Fluid Rustle - Eberhard Weber

Jul

3

Fluid Rustle - Eberhard Weber

≡ Category: 1970s, Highly Recommended, Reviews, World Fusion |
≅ Written by: Michael Kydonieus

JAZZBO NOTES HIGHLY RECOMMENDED RECORDING

Rating:

In Fluid Rustle, Eberhard Weber is trying to do something a little different from what he accomplished with his superb unit Colors. Whereas releases like Color of Chloe, Yellow Fields, and Silent Feet were group jazz with ideas drawn from the European classical tradition as well as modern minalism, Fluid Rustle consists of four tone poems, using the same influences, but with only a modest amount of improvisation. Is that jazz? Well, I say it is, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

As with his compositions for his group Colors, the tunes on Fluid Rustle develop glacially and logically. Eberhard Weber has chosen a fascinating tonal palette for this release: Bonnie Heman and Norma Winstone take the vocal duties, Gary Burton plays vibraharp and marimba, and Bill Frisell plays guitar and balalaika, a Russian string instrument. In addition to his usual acoustic bass, Eberhard Weber also plays tarang.

I’m actually not sure which tarang Eberhard Weber is playing. There are actually a bunch of tarangs. There is a Bulbul tarang, which is like an Indian Banjo. There’s a Jal tarang, which is a series of bowls filled with water which are struck with cotton covered sticks to create sound. There’s also a Lauh tarang, a kind of percussion instrument which consists of metal disks hanging from a lattice.

Anyway, I digress.

Weber writes wonderfully for voice, and he is fortunate to have Bonnie Herman and Norma Winstone, who both have lovely voices that can stay on pitch. Weber Weber wisely uses Bill Frisell for his tonal mastery instead of forcing us to sit through Frisell’s pathetic attempts to improvise. Actually, Frisell does improvise a little bit, but he doesn’t embarrass himself for a change. The lion’s share of the improvisational duties fall to Gary Burton, who displays a lyrical touch with the European classical music and minimalist structures Weber has provided. Burton makes concise statements which fit beautifully in the somewhat rigid confines of these largely through-composed pieces.

The point of Fluid Rustle is really Eberhard Weber’s compositions and arranging. The improvisations of Gary Burton, as lovely as they may be, are just icing on the cake. So, if fluid, haunting, impressionistic tone poems are your cup of tea, you could scarcely do better than Fluid Rustle.