Concert Review: Composer + String Quartet

Concert Review:
Composer + String Quartet

CompCord String Quartet
Lynn Bechtold and Machiko Ozawa - violins
Eddy Malave - viola, Valeriya Sholokhova - cello

Michael Wolff Trio
Michael Wolff - piano, Ben Allison - bass, Mike Campenni - drums

Soloists:
Milica Paranosic - vocals,
Adriana Valdes - soprano,
Craig Harris - trombone,
Gene Pritsker - rapper,
Dan Cooper - bass guitar,
Samuel Torres - congas,
Max Pollak - tap dancer/body percussion,
John Ferrari - drums

Sunday, January 23, 2022
DROM  NYC

The mashing up of non classical genres into a classical idiom is nothing new.  Composers like Bela Bartok and Igor Stravinsky have done it to the hilt with the folk music that they grew up with. But at Composer Concordance’s “Composer + String Quartet” concert at DROM in NYC, this practice was applied anew.  All six composers on the program doubled as performers with the dynamic CompCord String Quartet and made great stuff out of molding their unique backgrounds into the columns of Classical methodology.

In addition to the music, every piece was followed by public commentary at a roundtable next to the stage with composer Patrick Grant, dancer Linda Pehrson, radio personality David Srebnik and music critic Ray Tuttle. All four gave their unique insights and dissections of every piece at the end of each performance.  The audience was intrigued, but not always in agreement with the panel,  Which in itself made the concert even more interesting.

Things started off with Micheal Wolff’s evocative “Pandemia: Parts 1, 2 & 3”.  Although a lot of his harmonic structures are generally rooted in the Jazz world, Wolff still explores beyond, aided by Ben Allison on bass and Mike Campenni on drums.  In addition the graceful gloss in the harmonies, the strings also push the groove with active melodic figures as the trio eggs them on, ending the work in a transfixed glow.

For composer Gene Pritsker, this meshing of genres takes on an even bigger plateau. Particularly in his “In Time”, written for soprano and rapper soloists. Purists might be initially turned off by this ‘experiment’ involving tools from Hip-Hop, but a good piece is a good piece, regardless of its outer trappings.  Pritsker’s characteristic rap lyrics and performance blended well with the luminous voice of soprano Adriana Valdes, evoking the words from Edna St. Vincent Millay’s “Time does not bring relief”, which the two sing together at the end.  An endearing piece that can affect anyone.

“Nigerian Sunset” by composer/trombonist Craig Harris, was inspired from his visits of the beautiful beaches in Lagos.  With Harris’ expressive solos, both lyrical and intense, married to the glide of the strings, a gleaming picture is established.  In Dan Cooper’s hypnotic “Turning and Turning”, Cooper presents a hefty performance on his 7 string bass, complimented by the thundering drums of John Ferrari, all aided by a pre-recorded track of Edward Simpson reciting WB Yeats’ “The Second Coming”.

Perhaps the most unusual performance of the night involved Serbian born composer/vocalist Milica Paranosic performing an excerpt from her opera ‘Secret City’ entitled “There is an Alligator at the End of the Platform”.  Although the story line is more abstract and out of the ordinary, it generally explores the choices one makes in life, between safety or danger in a certain frame of mind, with Paranosic asking “Which will I Pick” ending with a character in the audience symbolically dying as he jumps into a small pool of water, splashing on some members of the confused audience.  Despite the eccentricities, one couldn’t help but be a little attracted to the aura that Paranosic created.

The concert ended with the atmospheric “Lucid Dream” by Colombian composer/percussionist Samuel Torres, written for tap dancer/body percussionist Max Pollack.  Both he along with Torres on the congas utilized the Latin rhythms born out of Cuba with an unparalleled flair as the quartet grooved along.  Colorful improvs from both soloists, eventually leading to a calm and solace sounding conclusion.

The sold out audience reacted in an enthusiastic affirmative throughout the concert.  All six multi-palated works were confirmation of Duke Ellington’s notable quote: “If it sounds good, it is good.”

- The Off-Kilter Critic