Michael Wittmann's
Album Reviews,
E to L

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E

Echoes of the Forest, Pygmy Music from Central Africa

 Field recordings of pygmy music over the years are collected here. Wow. There's been an amazing amount of pygmy music released into the world's record bins lately, from the processed Baka Beyond (which is western music with a thin overlay of pygmy rhythm, a cheap and silly abuse of music....) to this. This CD is full of excellent singing styles, and the rhythmic work is great. If no other track gets played, at least put on #16, Mangissa. WOW! It mixes polyrhythmic drumming with clapping that reminds me of flamenco, and the singing somehow reminds me of multi-tracked Philip Glass in the mid 70's. What a great song! The whole CD is recorded on site, in the jungles, and the background noises of insects add to the singing and drumming to make this a really great CD. (13mar96) Back to Top

Cesaria Evora - self-titled

 This woman's voice is a wonderfully deep alto with just enough shave in it to keep the soothing feel from making the entire album cheesy. It's just the opposite, it's alive. The music drifts from 40's cabaret style singing to Atlantic groove (her home island is Cape Verde, off the coast of Africa). The language is a Portuguese creole, so if you know any Portuguese, French, or Spanish, you'll actually be able to catch some of the lyrics. Mostly the music is mellow, with a rich, melodic texture, and with little percussion, but occasionally it gets a bit more danceable and fast. Her ability to use a beautiful guitar sound and a wonderful voice to create melancholy and power at the same time never ceases to surprise me. What a beautiful album ... (13mar96) Read a Washington Post review here. Back to Top

F

Fetisch Park - Trost

 In the "traditional" meaning of the word, pre-beat-tyrrany, this is industrial music at its best. It reminds me of Nurse With Wound, or early Einstürzende Neubauten. Calmingly numb, or gratingly harsh in a slow moving way, painful scratches on your ear alternate with long, luscious passages of calm. Somehow, it reminds me of things on the Tzadik label new composer series, and the John Zorn mailing list discussed Fetisch Park at length, so there's something to that connection. "Trost" comes in 8 parts, each with its own flavor and length, but the combination is like a Zoviet France recording: textures at their best and most unsettling. (4nov96) Back to Top

Fetisch Park - Sporen/Binumb

 "Sporen" and "Binumb" are two pieces on this disc, and the third track is from the "Trost" disc. The two new tracks are much more unfriendly and grating than the "Trost" album. Where Trost reminded me of Zoviet France, this disc reminds me much more of the Neubauten Drawings of O.T. album. Harsh, painful, emotionally raw, and yet calm and drifting in the process. ItÕs industrial music without the beat, a form of modern composition not as flighty as ambient and not necessarily as unlistenable as free noise non-composition. I like this stuff. Sure, I now play (mostly polyrhythmic) international music, but this fits easily into one of my old shows from a few years back, Zorn and Cage and Neubauten and all that is random and all that is free. (4nov96) Back to Top

Frank Emilio Flynn y sus Amigos - Baban'sino

 More jazz oriented than the usual dance music Latino styles that I prefer, but the music is impeccable in its timing and flavor. The drums are precise and perfect, the piano that Flynn plays is tasteful, and the fire does exist on some tunes. It's like the difference between a danceable tango and Astor Piazzolla's music: sometimes you just have to listen for the ears and not the feet, right? The styles of music range from rumba to cha cha cha, a balada or two, some mambo, a pregon, and the great drumming in track 13, and Afro-Cubano style tune. Enjoyable, though it won't be the highest on my playlist, I suppose. (25feb97) Back to Top

G

Garcia Brothers - Songs of My People

 These guys are from San Juan Pueblo in New Mexico, and I think I saw them on a trip through the US in the summer of 1993. If not them, then at least something very similar in style happened in front of me. Imagine a huge crowd of people, bells attached to their feet, hands holding gourd rattles, line dances (men facing women, about 60 on each side, oldest facing oldest, down to 4 year olds...) or huge trains precessing through the pueblo, a crowd of people all following the chants of the leaders. Those leaders are the Garcia bros. The music involved is full of percussion from the stomping and gourds, and the vocals are almost monotone, often in call and response. The only thing missing from the CD is the smell of dust (that covered everything while we were there) and the smell of food off in the corners of the pueblo (man, a Navajo taco is like nothing you've dreamed of, damn good!). The music falls into the category of raw, roots, indigenous music, with not an ounce of western style involved. (13mar96) Back to Top

