spires that in the sunset rise

spires that in the sunset rise - this is fire (secret eye, 2006)

La música de estas cuatro norteamericanas -como dicen en el

tanned tin- es el rumor del aire en los árboles de un bosque plagado de duendes. Instrumentos caóticos ante los que más vale rendirse, cantos de sirena que hacen perder el rumbo... Todo vale para crear las cortinas de humo tras las que se esconden estas cuatro chicas procedentes de Chicago. Huidizas, misteriosas y sensuales como cuatro brujas preparando un aquelarre.

Magia, misticismo, oscuridad, sensualidad, libertad, caos, melancolía, espiritualidad... son muchos los adjetivos que se dan cita en las arpas, pianos, banjos, chelos y guitarras -por encima- de las de Chicago, por las que servidor no podía esperar.

Blues, wyrd- folk, el rock alemán más tentador y expansivo, ritmos deliberados y liberados en una ceremonia que es más sugerente y estimulante, 'Spike Fiddle Song' (!!!), prefieren susurrarte al oído antes de salir por la noche al bosque, algo ha cambiado, 'Sea Shanty', 'Clouds', 'Bee Forms' y el bonus que nunca se encontrará de 'First Utterance', 'Morning Song'. Entre el cielo y el infierno, allí esperan Kathleen Baird, Georgia Vallas y las hermanitas Taralie y Tracy Peterson, sigue por la senda oscura y las encontrarás invocando a la naturaleza.

Clouds
Morning Song

maurice mcintryre

maurice mcintyre - humility in the light of creator (1969)

Humility may have been McInytre?s first session as a leader, but the music and musicianship yield the mark of a completely mature player from the outset. Adding to the indispensability of the date is a who?s who of AACM heavyweights on hand to lend their talents to the already boiling creative pool. The record conveniently divides into two programmatic halves. The first ?Suite: Ensemble Love? includes the haunting title piece a tune of almost tone poem dimensions that encapsulates an incredible depth of emotive urgency into it?s scant running time. It is arguably McIntyre?s finest recorded moment as his full-toned tenor expounds around bowed bass and malleted drums. On several other pieces within the suite Jones gruff vocalizations reference Native American chant forms by way of Chicago?s South Side. Upon repeated listens his contributions which at first sound churlish and haphazard begin to make sense within the context of the other instruments, particularly McIntyre?s concentrated saxophonics.?Suite: Ensemble Fate? swells the group to octet size. Solo and ensemble passages unfurl as McInytre switches between his reeds. Structured passages of melodic and harmonic certainty alternate with emancipated sections of free form blowing. The AACM penchant for ?little instruments? colorations and textures are also incorporated into the wide-open sound canvas. Favors? bass serves as a rhythmic lightning rod in tandem with Uba drawing in the twining traps of Barker and Ajaramu along with the rest of the electrically charged ensemble. McIntyre woodsy tenor solos assuredly above building an exposition of fiery sonorities before Smith and eventually Stubblefield chime in behind him. Throughout, the very essence of ecstatic energy discourse is uncorked and imbibed from freely. Midway mood eventually dampens through a somber statement from Myers and an somber interplay between drums and bass, but the coda to the composition regains steam in a final blowout.

Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre, uno de los primeros integrantes de la Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) que Muhal Richard Abrams fundó a principios de los sesenta, tiene en su primer album como líder: Maurice McIntyre (saxo tenor, clarinete, campanas, pandereta, bocina); Leon Smith (trompeta, fliscorno); John Stubblefield (saxo soprano); Claudine Myers (piano); Malcahi Favors (bajo); Mchaka Uba (bajo); Thurman Barker and Ajaramu (batería); George Hines (vocales), una espiritual y aventurera obra que eclipsa lo demás de su escasa discografía. Avant y free-jazz en la búsqueda de las tradiciones nativas de África y Oriente Medio tras la senda de otros grandes viajeros: Archie Shepp, Yusef Lateef o Roscoe Mitchell. Aquí el espíritu y la libertad abrazan por completo a la obra, entre disonancias y percusiones la voz de George Hines evoca a ceremonias religiosas en lo alto de una montaña ('Ensemble Love, Kcab Emoh'), a un trance en el que te ves atrapado a través de una borágine de estímulos ('Ensemble Love, Life Force') o al apacible sosiego que es la libertad en sí misma ('Ensemble Love, Humility in the Light of the Creator').

forest (rare earth XIV)

forest - forest (uk, 1969)

Issued by Harvest in 1969, this is one of the definite debut folk albums of all time. "As the 1960s progressed, almost every musical genre was affected by the psychedelic boom -- and folk was no exception. Forest, whose two Harvest albums have long elated listeners and eluded collectors, featured prominently among them, and have become synonymous with so-called 'acid folk', inspiring -- alongside Vashti Bunyan, COB and a handful of others -- the current wave of successful underground folk acts. This, their debut album was recorded at Abbey Road early in 1969 and featured completely original material, with their strangely-sculptured melodies and partially improvised accompaniment. Originally called The Foresters Of Walesby the band abbreviated their name to Forest and were fortunate enough to meet John Peel at a local gig and he encouraged them to play in London. After a triumphant gig in Notting Hill's All Saints Hall at Christmastime 1968, Forest were offered a management deal with Blackhill Enterprises, home to amongst others, Pink Floyd and Roy Harper. It wasn't long before offers of record contracts came their way and the band eventually signed to EMI's nascent Harvest label.

Cuando uno se adentra en frondosos y escondidos parajes sueña con perderse, en un día suerte, en un bosque y escuhar entre los árboles: 'Lovemaker's Ways', 'Bad Penny', 'Sylvie (We'd Better Not Pretend)', 'Glade Somewhere' o 'Fanding Lights', rústicas, sombrías y medievales melodías que un trío de trovadores multinstrumentistas recogió para Harvest y que Radioactive ha recuperado en limitados lp's como ya ha hecho con otras gemas, también BGO ha unido su debut con su otro album 'Full Circle' de 1970. Las mágicas noches en el bosque se esculpen en psych-folk, acid-folk, mandolinas, clavicordios, flautas, armonios, percusiones, armónicas, 12 cuerdas y pianos, así se adivina la sombra de The Incredible String Band, Dr. Strangely Strange y Trees, se cuela el surrealismo, lo arcano y lo pagano, los trovadores del folk lisérgico... pero los bellos y delicados arreglos con ese tono silvestre a lo Clive's Original Band iluminan la oscuridad de un sueño del que no quieres despertar.

Martin Welham: vocals, 12 string guitar, harmonium, piano, pipes, percussion, organ
Derek Allenby: mandolin, harmonica, pipes, harmonium, percussion, vocals
Hadrian Welham: guitar, mandolin, vocals, pipes, cello, electric harpsichord, harmonium, percussion, mandolin, organ