Clarinet and Saxophone
Troubled Waters seems an apt description of the world at the moment, and this CD presents music highlighting some of the earth’s most troublesome issues, performed exquisitely by the Ebonit Saxophone Quartet. The music is contemporary in nature and in places can be hard to digest, however those that invest in the disc are rewarded with an intriguing blend of complex melodies and harmonies.
The disc opens with compositions by Kevin Malone. When the World’s on Fire is a charming set of miniatures based on a folk song by the Carter Family, which juxtaposes the joviality and innocence of the source material against more sinister and subversive undertones. Following this is The Water Protectors, which opens with wild calls on saxophone mouthpieces and crooks, and further extended techniques and found sounds on the instrument. This piece was inspired by the composer attending and recording climate protests, and the piece has a raw and visceral nature. The final work by Malone is The Housatonic near Sandy Hook, which is infused throughout by a number of folk songs that have been inspired by the Housatonic River. The piece reflects on those killed in the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting and the fact that they will never grow up to learn the folk songs of their region.
The second half of the disc features compositions by Richard Whalley. Whalley’s compositions inhabit a similar sound world to those of Malone despite maintaining their own style. Whalley’s first offering is again When the World’s on Fire, with the source material easily recognisable but in a distinctly different setting to that of Malone. Iapetus Suture depicts a geological fault line, and extended techniques and breath noises are cleverly used to conjure up such images. The final track on the album, Refugees Welcome, offers empathy to refugees. It employs Arabic modes and West African rhythmic patterns, and the Ebonit Quartet deal with the required tuning adjustments and extended techniques in exemplary fashion. I would highly recommend this CD to anyone interested in contemporary chamber music; whilst it is certainly not easy listening, the music makes an important point, and the Ebonit Quartet is on fine form in this recording. The quartet has an excellent blend as well as impressive individual sounds, and all of the players demonstrate fantastic technique. Of particular note is Alberto Tárraga Alcañiz on soprano, who maintains a pure and clean sound right up into the highest reaches of the instrument.
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