In an era of short-term profit taking, quarterly board reviews, and
corporate mergers, the low level of artistic exploration and risk taking is
clear but worrisome. Media moguls fill stages and recording studios with known
musicians, who perform overused standards, offering both the public and the
promoters safe, predigested "value-meals". Therefore, I was more than curious
when fiddler Matt Glaser told me that he and a group of established jazz, bluegrass,
and klezmer musicians had been experimenting with new music. Furthermore - they
would be appearing at the Bottom Line in NYC on July 23, with no recording contract
or other signs of financial backing.
They call themselves Wayfaring Strangers.
But for those who follow modern and traditional acoustic music, many
of these musicians are familiar names. The project is the brainchild
(or rather soul-child) of Matt
Glaser who plays jazz, bluegrass, and old-time fiddle. Glaser
also presides over the strings department at the Berklee College of
Music in Boston.
"Recently, I was quite sick," says Glaser, "and it occurred to me
that I should get off my duff and try and make whatever music was in
me come out. This project brings together most of the musical and
life threads that I could find in myself". The idea was to explore
the deeper and darker sides of American folk music, drawing from
several traditions. There have been many attempts to fuse jazz and
bluegrass, but most focused more on virtuoso playing and less on the
emotional and spiritual content. Growing up in New York City, Jewish
music seemed as American to Glaser as Billie Holiday and Bill Monroe.
This project started out as a form of tribute to Bill Monroe, the
father of bluegrass - who died a year ago. In order to realize his
vision, Glaser called upon a particular vocalist. "Many many years
ago," says Glaser, "I was playing a club called The Eagles and Lucy
Kaplansky came in and sang Wayfaring Stranger and I flipped out
completely (she was so amazing). I almost lost control over certain
parts of my body and I knew there that I would want to try and have a
band with her".
Lucy Kaplansky's
performance of "Wayfaring Stranger", an old American folk song, was
riveting. Andy Statman began with free clarinet improvisation that
possessed a distinct Jewish cry, and then gave way to the singer:
I am a poor wayfaring stranger,
traveling through this world of woe.
But there's no sickness, toil, or danger
in the bright world to which I go.
Manipulating the long notes in this slow song, Kaplansky's
multi-colored voice revealed Middle Eastern qualities in the form of
shakes, trills, and slides. Her touch of the orient led to a
beautiful piano solo by Bruce Barth.
"Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" was a great example of
a standard, reworked from all angles to take advantage of the
strengths of the individual musicians, and to serve as a vehicle for
Glaser's vision of a phantasmagorical connection between a variety of
styles. The tune was re-harmonized and the time signature of the
first section was changed from 4/4 to 3/4. Its structure was expanded
to include Chassidic melodies on the clarinet, as well as an old
Appalachian fiddle tune. Throughout the concert, the widely changing
dynamics, counterpoint, and interplay between the musicians added an
element of chamber music to the sound. Bill Monroe's "Memories of
You" included haunting vocal harmonies and a klezmer tune that amused
the audience but fit the chord changes perfectly. The transitions
between the various styles were done so fluidly you could absorb this
whole suite as one organic piece. Instantly comprehending the
relationships between the shifting styles, pianist Bruce Barth
provided the glue that held the music together. Barth, who gave the
music its deepest sense of jazz, was unfortunately relegated to the
far end of the stage, hidden behind one of the building's columns.
Jennifer Kimball, a
Boston-based folk singer, traded verses and harmonized beautifully
with Kaplansky throughout the evening. But her most intense moments
were during a song she had written about her recently departed
grandfather who, at the age of 97, was ready to die. Accompanying
herself on a ukulele with a solemn drone, Kimball reached inside and
drew from the deepest of her experiences - her tender voice caressing
her grandfather, understanding his departure and yet holding on.
Regarded by many to be the founder of the modern banjo, Tony
Trischka is a jaw-dropping player with incredible technique and a
rich vocabulary of jazz, bluegrass, and other genres. But it's
Trischka's expressiveness and subtle touch that helped create an
ensemble who's total effect was greater than the sum of its
(considerable) individuals. Tony did get a chance to pick up a storm
on the Appalachian tune "June Apple". John
McGann (guitar and mandolin) and Jim Whitney (bass) kept the
engines running in the boiler room and fueled the band throughout the
evening, surfacing for an occasional solo.
"June Apple" was one of the tunes that left many mandolin players
in the audience ready to run home and bash their instruments against
their heads. Andy Statman, a deeply religious Jew, is well known for
his clarinet work in klezmer and Chassidic music. He is also a
brilliant mandolin player. Statman burst into fast, angular mandolin
solos, leaving texture playing to the capable hands of his fellow
musicians. The crowd went wild. Leaning hard into the tiny wooden
instrument, he shed all constraints of form, tempo, and meter.
Statman always referred to the essence of the music but traveled deep
into space, not unlike Ornette Coleman, only to return in time to
join his (relieved) friends on stage.
No less amazing than Statman's performance, was the revelation (I
found that out during a later conversation) that the band had
rehearsed a total of one hour prior to the concert. Glaser knew,
based on everyone's schedule, that it would be impossible to have the
music in a finished state by the time of the gig. "I thought we would
have to get a gig in order to get the music together on any level,"
says Glaser. "There were no charts written out. The girls wrote down
the words and there were a couple of chords jotted down. But Andy is
into keeping things fluid and spontaneous so things can go in a
variety of ways". Glaser did an admirable job at keeping the program
moving on stage but ultimately the music took on a life of it's own.
Still, there is nothing incidental about the Wayfaring Strangers.
"This band is very much about the individuals," says Glaser. "It's
not just an arbitrary attempt to throw together certain musicians.
I've played with all these musicians and I felt a commonality between
them". "There is some commonality between these ethnic styles of
music too," continues Glaser. "Commonality on a musical level related
to groove, improvisation, and emotional investment in the music".
This project is not so much a case of self-conscious eclecticism, as
a natural reflection of being a musician in multi-cultural urban
America.
The Wayfaring
Strangers will be appearing again at the Bottom Line in New York
City on October 30th. Beyond that there will be some concerts in the
spring and possibly a CD ..... don't miss them!
