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Reviews
Jim Connolly and The Gove County String Quartet is
the debut of the Santa Barbara-based composer's newest ensemble. Leader
of the mercurial chamber music septet The Gove County Philharmonic, contrabassist
Connolly largely eschews the Philharmonic's eccentricities in favor of
a more refined approach.
While the larger Philharmonic tends towards cinematic
flourishes and a circus-like atmosphere that invokes Kurt Weill by
way of Carl Stalling,
Connolly's string quartet reveals an even richer vein of lyricism.
Drawing
inspiration from his heritage, Connolly's compositions for string quartet
owe a great deal to such American composers as Aaron Copland,
Samuel Barber and Charles Ives. A classic songwriter at heart, he focuses
squarely on folksy sing-song melodies and rhythmic momentum for the
basic foundations of his work.
Connolly regularly uses the wide dynamics, quicksilver
tempo-shifts and non-linear development commonly employed by many contemporary
composers.
But where many of his peers allow dissonance and angularity to dominate,
Connolly concentrates instead on harmonic counterpoint and the purity
of a strong melody.
Influenced by folk, gospel, country and other strains
of Americana, his compositions overflow with pastoral atmosphere and
bittersweet nostalgia.
No stranger to popular music, he even summons a melodic kernel from the
Beatles' “Across The Universe” in “Pinocchio.”
Rich in harmonious detail, Connolly's compositions are not without subtle
surprises. Sprightly Raymond Scott-inspired asides and strident Bartokian
episodes alternate with regal passages of Bachian austerity. More episodically
varied than the minimalists and more conceptually conservative than the
post-serialists, Connolly's work shares similarities with new tonalists
such as Aaron Jay Kernis, Michael Torke and George Tsontakis.
A beautiful
record, Jim Connolly and The Gove County String Quartet expands beyond
the free-wheeling antics explored by his seven-piece Philharmonic,
resonating with a sense of timeless maturity.
Troy Collins, http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=26894
Jim Connolly’s latest
work on the pfMentum label reduces his more free-wheeling Gove County
Philharmonic to a string quartet, but retains all the charm and cinematic
qualities
that made earlier Gove County outings so resonant with all who encountered
them.
Connolly’s outfit, presumably named for the sparsely-populated Kansas
county, presents an interesting amalgam of styles throughout the disc.
Old-time country moments mingle just measures away from a pure lounge vamp,
and then dissolve into something out of a cartoon-mouse-on-a-journey sweetness.
Along the way, there are numerous more avant-garde moments– sudden
changes of tempo, truncated endings, and the odd scraping and pawing of “Crows
Would Steal the Stars If They Could Fly That High.”
Overall, the album is a distinctly American mix– probably best
appreciated by those with a fondness for a little carnival music in their
iPods.
Along with this latest self-titled release, pfMentum was kindly enough
to send along a copy of an older Connolly disc, featuring The Gove County
Philharmonic. The 2002 release, “Time Stops to Visit” is far
more raucous than the current album, most notably due to contributions
from Jeff Kaiser on trumpet and Jim Bement’s accordion. Bruce Bigenho
also propels the album– recorded in Connolly’s living room,
incidentally– with a chipper bar-room style at turns, but also with
Sun Ra moments as in “Time Stops to Visit.”
The album closes with the lovely “Hi Lili, Hi Lo,” which
should have you singing along and guessing at the words within seconds.
Frankly,
I wish more of the songs between both albums had such singing; perhaps
this is a nice wish for next time Jim makes the trip to Gove.
DaveX, http://startlingmoniker.wordpress.com/
Jim Connolly and the Gove County String
Quartet (CD, pfMENTUM, Jazz), Time Stops to Visit: Jim Connolly and the
Gove County Philharmonic (CD, pfMENTUM, Jazz)
These two CDs feature contrabass player Jim Connolly playing with the
Gove County String Quartet and the Gove County Philharmonic. The String
Quartet features Sally Barr (violin), Laura Hackstein (violin), and Kirsten
Monke (viola). Interestingly, the tracks for the first CD were recorded
in June 2005 and May 2006 and were recorded, mixed, and mastered by Jeff
Kaiser (whose recordings we were already familiar with). We were expecting
experimental music or modern classical on this release...but were instead
surprised at how classic/classical and traditional these pieces are.
We have always loved string quartets. These folks are a good example
of why quartets are so aesthetically pleasing. Everyone was obviously
on the same wavelength during these recordings (made at the Trinity Episcopal
Church in Santa Barbara, California)...and the sound quality is excellent
throughout. The second CD features the Gove County Philharmonic...which
consists of Sally Barr (violin), Kirsten Monke (viola), Ron McCarley
(clarinet), Jeff Kaiser (trumpet), Jim Bement (accordian), and Bruce
Bigenho (piano). As you might guess from the instruments used, the music
on this second CD is more fanciful and playful. Some of these compositions
remind us of Frank Zappa's later classical pieces. Packaged in what appears
to be a simple homemade cardboard sleeve, this album is deceptively complex...ranging
from quirky and odd to moody and subdued. We particularly like the fact
that these tracks were recorded "direct to DAT in Jim Connolly's
living room." Both of these discs are superb in terms of both quality
and musicianship. Recommended. (Rating: 5+)
babysue.com
While listening to albums for this issue,
I heard the String Quartet album first, liked it and tossed it in the "full
review" pile. A couple days later, I listened to the Philharmonic
set and did the same thing. I didn't realize I had two albums from the
same artist until I sorted out the piles. These must have come in the
same envelope and gotten separated.
Which is cool. I like it when I have two validations for a given review.
It means I'm not losing my mind. Yet.
The String Quartet album is just that, a set of pieces played by a muscular
string quartet. It is the newer album (recorded this year), though I'm
not sure that matters much when we're talking about classical music.
Classical with a hint of the avant garde, I suppose, but classical nonetheless.
The melodies are often haunting, but the rhythmic passages really set
this album off for me. This baby moves. Exceedingly well.
The Philharmonic album adds clarinet, trumpet, accordion and piano to
a basic string trio (violin, viola and Connolly on bass). This album
(recorded in 2002) moves, too, but in a much more conventional way. This
one feels like a day at the fair: playful, exciting and ultimately exhausting.
Sometimes the songs run themselves into the ground. In a good way.
It's easy to hear the progression in Connolly's writing. Where the older
album is often manic without apparent motive, this year's effort is purposeful--almost
stalking--in the way it moves. Both are vibrant and alive in ways that
most music (of any sort) is not. Quite a two-fer.
Jon Worley, Aiding and Abetting
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