travelling_in_curves_promo_booklet
TRANSCRIPT
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The WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN & WHY Guide to
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For Immediate Release
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The WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN & WHY Guide to
Patrick McDonagh: syntax expeditor Trevor Gould: artwork
Katherine Knight: photography
Thanks to Jennifer Giles for her assistance with the score analysis and leadsheet.
For more information, please contact
Robert McFadden73 chemin Juniper Chelsea, Quebec
J9B 1T3CANADA
phone: (1) 819-827-1788fax: (1) 484-698-5216
email: [email protected]: TravellingInCurves.com
The music, text, design, and images included in and with this publication are for promotional purposesonly and are protected by copyright law. Any duplication or transmission, by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, is an infringement of copyright.
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In Memoriam
It was with great sadness that all of us involved in the Travelling in Curves
project learned of the death of our friend and colleague Alun Davies in February
2008.
Alun’s role in the cd goes far beyond that singular bass sound you hear on these
tracks. The very notion of making a cd grew from recordings of arrangement
sketches swapped between the two of us to supplement the improvisational
approach of our rehearsals and gigs. As Zakari Frantz (alto sax), Jennifer Giles
(piano), and Mike Essoudry (drums) added their individual, contrasting voices to
the fray, Alun’s attentiveness ensured these tunes maintained the simplicity,
directness and intimacy we both heard at the heart of the music and recognized
in the best moments of our playing together.
Those fortunate enough to have collaborated with Alun were deeply impressed
by the uncompromising personal dedication and directness which he brought to
every project he undertook. Travelling in Curves documents a special
production sensibility applied to an unusual set of musical and performance
challenges. It is also a testament to an immensely gratifying, provocative and
generous relationship - professional and personal - with a dear friend warmly
remembered.
Robert McFaddenChelsea, QuebecApril 2008
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Travelling in Curves
The music of Travelling in Curves sketches the emotional landscapes we
traverse through the challenges, surprises and pleasures of daily life. Whispers
of anticipation open to pools of certainty; clouds of doubt break in sweeps of
exhilaration. This succession of feelings is traced through the individual tunes;
sometimes within the space of a few bars. Pieces such as Souvenirs
(deux/trois) riff on an emotional refrain, punctured periodically by secondary
turns of memory. Others, like Second Thoughts, explore a wider range of
emotional colours – some dark, some absurd, some hopeful: the palette of
feelings many of us experience when having our own second thoughts.
These visceral transitions are underscored by the writing, arrangements and
performances of the ten original tunes on this album. Familiar sounds are
infused with the pleasures of musical invention and genre bending. Blues, ballad
and Spanish-inflected pieces develop as simple, logical motifs progress through
surprising turns of time, form, and harmony. These are tunes played in reference
to a palette of musical ideas rather than particular styles; music that thrives on
the creative tension generated by mixing the familiar and the singular. This
eclecticism echoes in the album’s voices and languages. While the
instrumentation of guitar, saxophone, piano, bass, and drums is well known to
any listener of popular western music, the quintet on this album speaks with
inflections originating in non-western and modern classical playing. A reflection
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of the players’ experience, these inflections also derive from the fresh
compositional approach evident throughout the album.
Stretching forms and conventions has always been essential to Robert
McFadden’s music. In Travelling in Curves, the processes and history of jazz
are drawn upon as points of departure. “I wanted to know more about how
players meeting for the first time could head off on that amazing rollercoaster of
sound. I found this rich ferment of understandings, backgrounds, intentions: all
those things that get people playing this music and moving it in new, unexpected
directions.” To the casual listener, Robert’s recent music is jazz, pure and simple.
To the jazz aficionado, these tunes have an outside feel that runs directly to the
root of the jazz tradition. As Bill Strickland reminds us, “Jazz is a state of mind in
which possibilities for innovation and discovery are revealed to you, and you are
able to tap into deep reserves of commitment and passion.”*
In jazz, convictions, enquiries and epiphanies are usually the stuff of
improvisation, with starting points provided by the players’ sound and experience,
and the tune itself. Robert’s music extends this flow of connections by drawing
upon familiar life experiences for the emotional source in his writing. It is music
that looks to reveal, affirm, inspire and challenge our experience of music, the
worlds in which we live, and our own self-perceptions.