Philip Glass - The Heroes Symphony

 I didn't much care for Glass' reworking of Bowie/Eno music on the Low symphony, finding the work somehow not engaging enough. That might stem from the fact that I have such a personal view of side 2 of the Low vinyl that I really don't want to hear anyone else rework it (like when you have someone's voice from a book in your head, and then you hear it read on tape, and it just sounds wrong). Bowie's "Heroes" is one of my all-time favorite songs, a love song of some sort in some fashion for someone, but who knows what the hell is really going on. It's one of those rare songs that starts over-textured, and only gets more textured as the song progresses. So what the hell could Glass do to it and the rest of the amazing album and not offend me? Whatever he did, he did it right. He brings out the majesty and positive aspects of "Heroes" while burying the common melody elements in his orchetral score. He does an excellent job on Abdulmajid, too, taking it somewhere the original never went. The other tunes also do a great job of carrying the original theme (either in emotion or melody or both) into an orchestral setting that is totally appropriate for the original. I've programmed my player at home to do the Bowie/Eno version, then the Glass version of each song, and the transitions are sometimes perfectly seamless, other times enlightening. Very fine listening for those who are fans of Glass' rich harmonic arpeggio syle (not really minimalism anymore, not like his early material). (24feb97) Back to Top

Philip Glass - Akhnaten

 I originally heard songs from this opera on the "Songs from the Trilogy" album, which contains outtakes from Einstein on the Beach, Satyagraha, and Akhnaten (which I usually refer to in German as Echnaton, since it hits the pronunciation a bit better, I think). I liked the Trilogy album so much, I went out and bought the 93 recording of Einstein, and was blown away. Three hours of intensely abstract music with no plot, no path, and only sounds arpeggiated and attacking, but by the end, you're somewhere else, transported, in another mindset and another place. Then, I had the chance to buy an old vinyl recording of Satyagraha at a library sale, and I loved it, too. Much more traditional, with a small ensemble, and more melody, a plot, a story, and a different style of majesty (Glass' best works always hint at or contain a deep majesty in them). For years, the only pieces I knew from Echnaton, though, were those on the Trilogy. They involve Echnaton and Nefertiti, his voice a countertenor and hers an alto that matches it wonderfully. Their songs involve hope and strength, a robust majesty and regal nature that's hard to put into words. So imagine my surprise when suddenly the opera doesn't have his or her voice for the first 40 minutes! What the hell?! There's so much more to this opera than I first thought, just like with the previous two operas in the trilogy of personalities... For anyone interested in seeing a wonderfully realized work of power, rise and fall, powerlessness in the face of reality, and the expression through musical forms of emotion, I highly reccommend this. I could write much more about it, but I won't do that here... (24feb97) Back to Top

Greenidge / Utley - Club Trini

 I suppose this is from Trinidad, based on the album name, but I don't really know. Steel drums and a silky rhythm give a good feel and a mellow vibe to the ears on Greenidge's songs, while Utley's tuens are more keyboard and pop oriented. Caribbean music for the laid-back, I suppose. Lots of it is kinda dull. (4jun96) Back to Top 

H

Eddy Herrera - Los Hombres Calientes

 The modern form of the merengue comes through full force on this. A set of synthesized horn sections and lots of saxophone sounds over the top of a simple, driving rhythm. The mood of the music is purely exuberant and fun, and this album avoids too much of the truly cheezy aspects that happen too often in shameless pop music. I got to know this style of music through Juan Luis Guerra and country dance clubs in Costa Rica last summer, and it's great to dance to: any idiot can do the step, as opposed to the salsa or samba or dances like that. Great listening! (25feb97) Back to Top

I

Various Artists - Islands 

 As the title says, it's all island music from all over the world.  The first half is mainly Carribean Latino and Lusaphone (Portuguese Atlantic), the second is more African and Pacific.  Most of the songs carry a good rhythm and are friendly and safe. A few sound pretty kicking. Other albums at WMUC containing these styles of music are Cesaria Evora (Cape Verde), Afrolusamerica comp (Lusaphone), Tarika (Madagascar), and the slack guitar comps (Hawaii).  Of course, there's nothing saying that island music from around the world has to sound the same, but they've done a pretty good job (for a change) at Putumayo to keep the music from being totally boring and dull. Enjoy the listen. (24apr97) Back to Top

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J

Flaco Jiminez - Buena Suerta, Senorita

 Tex Mex accordion music, with Norteno polkas and stuff like that. Sure, it's what you hear in mexican restaurants while waiting for a table, but what the hell, that doesn't mean that it's bad, right? The bass sounds like a German oompah tuba (but that's for historical reasons), the guitar follows along, and the hippity hoppity sound of the accordion sounds pretty good. His voice is a nice baritone, and I can't understand a word he's saying but who cares. A lot of waltzes in a very Austrian/German/Swiss style crop up, too..... (4jun96)

