Rainer Aschemeier of 'The Listener' on 'But Not Forgotten': 'Non-Stop Surprises'

Clarinetist Marcus Eley writes:

Hello Bill,

Hope you are doing well. I am happy to share this review with you. By the way, I found it online. As the review was in German, I used my best translation skills to put it in English. I think I captured the writer's intent.

Take care.

Marcus

P.S.  I have also attached the original German language review.

Non-Stop Surprises

by Rainer Aschemeier

(translated from German by Marcus Eley)

August 2012

A bit of déjà vu happened to me when I got the latest CD from the high quality Sono Luminus label (formerly known as "Dorian") on the desktop. With "But Not Forgotten", clarinetist Marcus Eley and his accompanist Lucerne DeSa present a high-class anthology of American music for clarinet and piano - and just last August of 2011, a [similar] CD was released from Sono Luminus.

The difference about this CD from last year: While the 2011 release was a representation of American 20th century modern music of composers like and including Copland, Marcus Eley and Lucerne DeSa put their focus exclusively on African-American composers.

Like Pop Music, there are great stars, but also there are few Black artists who have managed to penetrate the "listener mainstream". One can ask: Just what this makes this CD more interesting from the 2011 previous Sono Luminus release? Well, there is really much to discover!

And not everything that is here is the same recognized music of Scott Joplin or William Grant Still, the two godfathers of symphonic jazz. Here, there are also different selections, and so the first surprise piece of the CD – "Night Fantasy" by Dorothy Rudd Moore, a composition with a strong reference to neo-expressionism. Of course, one can hear references to Jazz but the same can be found of the next piece, "Episodes" by Alvin Batiste which shows how much African-American composition, like Copland, was influenced by the Pan-Americanism model.

With "Basque Folk Song" by Clarence Cameron White, the late romantic-infused music came right through while “Pastorale” from "Scenes from Nigeria" by composer Samuel Akpabot brings to mind African modal motifs. "Coty" by Quincy Hilliard reworks sonorities/harmonies in a unique way.

If one wants to talk about African-American music, it is more than the universe of Ragtime, Jazz and Art music discourse of Big Bands interpreted from 1940 to the present. As it turns out for this CD, we have not heard it all. As there may be still other never recorded [sic] clarinet repertoire, Marcus Eley and his accompanist have partially closed the gap in a savvy and dedicated way.

We have the sounds of William Grant Still and Scott Joplin, followed by a foray into new areas of music with "Soul bird" by Todd Cochran. Finally we hear a blues-heavy, very successful and "emotionally rich" arrangement of the hymn "Amazing Grace”.

Just one final thought remains: "Wow!" "What a beautiful, varied CD!" This CD has succeeded in its well chosen repertoire, as well as interpretation and sound. Here, everything is exemplary and timeless, so that this new anthology proves so far to be most valuable of the current year. This CD can be recommended for its warm and simply perfect sound. For audiophiles who have the highest demand on sound, this CD does it.