Aruan Ortiz: Pastor’s Paradox

Pianist and composer Aruan Ortiz puts together an album dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the “Freedom March” led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., famed for the “I   have a dream” speech. Here, Mtume Gant recites some of Kings speeches supported by various musical settings. “The Dream That Wasn’t Meant to Be Ours” includes Lester St. Louis’ cello, along wit Don Byron/cl-bcl and Pheeroan Aklaff in dark and moody abstraction. “Autumn Of Freedom” is edgy and restless in support of Gant, with “An Interval of Hope” more of a gospel feel with Ortiz and Gant giving a feel of a Memphis church. Byron’s bass clarinet is stark on “Pastor’s Paradox” while his clarinet veers around the herky jerky “Turning The Other Cheek No More”. A record of a dream fulfilled, or an out of reach promise?

www.cleanfeed-records.com

Leave a Reply