JAZZBO NOTES HIGHLY RECOMMENDED RECORDING
Rating: 
Faces is like nothing you’ve probably heard before. The instrumentation is highly unusual, consisting of French horn, vibraharp/marimba (David Friedman), cello (David Darling), and drums (Jon Christensen). Although there is a certain amount of improvisation, the focus of this music is the evocation of mood, which it does superbly.
Considering that I prize virtuosity so highly, it might seem odd that I am recommending Faces, but that speaks to how remarkably well it does what it does.
The opening track, the 15 minute plus Abha Kingdom, is the best reason to own this recording. Clark overdubs himself on French horn to provide the stately open voiced backing chords and melody that makes you think of some ancient, wise, peaceful forgotten kingdom.
The piece that rounds out the first side of the LP, Lament, is of a more melancholy and explorative bent, but quite lovely nonetheless.
Silver Rain, on the other hand, is playful, having a vaguely African bent to it. The simple major key folkloric nature of the tune allows the musicians to play around the edges, taking liberties with the rhythms while still maintaining the integrity of the tune. Clark and Friedman take turns on the solos.
The shimmery textures of Faces in the Fire are accentuated by David Darling’s echoey cello as it fades in and out of the arrangement. The overall effect is vaguely spooky, like seeing ghostly images in the dancing flames of a campfire. The companion piece, Faces in the Sky is more peaceful, with Clark’s French horn supplying a benediction while Darling’s cello provides harmonic support.
The one misstep is the closer, You Did It You Did It! This irritating and unwelcome attempt at humor falls flat and dissipates the magical spell cast by the rest of the album. Then again, at a little under 5 minutes, the tune doesn’t waste much time and could be easily cut.
Easily cut from what, you might ask. From the CD you’re going to make from the LP, that’s what.
Faces is only available on LP, which is one of the reasons you need to own a turntable. (See my posts Why You STILL Need to Own a Turntable and Taking Care of Your Old LPs - Transferring to CD Part 1.)
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