ABDULLAH IBRAHIM – The Song Is My Story
INTUITION INT 3422 2 (CD & DVD 2 Disc set)
Abdullah Ibrahim (grand piano & saxophone)
Recorded June 24th & 25th 2014 at Fazioli Concert Hall, Sacile, Italy.
In this handsome two disc set the audio element presents seventeen vignettes of a reflective nature that taken together resemble a rosary of musical memories, echoes of people and places encountered during a long and distinguished career. Some of the pieces are mere fragments in terms of duration but they sparkle with the intensity of precious stones whilst others are darker hued impressions of the composer’s personal narrative. There are allusions to folk like melodies, plagal cadences of a spiritual nature and impressionistic chromatics that betoken desert wastes and misty vistas, all delivered within an aura of quiet mysticism that is the hallmark of Ibrahim’s unique art. Some of these meditations are based on previous compositions but at least half are spontaneous improvisations and the whole recital is topped and tailed by brief sketches performed solo on alto saxophone.
In the DVD, Ibrahim, seated at his piano , gives a fascinating account of his life in music and the provenience of his compositions particularly his magnum opus `Mannenberg` which became an anthem of resistance in the struggle against apartheid. Cut with shots of him strolling through the attractive north eastern Italian city of Sacile, the DVD then concludes with a live performance in the town’s concert hall before an appreciative audience which takes in many of his classic compositions and a admits a touch of free, but always melodious, improvisation. The whole package is beautifully recorded, photographed and produced making it a `must have` acquisition for those who have followed his celebrated career and an accessible starting point for those yet to delve into his back pages.
Reviewed by Euan Dixon
INTUITION INT 3422 2 (CD & DVD 2 Disc set)
Abdullah Ibrahim (grand piano & saxophone)
Recorded June 24th & 25th 2014 at Fazioli Concert Hall, Sacile, Italy.
In this handsome two disc set the audio element presents seventeen vignettes of a reflective nature that taken together resemble a rosary of musical memories, echoes of people and places encountered during a long and distinguished career. Some of the pieces are mere fragments in terms of duration but they sparkle with the intensity of precious stones whilst others are darker hued impressions of the composer’s personal narrative. There are allusions to folk like melodies, plagal cadences of a spiritual nature and impressionistic chromatics that betoken desert wastes and misty vistas, all delivered within an aura of quiet mysticism that is the hallmark of Ibrahim’s unique art. Some of these meditations are based on previous compositions but at least half are spontaneous improvisations and the whole recital is topped and tailed by brief sketches performed solo on alto saxophone.
In the DVD, Ibrahim, seated at his piano , gives a fascinating account of his life in music and the provenience of his compositions particularly his magnum opus `Mannenberg` which became an anthem of resistance in the struggle against apartheid. Cut with shots of him strolling through the attractive north eastern Italian city of Sacile, the DVD then concludes with a live performance in the town’s concert hall before an appreciative audience which takes in many of his classic compositions and a admits a touch of free, but always melodious, improvisation. The whole package is beautifully recorded, photographed and produced making it a `must have` acquisition for those who have followed his celebrated career and an accessible starting point for those yet to delve into his back pages.
Reviewed by Euan Dixon
