Jann
Rutherford: Discovery (Tall Poppies) 1998
I
picked this out of the pile on the spare of the moment as I was about
to head out the door on the first of the month. Sometimes the fit is
just right for a particular moment. And having this keep me company
whilst driving through the Horowhenua fog.... it just felt right.
The
album contains 14 solo piano pieces – original compositions and
some improvised pieces too. Overall it's warm and intimate with nice
amount of introspection (with a sombre edge). Some pieces are quite
joyful (yet slightly restrained), while others are searching deep.
There are some shades of Mike Nock on the more up beat tunes
(“Expectations” “Eve” "Weird Blue Lady”), but rhythmically
Rutherford is different. Forceful is not the right word, but Mike is
more rhythmically pronounced or percussive. As a bonus, listening to
Discovery led me to giving both Talisman and Piano Solos a spin too.
Although
the more introspective pieces may have led to some naval gazing, they
are my favourite parts of the album – particularly those that I'm
assuming are free improvisations such as the 2-part “Flights of
Fancy” and 3-part “Adventure” (I finally checked the liner
notes... they are free improvisations).
I noticed that this album would often lead my mind wander off and
ponder things beyond the music at hand. Was it the music or just my
general state of mind in this month? It seemed to happen often enough
that I feel the music was setting the wheels in motion - just zoning
out with it but not in it. I
may have felt a bit zoned-out at times, but the music was going in.
And as the month passed I was catching myself singing along with bits
and pieces across the album – no doubt due to the lyrical,
melodically memorable aspects of her playing.
Some
music can change your mood, other (or at other times) music can
reinforce it. But in this case I feel I’m projecting my own
feelings into the music (we always do that though, don't we). Had recent times not been what they were,
how differently would I hear this music? Would I be projecting
something else entirely on this music? Would listening to this album
in a years time change my perception of it - or perhaps my impression
is now ingrained in me. Revisiting this album down the track could be
an interesting experience.
Why
is this on my mind this month and what is it about this recording
that made me think about it? Would I have thought about it had I been
listening to something else? Further, why am I doing this series on
New Zealand jazz recordings? Why not just listen to music I really
love? Two years in and I’ve found it interesting and quite
rewarding at times. But how much of the music has touched me on a
truly deep level? Not much really. I started this series at a time when
things were getting tough, and probably more than anything else it
was a way to reconnect with home. The struggle continues but for now,
at least, I feel like things have run their course. Maybe it’s time
for a break and step back from this before it becomes a drag.
Across the month moments change but none quite fit like that
first listen. It’s funny, you sit down to write about an album and
something else comes out.
