Triple Door in Seattle, www.thetripledoor.net; May 7, the Seattle Peace Chorus performs at Seattle Town Hall, www.townhallseattle.org
Genevieve Williams is a Seattle freelance writer and drummer. She can be reached at rimrun@drizzle.com with feedback, suggestions or recommendations. Local musicians and pagan groups are encouraged to submit material for review and show listings.
Copyright © 2006 by the article's author