Reviews for "Dark Wood Explorations":
Bass String Duos: Dark Wood Explorations
and Jonathan Chen Orchestra
By Elliott Simon, AAJ-NY (Sept. 2008)
Two very different bassists, Joe Fonda
and Tatsu
Aoki, each pairs with a different member of the
string
family to create sonic experiences that stress sonority
and explore harmonics. Fonda meets violist Judith
Insell on equal terms for the uniquely beautiful Dark
Wood Explorations while Aoki is the lone supporting
player
in violinist Jonathan Chen’s Orchestra.
Of all the
orchestral string instruments the viola
has had the least
affinity for jazz. Barely bigger than a
violin, it is tuned
five notes lower and as a result
sacrifices the violin’s
brightness. In Insell’s capable
hands throughout
Dark Wood Explorations, however,
this is more than made
up for by a luxuriously warm
tone custom-made to blend
with Fonda’s deeply
resonant bass. Insell contributes
four tunes and Fonda
two as the pair take turns providing
the rhythm for the
other’s free-formish melodic statements
and Trane’s
“India” and Bill Evans’
“Very Early” are painted with
deep textural
strokes. At times, Insell can swing in an
almost Stuff
Smith way as she demonstrates on the
surprisingly upbeat
closer “Voo La La Blues”. But for
the most
part this release meets its stated aim as
moody harmonics
abound and are most intriguing
when the two play in tandem.
- ES
Link to the published
review:
Downtown Music Gallery Newsletter- August 8, 2008
By Bruce
Gallanter
JUDITH INSELL/JOE
FONDA DUO – Dark Wood Explorations (Insell; USA) Featuring Judith Insell on viola and Joe Fonda on contrabass.
I recall Ms. Insell from her days with the Soldier String Quartet
when the performed with John Cale. She has also worked with Lee Konitz, Steve Coleman and Greg Osby. Contrabassist extraordinaire,
Joe Fonda, remains one of the greatest of all local bassists and has worked with a plethora of downtown's best musicians:
Anthony Braxton, Fonda/Steven Group, Conference Call and th Nu Band.
The
duo opens with Coltrane's "India," a fave of many Trane fans, myself included. This piece is quite powerful
as Joe bass provides some thunder while Judith wails on top. What I love about this is that the duo is able to provide those
heavy spirits with just two string players. Bill Evan's poignant "Very Early" is done with taste and care: I
dig the way Judith caresses each note, bending them like a tear rolling down someone's face. Joe takes one of his mighty
fine bass solos here, an inspired one, righteous and filled with passion. Judith's piece, "Bill," is a
haunting, melancholy song in which Judith plays the stunning melody while Joe just punctuates with a handful of well-placed
notes that resonate just right. "In the White"
features a touching double bowed melody as the theme. While Judith plays each note with intense concentration, Joe burns profusely
underneath. Then the roles are switched while Joe bows with immense focus while Judith plucks quickly on top. Back and forth,
back and forth, like a heated discussion that erupts and takes you along with it, never knowing where it will end but you
know you are being uplifted nonetheless. Richie Beirach's "Elm" sounds like two ghosts hovering around one another,
both with slightly bent drones. Judith plays that touching melody, making every note count, while Joe also extends the same
spirit, again with just a few well-placed notes, plucked and then bowed. On "Baghdad Waltz," Joe explodes with one
of those astonishing bass solos that must be heard to be believed.
I
haven't heard a string duo disc in a long while that is as good as this one. The last one that I can recall was Fred Hopkins
and Deirdre Murray from more than a decade ago. Good company for this great contemporary duo. This fabulous duo will be playing
here at DMG in a couple of months, so please stay tuned. - BLG
