Reviews
In Salt Peanuts
RAMÓN LOPEZ (dr, perc) / BARRY GUY (bass)
«Sidereus Nuncius – The Starry Messenger»MAYA RECORDINGS MCD 1801
It was initially drummer and percussionist Ramón Lopez's suggestion that he and bassist Barry Guy should meet in the studio. And perhaps it was his combination of drums and cymbals that led to the idea of a metaphorical planetary system in the music they then made together.
"Sidereus Nuncius – Starry Messenger" is the title of a rather short astronomical treatise by Galileo Galilei that was published in early 1610. Galileo's telescopic observations of the Moon and other celestial bodies provided detailed information about how far apart the various celestial bodies are in our solar system. Like a telescope, the microphones in the studio work in the recording situation, clarifying details of the musicians' own musical cosmos and sometimes illuminating the demanding "terrain" of the improvisations, and they also observe the more spacious, musical typography of the music.
Just as Galileo explored the sky, Guy and Lopez also explored the music they created there and then, in their studio in Paris on November 16 and 17, 2017.
We get 13 freely improvised pieces, where all the titles, more or less, have to do with celestial bodies. But the music is, as usual when talking about Barry Guy, down-to-earth enough, and far from floating and incomprehensible, as one should assume that "most people" saw in some of Galileo's observations.
Here it is very much about communication and interaction. It is usually Guy who takes the lead in the improvisations, with Lopez as an "observer" and who constantly helps to push Guy forward, adding his "observations", and it is almost as if you can hear him say: Yes but, look here Barry, do you see that star? Have we seen it before?
This is music you should preferably hear in real life. In an art gallery or perhaps an observatory or out in nature on a starry night, where you can lie down on your back, look up at the starry sky and listen to the two brilliant musicians play what we see above us. For example, listen to the bass playing in the sixth track, "Extraterrestial", and imagine what it would have been like to lie in the grass on a hill, look up at the starry sky, while the two musicians perform this song. It can hardly get any better.
But this is not music that should be used as a soundtrack in a television program about the starry sky on some science channel. This is freely improvised music, as this music should be performed, by two musicians who communicate perfectly and who really have something to say.
Jan Granlie
In Salt Peanuts
RAMÓN LOPEZ / BARRY GUY
«Sidereus Nuncius – The Starry Messenger»MAYA RECORDINGS MCD 1801
Det var i utgangspunktet trommeslageren og perkusjonisten Ramón Lopez sitt forslag at han og bassisten Barry Guy skulle møtes i studio. Og kanskje var det hans sammensetning av trommer og cymbaler som førte til tanken på et metaforisk planetarisk system i musikken de deretter gjorde sammen.
«Sidereus Nuncius – Starry Messenger» er tittelen på en ganske kort astronomisk avhandling av Galileo Galilei som ble publisert tidlig i 1610. Galileis teleskopiske observasjoner av månen og andre himmellegemer ga detaljerte opplysninger om hvor langt unna hverandre de forskjellige himmellegemer ligger i vårt solsystem. På samme måte som et teleskop fungerer mikrofonene i studio i innspillingssituasjonen, som klargjør detaljer i musikernes eget musikalske kosmos og belyser noen ganger det krevende «terrenget» i improvisasjonene, og de observerer også den mer romslige, musikalske typografien i musikken.
På samme måte som Galilei utforsket himmelrommet, utforsket også Guy og Lopez den musikken de skapte der og da, i studioet i Paris den 16. og 17. November 2017.
Vi får 13 fritt improviserte stykker, hvor alle titlene, mer eller mindre, har med himmellegemer å gjøre. Men musikken er, som vanlig når det er snakk om Barry Guy, jordnær nok, og langt fra svevende og uforståelig, som man bør anta at «folk flest» så på en del av Galileis observasjoner.
Her dreier det seg mye om kommunikasjon og samspill. Det er oftest Guy som tar føringen i improvisasjonene, med Lopez som «bisitter» og som hele tiden er med på pushe Guy framover, legge inn sine «observasjoner», og det er nærmest så man kan høre han si: Ja men, se her Barry, ser du den stjernen? Har vi sett den før?
