Myra Melford - Snowy Egret (2015)

Myra Melford's piano playing sparkles like the blues, enchants like eastern music and illicits wonder like the great classical works. This unique blend is also present in her compositions, which arouse both emotion and the intellect. Galeano's 'Memoria del fuego' is a collage of fiction, travelogue, newspaper articles and letters, with which he creates his own Latin America. He re-writes and polishes up alternative creation myths. 'Snowy Egret' is a musical evocation of myths about the American continent. Duos, solos and counterpoint emphasize isolation, but simultaneously argue for an alternative way of life, in a community with shared values. Just like musical chords. As a musical extension of previous ensembles, 'Snowy Egret' polishes the mystique of Galeano's dream language to a high musical gloss. Re-imagined? For Melford this means multimedia, with butoh and video mixing, text declamation and graphic musical notation. Melford's music blends classical with blues piano, North-Indian harmonium, Frank Lloyd Wright's organic architecture, James Joyce, the paintings of Don Reich, Zen Buddhism and Rumi poems. Liberally drawing on a range of inspirational sources, her music keeps the listener on the edge of his seat.

Tracklist:

01. Language (5:27)
02. Night of Sorrow (6:43)
03. Promised Land (5:43)
04. Ching Ching / For Love of Fruit (5:31)
05. The Kitchen (6:55)
06. Times of Sleep and Fate (5:50)
07. Little Pockets / Everyone Pays Taxes (4:32)
08. First Protest (5:29)
09. The Virgin of Guadalupe (8:33)
10. The Strawberry (5:36)

Personnel:

Myra Melford: piano, melodica
Ron Miles: cornet
Liberty Ellman: guitar
Stomu Takeishi: bass guitar
Tyshawn Sorey: drums