* Bill Strickland, Moment by Moment, Jazz Times, February 2008, p. 28
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SOUVENIRS (DEUX/TROIS)
The following analysis and leadsheet provide a sense of the conceptual and compositional approach to the tunes on Travelling in Curves. The overriding emphasis is on exploration and emotional weight rather than technical aspectssuch as tempo or style. The leadsheet instructions to performers (at the top left)function more as questions than guidelines. They are also reminders to have funwith the pieces.
Who says that an extraordinary rhythmic scheme has to be the kiss of deathwhen it comes to hummable ear candy? Souvenirs (deux/trois) has a noveltwist to its AABA structure. The A section features a 13/4 feel (written II: 4/4 I3/4 I 4/4 I 2/4 :II). In contrast, the B section is in 4/4. An extraordinary rhythmicscheme indeed. Still, you will be hard pressed not to be whistling this tune by thethird time you’ve heard it.
The melody in Souvenirs (deux/trois) is extremely simple. The A section is aset of variations on the 1/8 note motif given in the first two bars, mainly layingback from the downbeat. The B section introduces a second idea comprised of longer notes.
Harmonically, the piece is also straightforward. The A section is a standard vi, ii,V, I pattern in the key of C, with a Spanish tinge (E7, F7, E7) added to the end.The B section nudges the composition forward beginning with a ii, V, I pattern inthe key of F. This is followed by a cycle series ending with another Spanish tinge(D7, D#7, D7).
The appeal of any tune comes from its balance of tension and release. InSouvenirs (deux/trois) tension is introduced principally through the 13/4 feel of the A section. Release comes with the familiar 4/4 of the B section, and – lessobviously – with the 4/4 at the very end. This mix of meters essentially providesthe hook for the piece.
While the title translates literally from French as Memories (Two/Three), it alsoworks as a pun when spoken: Memories of You. To be played “frankly”, thistune is best delivered without affectation: think Frank.
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SOUVENIRS (DEUX/TROIS)
frankly music by Robert McFadden
Copyright © 2008 Robert McFaddenInternational Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved.
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Biography
photograph © Katherine Knight 2008
Robert McFadden has been writing and performing music since the late 1970’s.
Originally trained as a visual artist, Robert developed his music as part of a
multidisciplinary practice including installation, digital media, and performance
art.
Early projects give a clue to the diversity in Robert’s approach: Sounds on
Wednesdays (1978), a free improvisation series hosted by the National Gallery
of Canada; The Post Barbie Band (1978 - 81), a cocktail of musicians, artists
and programmers performing in clubs and art galleries; and People in the
Speakers (1986 – 90), a karaoke/movement ensemble championed by Gay
Delorme (Frank Zappa, k.d. laing) as “seriously bent; way hip”.
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Constructing Nature and The Edge of the World - musical performances
playing off Broadway, roots, jazz and minimalist genres - were presented in the
late 80’s and early 90’s at The Western Front (Vancouver), Globe Theatre
(Regina), A Space (Toronto) and The Slade (London, England). For Those Who
Stand For , a virtual reality soundscape produced at the Banff Centre for the Arts,
was recognized in 1992 at Ars Electronica (Linz, Austria).
In 1993 Robert began work on ventures in sound production, digital animation
and software development for companies such as Softimage, Microsoft and Avid
Technologies with clients including Industrial Light and Magic, Mainframe
Entertainment and Disney. In 2004, a two-week hiatus taken to consider ideas
about jazz improvisation grew into a four year full-time process of listening,
studying, jamming, composing and recording. Travelling in Curves, a cd
release with Robert McFadden (guitar), Zakari Frantz (alto sax), Jennifer Giles
(piano), Alun Davies (bass) and Mike Essoudry (drums), documents recent
developments in this exploration.
