Recorder player Michaela Petri's masterful exhibition of virtuoso intimacy beautifully exemplifies the musical character of Sweden, Denmark and Norway on Scandinavian Moods. The disc comprises music by the 18th-century troubadour Carl Michael Bellmann, his 20th-century apostle and main expositor Evert Taube, and Norwegian violinist/composer Ole Bull-all household names in Scandinavia–as well as arrangements of folk music, folk-inspired composers like Grieg and Nielsen, plus modern examples of folk/jazz show tunes.
Fifty years after Sound was first released on Delmark Records (Delmark 408), not only has music changed, our ear has changed. Music is not a universal language, as well intended but poorly informed authors like to say. The musical ear is a historical and social construct that belongs to a specific society and a specific time. A 21st century listener would be more amazed than surprised or shocked by this music; amazed by its maturity, its balance, and its sense of structure. Instead of the cataract of adjectives and superlatives this music provoked in its initial reviews, one now can justly appreciate how much of its language has become integrated into the current “historical ear”. Re-issued from the original Stu Black analog mix for the first time!
You'll recall that Bach's Brandenburg Concertos sound different from one another because the composer never meant them as a single, unified group. In 1719 Margrave Christian Ludwig of Brandenburg commissioned Bach to write several musical works for him, and what he got a couple of years later was a collection of six concertos for various-sized ensembles and various solo instruments that Bach had probably written at various times for various other occasions.
In 1970, when Inner City Records was just getting off the ground, Phil Woods was in Europe enjoying himself, and collaborating with musicians who were definitely feeling the spell of the Miles Davis groundbreaking jazz fusion epic Bitches Brew. While always a staunch straight-ahead bebop player, Woods decided to mix it up a bit and incorporate elements of funk, rock, and free improvisation, much to the likely chagrin of his listeners. In fact, a vitriolic letter printed on the back cover from an unidentified fan residing in Chicopee Falls, MA, rips Woods for abandoning melody, criticizes his titles, and actually threatens him with physical violence should he ever show up in his town.