Dette er musikk man aller helst skal høre i levende live. I et kunstgalleri eller kanskje et observatorium eller ute i naturen en stjerneklar natt, hvor man kan legge seg ned på ryggen, se opp på stjernehimmelen og høre de to glimrende musikerne spille det vi ser over oss. Hør for eksempel på bass-spillet i sjettesporet, «Extraterrestial», og tenk deg hvordan det hadde vært å ligge i gresset på en høyde, se opp på stjernehimmelen, mens de to musikerne fremføre denne låten. Bedre kan det nesten ikke bli.
Men dette er ikke musikk som burde brukes som soundtrack i et fjernsynsprogram om stjernehimmelen på en eller annen science-kanal. Dette er fritt improvisert musikk, slik denne musikken skal fremføres, av to musikere som kommuniserer perfekt og som virkelig har noe å melde.
Jan Granlie
Barry Guy/Ramón Lopez: Sidereus Nuncius - The Starry Messenger
Rating: ★★★★
Author: Kevin Le Gendre
One of the great elder statesmen of European improvised music, Guy has done some of his best work in orchestral settings over the years, but these two duos with very different musical personalities are powerful reminders of both his immense virtuosity and sharp reflexes in a stripped down, exposed context. Which means that the structural breadth, as well as sonic invention of the performances, is all the clearer, and Guy’s advanced dynamics, taking him from fluttering mandolin-like delicacy to big rollicking bottom end to blurring chords, have a good foil in Lopez’s sensitive but strident percussion. He sometimes impressively plays tabla and drum kit simultaneously. There is an arresting quality in Guy’s arco playing – as he is able to make the wood of his instrument growl potently – that brings beauty in austerity to the table, especially when cast against the damp thudding of Lopez’s bass drum.
By Nicolas Dourlhès // Publié le 7 octobre 2018
Deux nouvelles références s’ajoutent au catalogue du label Maya Recordings et sont également intégralement accessibles sur Bandcamp. Codirigé par Maya Homburger et Barry Guy - époux à la ville - pour produire leur musique, le label s’attarde sur ce dernier puisqu’il s’agit de deux duos dans lesquels il officie.
D’abord - non par ordre chronologique mais de sensibilité -, une captation bien évidemment improvisée pour ce chantre de la musique sans rênes ni cadre prédéfini, avec le batteur Ramón López. Déjà réunis lors d’un trio (également accessible sur Maya Recordings, et toujours sur Bandcamp) avec le pianiste Agustí Fernández, ce duo à l’initiative du batteur joue sur Sidereus Nuncius - The Starry Messenger une musique faite de finesse. Sans outrance, ils s’entendent pour proposer un jeu subtil où chacun trouve une place à égalité de l’autre et où l’intégralité des possibilités instrumentales sont exploitées.
En treize pistes plutôt brèves, l’ensemble est mis au service d’une stylistique affirmée qui, si elle rejette toute forme de consensus harmonique, cherche toutefois une musicalité jamais prise en défaut. Elle se joue du silence, joue avec ou même contre à force de picotements savamment répartis sur le manche de la contrebasse, du grave précis à des aigus vifs, et d’un éclatement délicat des frappes de la batterie dans une répartition soigneusement pensée des parties haute et basse. A noter un hommage, ou clin d’œil, à l’élue de son cœur (Maya Homburger est violoniste baroque), sur le titre « Extra Terrestrial », tenu à l’archet, qui donne tout le loisir d’entendre la belle sonorité de Barry Guy et évoque les lointaines complaintes de la viole de gambe au XVIIème siècle.
Recorded at López’ suggestion during the downtime of a studio session in Paris in November 2017, the album is named after Galileo Galilei’s astronomical treatise (1610). According to Guy, Lopez’ drums and cymbals prompted thoughts of a metaphorical planetary system, with the studio microphones acting like a telescope, “bringing details of our own musical cosmos into sharp definition, illuminating the sometimes craggy terrain of our deliberations, but also observing the more spacious musical topography”. The reference to scale is significant; what counts as large or small, surface or detail being largely dependent on perspective and context. These thirteen relatively brief episodes reveal a musical universe contracting in size and expanding in particularity: studies in microscopic activity rendered macroscopic where any element, however small, can become central.
