| All Artists: Marty Ehrlich Title: Line on Love Members Wishing: 0 Total Copies: 0 Label: Palmetto Records Release Date: 8/26/2003 Genres: Jazz, Pop Style: Number of Discs: 1 SwapaCD Credits: 1 UPC: 753957209520 |
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Search - Marty Ehrlich :: Line on Love
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CD ReviewsGood for the soul N. Dorward | Toronto, ON Canada | 12/05/2003 (5 out of 5 stars) "Palmetto has shown a knack for releasing discs that snag a lot of year's-best plaudits--notably Andrew Hill's _Dusk_ & _A Beautiful Day_--& it seems likely they'll manage the feat again with Marty Ehrlich's new disc, the lovely _Line on Love_. It opens with "Hymn", a piece with a curious combination of concentrated beauty & underlying tension; it's powerful enough to silence a roomful of people if you drop it on the stereo. Craig Taborn's tapping morse-code piano line is gradually filled out by bass (Michael Formanek) & then Ehrlich's alto & Billy Drummond's drums. Here as elsewhere Ehrlich's solo plunges straight to the heart of the piece & the mood--he's a remarkably direct & communicative player, who somehow manages to combine a melancholic tone with a singing, joyous feel to his playing. The rest of the album miraculously lives up to the opener--I particularly like the fast-paced "Julian's Theme" & the brief, funky "St Louis Summer". Perhaps the only drop in pace is with the two bass clarinet pieces packed away at the end, which sound a little more ordinary (though perfectly fine). In any case, this is easily one of my favourite straightahead jazz discs of 2003. Ehrlich also recently released the more obviously ambitious _The Long View_ (a large-scale, third-streamish big-band disc), which has got rather more attention than this one so far. A mistake, I think: _The Long View_ is an interesting but only partially successful project, in my view, while _Line on Love_ is one of the best things Ehrlich's put on disc to date." Equals or betters bring out the best music Ian Muldoon | Coffs Harbour, NSW Australia | 01/20/2004 (4 out of 5 stars) "I have to say this may be the best work Mr Taborn has done. I haven't heard him play so well on CD before. It is a particularly delightful conjunction of very talented musicians - all are leaders in their own right and all, I would have to say, in my view, are musicians of the highest calibre. It may be stretching it a bit to call it a "super group" but it's definitely in the upper reaches of that fabled mountain. The distinguishing feature of this CD then is twofold: the musicians help to lift each other to that higher level through a mutual respect of each other, and secondly, the compositions are sufficiently challenging, interesting and beautiful to bring out the best in each. On reflection, it is with rare exception that the great musicians confine themselves to performance - almost all bring to the music their own writing - how can we think of Mr Shorter without immediately thinking Footprints? The compositions on Mr Ehrlich's CD range from the bouncy and cheeky St Louis Summer, to the fiery and exciting Turn Circle and Spin. But it is in the ballads or slower numbers where the fullest expression of this man's wonderful musicianship lies. The title track, for example, begins with a long, slow exploratory alto solo by Mr Ehrlich then an equally compelling solo by Mr Taborn with bassist Mr Formanek in seeming conversation with him. Soon the bass drops out. Regularity of beat is not a goal. The alto sax returns with Mr Drummond's cymbals a gentle curtain of sound. The long second solo by Mr Ehrlich, is a searching, heartfelt one ending as it were, on a sigh. A great performance. A wonderful octet of compositions, which begin with the haunting Hymn - an ode to PEACE perhaps. Interesting that so many great programs of music today begin with a slow number where once it was all stops out to grab the attention of the listener from the "git go" - Mr Ehrlich's "Git Go" closes the porogram. This CD is one where the musicians put the MUSIC first. No egos here. Another one of Mr Ehrlich's finest efforts. Don't deny yourself this musical pleasure." A ballad session with balls Troy Collins | Lancaster, PA United States | 05/16/2004 (4 out of 5 stars) "Marty Ehrlich is often considered one of the most lyrical of the Downtown saxophone players, which include such luminaries as John Zorn and Tim Berne. For Ehrlich to concentrate on ballads and more melodic fare then is not as unusual as it might seem. There have been other albums focused primarily on the ballad form, such as his debut album with this current line up, 2001's Song. While the traditional piano quartet is somewhat of a novelty for Ehrlich, he has claimed that it seems better suited to his more lyrical explorations. But do not be deceived, lyricism need not be equated with fluff, as Line On Love has all the force and diversity of any other album in Ehrlich's vast discography.While Song trafficked in similar thematic territory, what was meant to be emotive and contemplative merely came off as saccharine and monotonous. This album however works due to both its compositional variety and heightened energy level. Although the focus is still on melody and lyricism, the band doesn't get bogged down in slavish song structure. There is a sense of empathetic interplay here that was missing on the previous album.Ballad sessions can be the kiss of death for jazz artists whose reputations are founded on the sort of experimental diversity that Marty Ehrlich is known for. But with great technical skill often comes great compositional aplomb, and here creative arrangements and strong solos elevate what could be a routine session into something both beautiful and passionate."
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