Hailed as "one of the most distinctive pianists on the German jazz scene" and described by herself as a genre-open pianist and composer, on the strength of this, and a previous album. Clara Haberkamp is certainly all of those.
As such it is difficult to decide which idiom a particular track is aimed at as quite often the horses are changed midstream which adds to the variety and gives the reviewer the opportunity to throw in that good old jazz phrase the sound of surprise which is always a useful tool to have on standby.
Love Maps: A delicate original that charts the inner world of a loved one, their emotional terrain, their history, dreams, fears, desires and much more. I just found it a sensitive ballad without the above baggage.
Butoh and Ballet: Haberkamp unleashes enough power in the opening bars to keep an army of piano tuners in full employment. This section relates to the Butoh, seemingly a Japanese dance that embodies raw emotion. By way of contrast Ballet is more graceful and the pianist works them beautifully together.
Air: Based on one of Bach's most familiar workss (and not a Hamlet cigar in sight!)
The improvisation is just right for the piece blending in seamlessly with JSB's original. Marvellous.
Never Letting go: One of two vocals by Haberkamp. Composed by Stephen Bishop it tells of fighting for someone and never letting go. The soft, lovelorn voice tears at the heartstrings. Such is the passion shown in the vocal that I found myself becoming both the winner and the loser in this romance.
Tempus Fugit: The well-known Bud Powell fingerbuster is given a short workout which enables Haberkamp to get the essence if not the depth of the piece - nobody other than Powell could.
A Kiss Between the Brows: Another original. Tenderness. No words is how the composer describes it. That cuts it okay with me.
My Funny Valentine/In Einem Kühlen Grunde: Two standards - one American one German are combined for this one. Rodgers and Hart provided the former in the last century Glück-Eichendorff quill penned the latter a century earlier. A pleasant pairing.
Diamond Ribbon: Another original that is interesting but although I had explanatory notes I ignored them and let the music tell its own tale.
Waldstein-Improvisation: Bach done and dusted, Beethoven moves into the hot seat. Haberkamp approaches it with all guns blazing and I don't think Ludwig V. would have objected.
Wild is the Wind: From Bach to Beethoven to Bowie. A fitting end to an album that must surely appeal to all but the blinkered listener. Lance
CD/digital release tomorrow (June 5)
No comments :
Post a Comment