JazzMusicArchives.com Homepage
Forum Home Forum Home >Jazz Music Lounges >Jazz Music News, Press Releases
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Lynne Arriale – ‘Being Human’
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Register Register  Login Login

Lynne Arriale – ‘Being Human’

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message Reverse Sort Order
snobb View Drop Down
Forum Admin Group
Forum Admin Group
Avatar
Site Admin

Joined: 22 Dec 2010
Location: Vilnius
Status: Offline
Points: 29386
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote snobb Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Lynne Arriale – ‘Being Human’
    Posted: 05 Feb 2024 at 2:23pm
Lynne Arriale – Being Human

(Challenge Records CR 73572. Album review by Bruce Lindsay)

LYNNE ARRIALE - Being Human cover

In recent years, pianist and composer Lynne Arriale has produced music that reflects what she sees as the social turmoil and division now present in the world. Chimes of Freedom, from 2020, focussed on migration and refugees; 2022’s The Lights are Always On emerged from the Covid pandemic. Being Human, recorded in July 2023,is Arriale’s seventeenth album as leader and continues this approach. It’s credited to the Lynne Arriale Trio, which is completed by bassist Alon Near and drummer Lukasz Zyta and, as the title suggests, the music focuses on what the album notes call “qualities we all share that define our humanity.” It’s a focus made even clearer by the titles of the ten compositions: “Passion,” “Courage,” “Faith” and so on, and by Arriale’s decision to dedicate each tune either to a specific individual or to humans collectively. Hence “Persistence” is dedicated to Malala Yousafzai, “Passion” to Greta Thunberg, “Courage” to the people of Ukraine.

Such a diverse range of dedicatees is reflected in the equally diverse music. There are slow tempo tunes such as “Gratitude,” with Alon Near’s bass solo at its heart, or “Faith,” with its gentle combination of gospel and folk musics, and there are more uptempo numbers such as the flowing and melodic “Heart” and the propulsive, energetic, “Persistence.” “Love,” dedicated to “humankind,” appears in two forms. First time around it’s a trio performance of great subtlety and lyricism. Second time, Arriale performs solo, using a Yamaha Clavinova to create a choral effect that comes across as artificial and somewhat unsettling. It seems odd to use artificial human sound on a track dedicated to humankind, an anomaly on a recording that’s otherwise characterised by genuine, empathetic, human interaction.

Three tunes stand out for their immediately engaging positivity. “Curiosity” is dedicated to Jacob Barnett, a young mathematician and physicist. It’s a skittish, jagged, little tune, full of playful exploration as all three musicians improvise after the brief opening melody, a tune that for me conjures visions of kittens or puppies in energetic play rather than the earnest study of a scientist but may well be a reflection of Barnett’s own personality. “Soul” is a gentle but uplifting number, its seemingly effortless swing combining with a strong melody. “Joy” is just that, four minutes of calypso-based jollity that hits from Zyta’s first flourish on percussion and carries on to the final bar. 

from https://londonjazznews.com



Edited by snobb - 05 Feb 2024 at 2:24pm
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 10.16
Copyright ©2001-2013 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.102 seconds.