Monkey, Pt. 2

9.0分（10人评分）

145人收藏

共19首歌曲

艺人: Fred Ho
语种: 英语
厂牌: Koch
发行时间: 1997年10月21日
专辑类别: 录音室专辑

专辑介绍

by Don Snowden

Monkey: Part Two, featuring Acts II and IV from baritone saxophonist Fred Ho's multi-media musical Journey Beyond The West based on the Chinese trickster figure Monkey, features some new musicians on both the jazz and traditional Chinese instruments, but the sound remains roughly the same. Recorded in a different studio, the music has a fuller, more present sound than than Part One while still placing prime emphasis on composed sections that throw several distinct change-ups into each piece.

"Overture/The Journey Begins" starts with yearning melodies but this traveling monkey is a pretty lively fellow, with "Monkey Strut" repeating the character's theme from Part One with more sax soloing. "Dance Of The Devil Demons" rocks with an off-kilter big band riff, "Chased By Bandits" is pretty rompin', stompin' stuff that sounds like cartoon soundtrack music with sax screeches for a bit and "Monkey And Tang Seng Argue" has its rocking moments, too.

"Coming Of The Pig" incorporates many of the elements Ho uses throughout this work--Chinese vocals with big band comments kick off a really interesting piece that goes in many different directions, including a little free section with baritone guffaws from the leader. "Pig Is Happy" is almost a blowsy blues with whooping, muted trombone before settling into an orchestrated section.

"The Pilgrims Meet Friar Sand, The Ogre" starts off more atmospheric with a Chinese banjo/lute (pipa?) playing off sax and an ominous Ho foundation before a sudden, dramatic acceleration into herky-jerky segment with silences. The leader finally gives himself a solo over a bass riff and drum foundation, swooping up to harmonic squawks and squeals and back down to a melody that frequently hints at pre-bop vintage jazz and quotes from Charles Mingus' "Boogie, Stop, Shuffle."

Act IV begins with "Arrival In India," with Chinese vocals and effective use of dynamics to move to a soothing progression before changing again to rocking mode anchored by Ho and some collective improv shrieks and groans for drama. The occasional big band lushness in "Hell Is My Home" suggests that, if anyone, Mingus may be Ho's compositional model here.

"The Revolution Begins" with atonal flurries, bits of the "Monkey" and adapted "Mission Impossible Theme" again and battle sounds from Ho while "Sitting Around The Fire" quiet things down with bass, erhu (fiddle) and pipa. "The Mighty Battle" is somewhat subdued and never gets as wild as you would expect from the title while the jaunty and light "Epilogue: Happiness Is Being a Monkey" closes things out with a reprise of our hero's theme.

If there's any distinction between the two discs, Part Two gives a bit more freedom to the individual instrumental voices as compared to the collective voicings focus on Part One. Both are full of stimulating, constantly shifting music and moods and both work well as distinct discs. Again, the only advisory is that fans of Ho's work in the jazz field won't find anywhere near the same emphasis on improvising and solos here.

Monkey, Pt. 2

专辑介绍

最新简评（共20条）