Eight original compositions by Kuhn drawn from her imagery of feathers, flight, fire and snow to explore themes of hope and resilience. Truly an ambitious project that was well beyond the bounds of my own imagery - old bebopper that I am.
Nevertheless, ignoring all the P.R. mullarkey, there are compelling moments and certainly Kuhn has a beautiful sound. The tone, rich and resonant, could well have been recorded in a high ceilinged cathedral. It brought to mind The Last Post being played at the graveside of the fallen. The opening chorus of Telephone is just such a moment where the tonal clarity, totally unaccompanied, crosses genres setting an instrumental benchmark for any trumpet player.
Fortunately it's not all doom and gloom. Stagl's will-o'the-wisp vocals float on gossamer wings sometimes in unison with Kuhn who is fleet of finger and tongues with a Puck-like agility. There are free-for-all moments when the feathers fly in different directions - the dissonance is not displeasing.
As the album progressed, a miracle occurred! Listening to Feathered Things ll. Icarus suddenly it wasn't mallarkey at all! The imagery became real and the titles were now relevant and meaningful. I'd made the classic mistake of hearing rather than listening. Don't you make the same mistake. Check it out on your chosen social - you won't regret it. Lance
Telephone; Vaulted; Feathered Things: 1: For Those Left Behind, ll: Icarus, lll: Wingspan, lV: As the Crow Flies, V: Gratitude; Snowfall
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