Post-Cool European Jazz at its best - all star cast
G. S Senko | Media PA | 11/12/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It is like listening to a Samuel Barber piece in slow motion and getting a deeper glimpse of all the under-currents that create the emotional upswell it evokes. Worth listening to the half dozen times it takes to get it. Beautifully haunting tunes, the rich timbre of McCandess' Mariano inspired Coltrane-esque solos, great group interaction, Frisell's early comping (which hints of what is to come later with Paul Motion) and Eberhard Weber's evocative playing all contribute to this masterwork."
Jazzman
James K. Stewart | Louisville, Ky USA | 06/14/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The thing about Eberhard Weber's music, including this release, is that
you have to LISTEN closely. You don't catch it all the first few times.
And then - it all makes sense, like a perfectly crafted story, with subtle
details, twists and turns, leading to a logical ending. Listen for the
very subtle (but DEFINITE) voices in "Carwash" about halfway in that re-
appear after the initial voices at the beginning; almost WHISPERING, as if
they're up to something no good. And such ATMOSPHERE, almost like a
soundtrack. So eerie, beautiful, and brilliant. In the title track, lis-
ten to the way Weber ties it all together near the end with Lyle Mays'
gorgeous piano work. It's a beautifully constructed recording all the way
through, as is one of my other favorite Weber releases, "The Colors of
Chloe", which is a benchmark early ECM classic and an incredible debut for
Weber on ECM. Brilliant art of the highest order. I've listened to both
recordings hundreds of times. Bless you Manfred Eicher for ECM records,
which became a very important part of my life years ago, and still is."
It's not ambient. It's not "impressionistic". A plea for re
M. Simon | Oakland, CA United States | 12/29/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Sorry, folks, I don't like to attack fellow reviewers in order to make a point, but this album--a fully developed, beautiful piece of work--is worth a listen, without preconception. In fact, its worth 500 listens. This album was life-changing for me, as well, and I still hear new things in it, almost 30 years later. This is not "ambient" music nor is it "As Falls Witchita, So Falls Witchita Falls II" as one reviewer suggests. In fact, it doesn't owe much to Metheny's sound, except to say that Lyle Mays plays keyboards on the date. I'm quite confident that Metheny would say that Weber influenced him, and not the other way around, although musicians of this caliber often cross-pollinate with ideas and inspiration. Frisell's guitar work is a real standout here. It leaps, soars, deeply accents and cuts with laser clarity throughout. Other reviewers would evidently be surprised to hear that even the open sections have actual chord progressions beneath them, out of which flow some exquisitely crafted solos. Mays' shines here, too, and engages in some remarkable ensemble playing. Four separate tracks, but I always heard this album as one piece, with four movements. It works on many levels and its worth your time, your money and your listening."