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Musician Biographies
Zakari Frantz (saxophone)
Zakari has quickly earned a reputation as a versatile and lyrical reed player sharing the
stage artists such as Femi Anikulapo Kuti, Dele Sosimi and Joe Sealy. Over the past
year Zakari has played to great acclaim with the Soul Jazz Orchestra in Europe, across
Canada, and at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Zakari is a graduate of Boise State
University where he studied saxophone with Brent Jensen.
Jennifer Giles (piano)
Trained as a classical pianist with degrees from McGill University (Montreal), Jennifer
teaches ear training, music theory and keyboard classes (Concordia University, Carleton
University). Jennifer’s playing focuses on free improvisation with groups including
Radar and Rakestar .
Alun Davies (bass)
Classically trained, Jaco-inspired and fuelled on the sounds of North Africa and India,
Alun’s reputation as a sideman, session player, engineer, composer and producer grew
though work in R&B, fusion, world beat, hip-hop and rap with artists including Juno
Award winners Maestro Wes Fresh, 2 Rude, and Glenn Lewis. In 2005, Alun returned
to the bass full-time, playing with Ropeadope recording artists Antizario until his death
in February 2008.
Mike Essoudry (drums)
Rooted in popular music - rock and jazz – Mike brings a unique blend of groove/riff
based playing to groups exploring the frontiers of folk (Megan Jerome Trio), country
(Three Jimmies), and free improvisation (Parade, Fly Poem). A composer and
percussionist, Mike has a Masters in Jazz Drumset from McGill University (Montreal).
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The WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN & WHY Guide to
MP3 TRACKS Souvenirs (deux/trois) (5:52)Second Thoughts (4:39)Swimming to the Moon (4:49)Simple Pleasures (6:03)Escaleras Azules (7:26)
The Gucci Effect (8:06)As If (This Could Make a Difference) (4:36)Tongues Will Wag (6:18)Misha (5:44)Pas des tous (7:32)
All compositions © Robert McFadden (SOCAN) 2008
MUSICIANS
Robert McFadden: guitar Zakari Frantz: alto saxophoneJennifer Giles: pianoAlun Davies: bassMike Essoudry: drums
PRODUCTION James Stephens / Stove Studios: audio expeditor David Bignell / Heat of Sound: mixing engineer David Cain / SoundMaster Studios: mastering engineer
© ® Robert McFadden (SOCAN) 2008. All rights reserved.
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Acclaim for TRAVELLING IN CURVES
“Like meeting an old friend for the first time” - Deborah Dunn, choreographer (Trial & Eros Dance Theatre)
“Urbane and heartfelt in its’ directness” - James Stephens, musician/producer (Ian Tamblyn, Fat Man Waving)
“Lovely, lovely, lovely”
- Linsey Wellman, musician (Galitcha, Kobo Town, Worlds Collide)
Intimate, wry & soulful jazz with art house roots & world beat branches.
Does improvising make a difference to your perceptions of the people and situations around you?Must an extraordinary rhythmic scheme really spell thekiss of death for hummable ear candy?
Hold on to your hat: this handy introduction blows thehouse down to tell about the people, inspirations andinfluences behind the production of the 2008 cdrelease Travelling in Curves. Inside you will find atribute to musician/producer Alun Davies, background
notes on the project, a sample analysis and leadsheet, biographies on composer
Robert McFadden and the musicians, and photographs. It might just knock your hat off.
Also includes a data cd with a digital version of The WHO, WHAT, WHERE and WHY Guide to TRAVELLING IN CURVES , along with mp3 versions of thecomplete album for easy transfer to your iPod and other personal listening devices. This material is also available from W5.TravellingInCurves.com.Please contact Robert McFadden directly if you would like to learn more, obtainfurther material or could just do with some assistance.
email: [email protected]
phone: (1) 819-827-1788