Rich reeds like the bassoon are well represented on these two recent releases from the always forward looking Neuma Records.
The three bassoonists Jos Lammerse, Freek Sluijis and Margreet Bongers are joined by violinist Emi Ohi Resnick, pianist Yvonne Troxler and percussionist Mak Haeldermans on this collection of mixtures and matchings. The album is divided into pairs of concise pieces the piano, percussion and violin playful as on “Spots 5,2” and the jaunty “Spots 4,7”. The longer tunes have a more reedy feely, with some lovely dremy ideas on “Duo” and dark moods and textures for “Flights of Fancy”. Some rich textures float on the penetrating “Lacrimosa” and the team is playful on “Romanze”. Double reed entendres.
The team of Cobus du Tolt/fl, Kemp Jemingan/ob, Romie de Guise-Langlois/cl, Jonathan Huling-Cohen/sax, Joshua Michal/horn and Romy Taghavi/bassoon mix and match on this collection of modern pieces that veer from jazz to modern classical. A suite entitled “7 Signs Yo Might Be Living In A Capitalist Hellscape” features clear bassoon work on ”No Amount of Self-Care Can Patch Your Soul Back Together” while the clock patiently ticks in silence for “You’re Still Waiting For That Economy to Trickle Down”, reminding me of the saying “ Capitalism is a terrible thing, except what it’s compared to”. A wondrous “Sextet” includes rich harmonics on “Prologue With Verve” and Old World tones on “Expressivo Con Movimento” The horns call and respond on the stimulating “St. Francis and the Birds” with melding clarinet, bassoon and flute forming dreamy thoughts for ‘Where Songs Go At Night”. Modern beauties.