The duo charts this space in a variety of forms. López’ percussion consists primarily of cymbal washes, deep pulses, snare rolls and a ticking hi-hat, a measured backdrop as Guy picks and saws his way into Lilliputian sound worlds, full of refined textures and subtle gradations. In ‘Gravitation’ his bass focuses on tiny scrapes, bounces and shivers, rising above throbbing drums then dragged down again. ‘Particle Waves’ opens out a knotty, modulated landscape whereas ‘Time Loop’ consists of minuscule movements, barely articulated twinges, thrums and taps. ‘Sigma Orionis’ moves from frosty bowed harmonics to increasingly elaborate pizzicato arabesques and ‘Sundrum’ is a succession of slow-motion shockwaves initiated by López’ percussive shudders, as if offering an exploded view, paused and rotated as a three-dimensional structure. By way of contrast, in the following ‘Expansion’ Guy skims and flickers creating a stream of diaphanous vapour. ‘Occam’s Razor’ – the medieval philosopher’s famous maxim of ontological parsimony, that entities should not be multiplied without necessity – is suitably pared-down to essentials, with plucked arpeggiated chords spread across different registers, accompanied by simple brushes. ‘Extraterrestrial’ stands out as a meditative interlude, its drifting Baroque harmonies referencing another of Guy’s musical passions.
(Colin Green)
La tête dans les étoiles mais les pieds et les mains bien rivés sur leurs instruments, Barry Guy et Ramon Lopez s’acoquinent avec le difficile exercice du duo contrebasse-batterie. Mais une collaboration riche d’une bonne dizaine d’années leur avait déjà ouvert le chemin.
Si ces deux-là possèdent la fougue pour partenaire commun, ils savent aussi s’abreuver d’espaces et de silences à (re)conquérir. Ainsi, leurs résonnances ne se nourrissent d’aucune évanescence ou soumission mais concourent à fluidifier les herbes folles qu’ils viennent d’enfanter. Car épidermiques mais concentrés, ces as du soubresaut n’ont que très rarement recours aux périphéries : l’achet gambadera sur la corde, voire la cisaillera, la contrebasse mutera en viole de gambe, des tablas feront de courtes apparitions mais jamais ils ne se détourneront de ce plein cosmos, ici, magnifiquement détaillé.
Ainsi, l’auditeur de se laisser guider en ce voyage intersidéral et souvent sidérant. Un disque-vaisseau possédant nerfs d’acier et jubilations stellaires vient de percuter nos oreilles.
(Luc Bouquet, mars 2019, IMPROJAZZ)
Featuring Ramon Lopez on drums & percussion and Barry Guy on contrabass. Ramon Lopez is a Spanish-born drummer who has been living in France for a long while, both teaching and performing. Mr. Lopez is an extraordinary drummer who has worked with many greats: Paul Rogers, Harrison Bankhead, Jean-Luc Cappozzo and Joelle Leandre. Mr. Lopez has been working with contrabass master Barry Guy in several settings: a great trio with Agusti Fernandez and Mr. Guy’s Blue Shroud Band, whose recent 4 CD set on Not Two is something special. Mr. Lopez actually played here at DMG with Guillermo Gregorio & Omar Tamez just a few months ago (December of 2018). I recall Mr. Gregorio telling me that Ramon Lopez was his favorite drummer to work with and the in-store was fabulous. I’ve been lucky to have caught contrabass master Barry Guy play on numerous occasions: with Evan Parker, the London Jazz Composers Orchestra, the trio with Agusti Fernandez and a duo with Veryan Weston, all were outstanding!
I love the way this disc sounds, both instruments are closely mic’d, the balance is perfect, the sound warm, clean and most enchanting. The first few pieces are subtle, minimal plucked notes carefully crafted on the bass with equally minimal cymbals and rubbed drum heads. Mr. Guy stretches out on apiece called,”Interface“, strumming the strings, tapping on them and bending certain notes. On the next piece, “Extraterrestial”, it sounds as if Mr. Guy is playing a folk melody as he bows the strings in a most lush, majestic way. I kept waiting for some spoken words to tell an ancient story about the knights of the round table. Even with just bass and drums, these two masters evoke quite a bit of feelings, impressions, scenery and stories. You can that these two have worked a goo deal in the past since these consistently connect as one spirit/force, whether erupting intensely or crafting a nimble tapestry. There is some positive energy emanating throughout this disc, sections of ultra-subtle elegance, a refreshing folky quaintness at times that shines through in between the occasional eruptions. The sun is out today (2/28/19) for a change and a ray of sunshine is warming my kitchen. This music also radiates the same sort of warmth and spirit.
(Bruce Lee Gallanter, DOWNTOWN Music GALLERY)
