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"Toronto-based guitarist Kleniec has
thoroughly incorporated a long-time fascination with southeast
asian music into his work as a composer and improviser.
In this collection, he also employs synthesizer for certain
colors and is joined on some by flute, bass, drums and
tablas.
His original pieces (4 of 11) have such evocative titles
as Bluebell, Winter Overture and Nightwinds
and they take shape as gentle spacy figures. His own arrangement
of Ravel's Bolero sets a singing guitar line against
hypnotic synthesizer. Although worked out with taste and
care, this one does not, however, capture the drama and
building tensions of a full, throbing orchestral reading.
The remaining six pieces, from the title suite, are adaptions
of traditional East Indian ragas. For these, Kleniec teams
with tabla player Dev Chakrayerty. Kleniec's commitment
to developing the voice and repertoire of his instrument
never falters, even though he lies outside the mainstream
most likely to attract commercial support.
Marge Hofacre
JAZZ NEWS
San Diego, CA
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This collection of six Indian
ragas is prefaced by an introduction containing a relevant
amount of information and glossery of terms. Each piece
occupies two pages, the first supplying the rga melody,
the second an introduction to improvisation based upon exercises.
"D" tuning is employed, giving drone basses throughout against
which are set the various different themes.
I would suggest that it would only be when the separate
ragas are thoroughly assimilated that true improvisation
might start taking place - and perhaps it would only be
at this juncture when the real music making would begin.
Thus it will take a certain commitment; one cannot simply
graft on another culture over the weekend...
I cannot say how authentic or otherwise these arrangements
are - I've no reason to doubt them, of course. Most of us
have a vague notion of certain Eastern styles, and have
perhaps heard the great master, Ravi Shankar, and the book's
content display this flavour.
It will possibly be of greatest interest to guitarists seeking
something truly different; grade 5 should be ample in a
technical sense, but something more might be necessary in
terms of experience.
Chris Kilvington
Classical Guitar
England |
