Search - David Rothenberg, Douglas Quin :: Before the War

This "earth jazz" ensemble blends the indigenous energy of the world's primal cultures with the exploratory spirit of improvisation, all built around and within the powerful soundscapes of a living earth. Douglas Quin's stellar field recordings from around the world provide a foundation for improvisation that does not simply echo nature's tones, but moves from a deeper resonance, attuned to the ways nature moves, ebbs, and flows. There are echoes of Middle Eastern, Eastern European, Scandinavian, and North African melodics, with an ECM-like tone of atmospheric virtuosity; these grooves seem to be momentary glimpses of conversations that have no real beginning or end. Three of Rothenberg's spoken word pieces act as islands of reflection, two inspired by folk takes and one drawn from a woman telling him on the Italian Rivera that he knew nothing about life before the war. These musings on the eternal dance of life and death address the piercing of the connection between humanity and creation. The result is an invigorating blend of exotic textures and deep heart that speaks equally to lovers of world music and jazz.