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K

Maria Kalaniemi - iho

 Finnish music with the same flavor as works by Varttina, but more morose, more reflective, more melancholy. Kalaniemi plays the accordion, and the backup group accompanies her with a bit of guitar and other almost Celtic flavors, such as flute and a certain style of drum sound. It's a pretty calm album. We have a great solo piece by her on a Xenophile compilation album. (25feb97) Back to Top

Ketama, Toumani Diabate, Jose Soto - Songhai 2

 Spanish flamenco playing meets Malian kora playing in a cross-cultural mix that's actually fun to listen to. The rhythms are great, the singing mostly OK, but the great part is hearing the guitars duke it out with the kora (a 21 string harp). We've got a good Diabate album, and these guys show up in the Planet Soup compilation, too. (31may96) Back to Top

Ali Akbar Khan - Legacy

 As with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, this music contains a spiritual bond, but the link is much more explicit here. With AAK on sarode (a stringed instrument) and female vocals, the sound is calm and meditative, and the music is traditional Indian music from the 16th to 18th centuries. As with much of Indian music, the interplay of strings (with a continuo drone) and tabla (weaving a kinetic pattern of rhythm rather than building a base rhythm as in western percussion) plays an important role. Some of the songs are almost too calm for me, but the album as a whole is beautiful. (20mar96) Back to Top

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan with Michael Brooks - Night Song

 Khan is the world's most famous qawwali singer; it's a form of Islamic spiritual or ecstatic music. He has worked with Peter Gabriel (on Passion) and most recently with Eddie Vedder (on the Dead Man Walking soundtrack, the only time I've ever liked a Vedder song...). Khan's voice is truly phenomenal, pure emotion can come soaring out of him, and it really can be spiritually fulfilling to listen to his music. This new album gets dangerously close to the cheesy new age world music that 47 year old espresso sippers don't even like, but the man's voice lifts it away from that. Some songs get harder and have a stronger beat, some (like the meditative #7, "Night Song") are slower and focus on voice. A really wonderful album. (8apr96) Back to Top

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Party - Intoxicated Spirit

 Forget the more pop oriented albums that you've heard by NFAK lately, like Dead Man Walking and Night Song. This brings him back to his roots, true qawwali singing. Very long songs emphasize his astounding voice, and the style of music is very traditional. Qawwali is spiritual music, where phrases are sung, explored, and exposed for their religous content. The harmonium (hand pumped organ) accompanies his voice, occasionally the rhythm pops out to get your soul jamming, and the whole ensemble (the "Party") adds its voices into the fray. Very cool!! (4jun96) Back to Top

The Klezmatics - Jews with Horns

 In the growing set of releases dealing with klezmer music, this one comes across as a campy wack-out funfest. There's no other word to describe some of the songs. On the other hand, there's no other word to describe much of klezmer music. John Zorn's Masada has a different take on things, to say the least, but that's not what I'm supposed to be writing about. Anyway, the Klezmatics aren't all crazy and insane in their music (you can't help but smile when they are....), they've also got some moody and softer songs, dealing with more negative aspects of the Jewish experience. All in all, the whole album is a fine example of the genre, though not the best. The unfortunate choice of first song colored my whole impression of the album, but I got over it. If you have never heard of klezmer, it's a good piece to add to your collection, if you haven't heard any klezmer, then it's a good place to start. (29apr96) Back to Top

Krishna Das - One Track Heart

 Yep, it's Krishna music, but better than what you hear at the Mall in front of Air and Space, just not as interesting without seeing those young guys (one of whom is a cousin of my fiances, go figure) being all cosmic and all. Obviously religious and spiritual, it makes for good music. Some songs are more meditative, others more rhythmic, though these are produced a bit much. #8 is the famous krishna song, just so ya know.... (4jun96) Back to Top

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L

Paco de Lucia, Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin - The Guitar Trio

 Back in the 80's, these three teamed up for the first time for a fiery acoustic guitar album and concert that was hugely popular. Each in his own right is a great musician, and when they team up, the sense of competition and teamwork is insanely good to listen to. This is the same style as that previous album: rhythmic strumming behind vigorous solos by the world's best acoustic guitar players. Paco de Lucia is the world's most popular flamenco guitarist, Al Di Meola has worked in all sorts of genres, and John McLaughlin has drifted from fusion rock to solo classical guitar recordings. Great stuff. (16oct96)

The London Philharmonic Orchestra & Youth - Us and Them: Symphonic Pink Floyd

 If this doesn't strike terror in your heart, then kill yourself. The title and artist say it all. Oddly enough, neither the intellectual leap to the ability to make this album nor the album itself are very surprising. It's all classic Floyd: Dark Side or Wall, y'know? If you want pompous, you got it. (31may96)

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Michael C. Wittmann
University of Maryland 
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