MARILYN MAZUR - Flamingo Sky
Stunt Records – STUCD 14122
Marilyn Mazur (drums, piano, vocal, percussion) Josefine Cronholm (vocal, percussion) Krister Jonsson (guitar, live electronics) with Klavs Hovman (electric bass on two tracks) Recorded in Denmark, February 24th & 25th 2014.
Principally a percussionist whose work has graced recordings by Miles Davis, Gil Evans, Wayne Shorter and most notably Jan Garbarek, Marilyn Mazur inhabits a cross genre artistic position that takes in world music, jazz , rock and Latin –American rhythms , as well as the avant- garde abstractions of musicians like Harry Partch , George Crumb and even John Cage. All those tendencies are on display in this fascinating disc in which she performs in the context of a trio format, augmented by a fourth instrument-electric bass- on two tracks.
Presiding over an array of exotic percussion instruments as well as making recourse to the piano for some rubato musings she is aided in her endeavour by the remarkable vocal prowess of Josefine Cronholm who contributes mainly wordless refrains, primeval ululations, recitations and other oral sound effects to a playlist of original compositions by Mazur and her associates. Apart from the diverse rhythmic permutations the main jazz interest comes from Jonsson’s scorchy guitar in which Zappaesque rock licks modulate into boppish linearity. Jonsson is also responsible for the added electronic s which fill out the harmonic landscape with drones and distortions and occasionally take a central, defining role in atmospheric vignettes of a decidedly contemporary classical nature.
It might be said the musical effects are actually more interesting that the tunes themselves which are simply vehicles enabling Mazur to display her talents as a musical colourist (she is also responsible for the vivid cover art which graces the slip case) which. I have to say, exceed those of her powers as a lyric writer. Five of the songs contain rather half baked new age homilies which I found rather cloying and a further tune has a Hilaire Belloc type rhyme, for which Mazur cannot be blamed, which some may find amusing but to me was merely irritating: providing one is able to side step these difficulties `Flamingo Sky` has arresting qualities that will both beguile and thrill those with a taste for musical eclecticism.
Reviewed by Euan Dixon
Stunt Records – STUCD 14122
Marilyn Mazur (drums, piano, vocal, percussion) Josefine Cronholm (vocal, percussion) Krister Jonsson (guitar, live electronics) with Klavs Hovman (electric bass on two tracks) Recorded in Denmark, February 24th & 25th 2014.
Principally a percussionist whose work has graced recordings by Miles Davis, Gil Evans, Wayne Shorter and most notably Jan Garbarek, Marilyn Mazur inhabits a cross genre artistic position that takes in world music, jazz , rock and Latin –American rhythms , as well as the avant- garde abstractions of musicians like Harry Partch , George Crumb and even John Cage. All those tendencies are on display in this fascinating disc in which she performs in the context of a trio format, augmented by a fourth instrument-electric bass- on two tracks.
Presiding over an array of exotic percussion instruments as well as making recourse to the piano for some rubato musings she is aided in her endeavour by the remarkable vocal prowess of Josefine Cronholm who contributes mainly wordless refrains, primeval ululations, recitations and other oral sound effects to a playlist of original compositions by Mazur and her associates. Apart from the diverse rhythmic permutations the main jazz interest comes from Jonsson’s scorchy guitar in which Zappaesque rock licks modulate into boppish linearity. Jonsson is also responsible for the added electronic s which fill out the harmonic landscape with drones and distortions and occasionally take a central, defining role in atmospheric vignettes of a decidedly contemporary classical nature.
It might be said the musical effects are actually more interesting that the tunes themselves which are simply vehicles enabling Mazur to display her talents as a musical colourist (she is also responsible for the vivid cover art which graces the slip case) which. I have to say, exceed those of her powers as a lyric writer. Five of the songs contain rather half baked new age homilies which I found rather cloying and a further tune has a Hilaire Belloc type rhyme, for which Mazur cannot be blamed, which some may find amusing but to me was merely irritating: providing one is able to side step these difficulties `Flamingo Sky` has arresting qualities that will both beguile and thrill those with a taste for musical eclecticism.
Reviewed by Euan Dixon
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