Making a comeback in the jazz scene, the flute is displayed here on these recent releases showing its strength, beauty and flexibility.
Mayu Saeki plays flute, piccolo and traditional shinobue along with Aaron Goldberg-Nori Ochiai/p, Joe Sanders/b and John Davis/dr for six pastoral impressions. She’s able to create a hip groove with the team with a soul grooved “Dilemma” while Goldberg’s variations serenaded the lovely title track. Saeki’s woody shinobue teams with Davis’ mallets to crate a moody Asian theme on “Soshu-Yakyoku” while her piccolo is nocturnal with Ochiai on “Oblivion.” Reflective lilly pads are formed by Sanders’ electric bass on the gorgeous “Do You Know…?, completing a lovely walk through the garden.
Molly Alicia Barth brings her flute and alto flute to create a series of duets with guitarist Dieter Hennings. The pieces are in the modern classical vein, with some bluesy moments on “Five Haiku” and moody shadows on Jesse Jones’ “Sonata.” Barth’s flute wisps with sublime taste on “Shan Ge” and gives dashes of Asian harmonies o “Nai Guo Hou” and “Shining River.” Classy 21st Century classicism.
Diane Moser’s piano and compositions team her with Anton Denner/fl-pic and Ken Filiano/b for this elegiac collection of moods. Moser actually goes solo for a three pieced “MacDowells’ Woodlands Suite, Part 2” which is filled with thoughtful dreams, reflective space and expansive themes. A cheerful “Birdsongs for Eric (For Eric Dolphy)” has Denner cheerfully blowing while she is warm and fluid to the bowed bass on “Hello.” Some nice bop lines are palpable on “If You’ll Call Me, Then I’ll Call You” and his piccolo is bouncing well to the skipping cadence of “Dancin’ With The Sparrows.” Playful watercolors.
The trio of Mimi Stillman/fl, Nathan Vickery/cel and Charles Abramovic/p create modern sounding tributes from the pens of Jennifer Higdon, Andrea Clearfield, Zhou Tian and Shulamit Ran. The three part Higdon suite is a tribute to artists Georgei O’Keefe, Jackson Pollock and Andrew Wyeth, with modern harmonies, pizzicato’d pulses and bouncy flute flying over the passion. Clearfield’s “Spirit Island” includes complex dark dramas and mysterious long tones, while Ran’s Moon Songs, includes soprano Lucy Shelton for Mahleresque Lieders as on “Act III” and “Act IV.” The mix of flute and voice on “Creation” is a rich dramatic event. Cerebral stylings.
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