Search - Gordon Grdina :: Breathing of Statues (Hybr)

Superbly beyond all labels.

greg taylor | Portland, Oregon United States | 01/03/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If ever there was proof of the inadequacy of labelization in music this CD is it.

Gordon Grdina's The Breathing of Statues is the Vancouver, B.C. based guitarist/oud player's first release of his East Van Strings grouping. Besides his own fine musical stylings, the group features Jesse Zubol on violin, Eyvind Kang on the viola and Peggy Lee on the cello. Grdina could not find more suitable musicians for his compositions.

Much of the charm of this music is in Grdina's personal unification of Arabian classical music, creative improv, the second Viennese school (the composition entitled, "Webern" is sort of a clue) as well as some Spanish influence (most notably in Selma).

These are very focused performances featuring the strings in complex or dissonant harmonies. Grdina's modern classical influences come to the fore in Holy Departures and Silence of Pumpkins. That side of his musical personality contrasts very nicely with his oud on Santiago. His love of classical Arabian music is to be heard in every improv of his but especially in the title tune.

The sound samples will be a help in making up you mind but remember that samples are mostly useful for pop tunes with an A-A-B-A structure. Any composers whose musical ideas developes over the course of, e.g., the 14:07 of the title tune will be ill-served by samples.

This is a CD for those of us who enjoyed Bill Frisell's Richter 858 (very different in terms of the music but the similar instrumentation leads to a similar sonic palette- Kang was on both recordings- it would be interesting to hear his take on the comparison), who love the oud or who love the possibilities of the string quartet as we wander into the musical history of the next century.

Me, I love all that stuff. If any or all of those categories include you, then Mr. Grdina's work should be on your list."