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Alex Cline Ensemble
In the spirit of his work on ECM and Nine Winds, Cryptogramophone presents Cline's latest CD, "Sparks Fly Upward". This percussion, voice, violin, guitar, keyboard, bass lineup blurs the lines between jazz and contemporary chamber music. CD producer , and jazz legend, Peter Erskine had this to say about the disc, "This recording is like a very special letter, written by a wise friend; the news it carries is current, but its real message is timeless. The musicianship is inspired. The engineering is translucent. This album…is a gift." Cline wrote and arranged all six of the compositions on the album. He is one of the few percussionists who has taken the lessons of the old school and gone in a different direction to find his own inner voice. In this, he has succeeded admirably. In a sense, "Sparks Fly Upward" is a music of transcendence, of spirituality and celebration. Quite simply, it demands and quickly rewards the closest attention. As always, Cline has give intense thought to his choice of musical companions. If this is a music of melancholy, it is also a music of redemption and hope. In summary, this is another eclectic masterpiece by one of America's premier figures in modern jazz. highly recommended. Review by Ben Kettlewell information:
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Drummer/percussionist,
Alex Cline is visionary and compelling by any standard. He
is a player who maintains a straight-forward form of
expression devoid of unnecessary grandstanding. There's no
doubt that sparseness informs his best work, as with his
earlier ECM releases.