Art Lande

As one of the finest mallet players of his generation, Dave Samuels has treaded a wide and multifarious path. From Double Image (his gorgeous project with David Friedman) to the exciting territories of his work with the Caribbean Jazz Project (some of the best Latin jazz around), not to mention his fruitful years with Spyro Gyra, Samuels brings a signature delicacy to his playing that is comforting and domestic. His first two intersections with ECM, Dawn and Gallery, are both sadly out of print but make a flowing trilogy of sorts with 1981’s Skylight, which thankfully is still available and marks his last appearance on the label. Joined by one-and-onlys Art Lande and Paul McCandless, Samuels shows us his compositional brilliance in the airy title cut. Not to be outdone, Lande and McCandless offer two tunes apiece. Lande’s territories are more contradictory in their energies, at once twilit and dripping with morning dew, and undeniably engaging…

As one of the finest mallet players of his generation, Dave Samuels has treaded a wide and multifarious path. From Double Image (his gorgeous project with David Friedman) to the exciting territories of his work with the Caribbean Jazz Project (some of the best Latin jazz around), not to mention his fruitful years with Spyro Gyra, Samuels brings a signature delicacy to his playing that is comforting and domestic. His first two intersections with ECM, Dawn and Gallery, are both sadly out of print but make a flowing trilogy of sorts with 1981’s Skylight, which thankfully is still available and marks his last appearance on the label. Joined by one-and-onlys Art Lande and Paul McCandless, Samuels shows us his compositional brilliance in the airy title cut. Not to be outdone, Lande and McCandless offer two tunes apiece. Lande’s territories are more contradictory in their energies, at once twilit and dripping with morning dew, and undeniably engaging…

This recording, with the short lived ensemble Rubisa Patrol, may someday be considered as one of the classic ECM recordings of all time - if the company evers sees fit to issue it on CD. Some stunning compositions are present within a restrained, melodic concept, but please don't term it new age. While there is a spiritual quality present, it is not overbearing. Four of the pieces are written by acoustic pianist Art Lande, with the standout track "Corinthian Melodies" a thing of sheer opulent beauty. ~ AllMusic

This recording, with the short lived ensemble Rubisa Patrol, may someday be considered as one of the classic ECM recordings of all time - if the company evers sees fit to issue it on CD. Some stunning compositions are present within a restrained, melodic concept, but please don't term it new age. While there is a spiritual quality present, it is not overbearing. Four of the pieces are written by acoustic pianist Art Lande, with the standout track "Corinthian Melodies" a thing of sheer opulent beauty. Trumpeter Mark Isham and Lande are the principal voices in this quartet, and the textures they conjure would set a precedent for what Isham would do for the bulk of his career in scoring for films. Bassist Bill Douglass and drummer Glenn Cronkhite are as sensitive a lower dynamic rhyhmic team as can be. This is contemporary improvised music non pariel, a relaxed, well-paced program that is here to soothe and reassure you.