Review Summary: Sometimes opposites do attract.
Rhapsody in Blue,
Sketches of Spain,
Jazzical Moods,
A Symphony of Amaranths - time and again, artists from the classical and jazz realms have endeavored to meld jazz extempore with the rigor of orchestral music. Results have varied, but as the previous list indicates, the effort has birthed more than a few classics.
American fusion outfit Oregon made a run at this art form, often dubbed “Third Stream”, with their 2000 offering
In Moscow. The quartet allied with the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Moscow to debut a decades-old orchestral repertoire that has been performed with a half-dozen orchestras on both sides of the Atlantic, but never formally committed to tape.
Simply put, the results of this collaboration are exquisite. Sparks of magic abound on this beautifully textured synthesis of folk, jazz, and orchestral music and the band’s novel blend of instrumentation is placed on full display. For 90 minutes, two seemingly disparate genres commingle with esemplastic grace and there’s nary a gimcrack moment to mention. Woodwind wizard Paul McCandless predominantly explores the abstract themes with support from Ralph Towner’s virtuosic acoustic guitar playing and Glen Moore’s sinuous double bass as well as tasteful piano and Mark Walker’s exceptional percussion. The music’s momentum is expertly controlled, fluctuating fluidly between scored refrains and improvisational brilliance.
Much of the material boasts an East European flair and the arrangements provide a lush bedrock and pathway for numerous musical highlights, including the morning sun warmth of “Round Robin”, the forest floor intimacy of “Beneath an Evening Sky”, the rhythmic exercises of “Waterwheel”, and the soaring cello leads of Towner’s iconic “Icarus”.
Another notable standout is the slow burning “Free-form Piece for Orchestra and Improvisors”. Contrary to the album’s more orchestrated numbers, this entry was devised as an improvisation for conductor that could be performed differently at every outset. The score calls for an orchestra divided into three sections and primed with ten mini-compositions a piece that are cued by signals from the conductor. Each of these mini-compositions can complement one another or sound complete when played alone, so the harmonic scheme is remarkably coherent. The band members flesh out this ever-changing form with fascinating, adlibbed passages predominantly led by bass clarinet and guitar.
It seems essential to note that
In Moscow garnered four Grammy nominations in 2001. With instrumentals as splendorous as this, it’s easy to see why. This performance at once captures the refined expression of composed music and playful openness of jazz. It is a career-defining moment, an essential collection in the glowing catalog of a brilliant band, and a prime entry in the Third Stream canon.
