Search - Don Ellis :: Haiku

Credit Don Ellis as a New Age pioneer

Bruce D. Davis | Yorktown, VA | 06/27/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Don Ellis always pushed musical horizons with his writing and performing. Nowhere is that more evident than in the album "Haiku". Recorded in four days in June, 1973, Don uses his quarter-tone trumpet, string orchestra and jazz rhythm section to create a soulful, introspective "New Age" album long before the term "New Age" was coined.



"Haiku" is a very mature, musical and introspective collection of musical vignettes. The inspiration for each piece on the album is a "Haiku", a Japanese poem consisting of 17 syllables in three lines broken into a 5-7-5 rhythm. It is easy to see why Don would be attracted to this type of odd-metered poetry. The liner notes contain the ten Haiku poems that inspired each of the pieces.



The opener, "Children", is a string-lead classical round with Don playfully playing against David Cohen on guitar above the cacophony of strings maintaining the theme in 7. It has a spritely classical feel to it.



"Blossoming" is a ballad in 4 with a classic Ellis theme which he plays beautifully. Again with the backing of strings, Don's beautiful tone in the mid-register and use of the quarter-tone trumpet yields a most satisfying piece. Milcho Leviev provides the keyboard solos. Maybe it's the strings, but I was getting a definite Mancini-type vibe while listening to this piece. It is one of the best tracks.



"Water Jewel" is pure New Age with a myriad of floating melodies and backgrounds that mingle with no specific time signature.



"Cherry Petals" is a short classical vignette with an eclectic, almost frantic solo by Don in the middle.



"Forest" has Don providing a theme with variations on trumpet accompanied by a harp background.



"Summer Rain" is a more playful piece in 12/8 with Don playing the initial theme. With a different instrumentation, this piece could almost be the music for a traditional Celtic jig.



"Two Autumns" (which according to the liner notes was Don's favorite piece on this album), is a true highlight. Again you have Don playing the theme as a ballad in 4 backed by strings. It is simply beautiful.



"Mirror-Pond of Stars" has a soulful feel to it with the theme established by a cello and then taken up by Don, followed by Micho Leviev, then the strings, before Don solos and brings the theme home.



"Parting" is the another true highlight on this album. Metered in 12/8, "Parting" features a bluesy walking bass riff by Ray Brown that offers a film-noir feel. Don establishes the theme and solos beautifully with a fantastic use of his quarter-tone instrument. Don's tone in the middle register and ability to meld soloing with a written piece is always a treat. Tommy Tedesco provides fine guitar work.



"Dew" completes the album with a classical/new age work that returns the listener to the Eastern Oriental feel of this album.



From the liner notes, Don comments: "This album is a complete departure for me in that each of these numbers is very lyrical. They don't sound like anything that anyone else has done. In one sense, they're experimental, yet, they're very easily accessible."



I honestly feel "Haiku" is one of the first New Age albums. There are elements of classical, elements of jazz, elements of blues, elements of pure eclectic music, all combining into a New Age treat for Ellis fans. If you are looking for the fireworks of "Strawberry Soup" from "Tears of Joy" or "Final Analysis" from "Fillmore", this is not the place. But if you want to enjoy a unique New Age experience with a slice of the mind and talent of Don Ellis, sit back, mellow out, and enjoy.



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