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7 for Esi (Mark Cain) 4.56
Mark wrote this tune for recently emigrated Iranian musician, Esfandiar Shahmir, who plays both Persian ney and daf (frame drum) on this this tune in 7/8. Mark plays his own customised claritube (in A). The Persian ney varies from other ney flutes of the Middle East, all of which are end-blown flutes. Esi’s instrument is played with an extended section of thin plastic film that wraps around the flute’s blowing end and fits up in between the teeth. The flute is played by directing (refracting) one’s air off the upper palate and down into the top of the mouthpiece extension. This gives an airy, mystical sound that can be further shaped by movement of the mouth whilst playing. Esfandiar is also an outstanding exponent of the daf, a Persian frame drum with small metal rings surrounding its perimeter. These rings create a light shimmer when the drum is played. The claritube is a continuation of instruments Mark began making in the 1980s with his group, AC/PVC. It’s a tuned clarinet (or more accurately, a chalumeau) fashioned from sections of polypipe. [Kristiina – voice; Esfandiar - ney and daf; Mark - claritube; Steve - guitar and Sanshi - low A didgeridoo] _______________________________________________ Kwakumba (Mark Cain) 5.03
This tune, written by Mark, was originally intended to be something of a drunken waltz. A kwakumba (variously named) is a highlands PNG bamboo flute with a single blowing hole and an open end. Mark’s initial recording of this piece is heard on his solo CD, Reeds and features this flute - hence this tune’s name – and a bullhorn recorder, called a gemshorn. On this version, the gemshorn opens the piece solo and is joined by guitar and Kristiina scatting the vocal melody. The tune gradually morphs into a jazz waltz as soprano sax joins. [Kristiina - voice; Mark - gemshorn & soprano sax; Steven - guitar]. ________________________________________________
Caged Bird (Trad. Persian/arr. Esfandiar Shahmir/Sanshi) 6.22 A lyrical duet version of a traditional Persian melody played by Esfandiar Shahmir on Persian ney and featuring some virtuositic ‘beatboxing’ techniques by Sanshi on dideridoo. __________________________________________ Blame Lulu Peanuts (Steve Barnes/Kristiina Maalaps) 4.21
Steve’s piece is a surprise package that sounds distinctly of another era, somewhat redolent of the renaissance. His quizzical title refers to a menu item he came across whilst dining in a provincial Chinese restaurant. Ever the collector of humorous anecdotes, this one inevitably became a song title. The tune opens with two jaw harps in call-response mode, before the entry of guitar and tarota (a Catalan double-reed shawm) each playing the melody. Kristiina’s gorgeous vocal features an Estonian poem "Metsahällilaul " (The Forest Lullaby"), again written by her mother, Lea Tabur. The subsequent solo is played by Mark on tarota and at the end, the melody is reprised on soprano sax. [Kristiina - vocal & jaw harp; Mark - tarota, soprano sax & jawharp; Steve - guitar and Sanshi didgeridoo]
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Chakwe
(Trad. Zimbabwean/Jamie David/Lea Tabur/Kristiina Maalaps) 5.20 This tune is based around a traditional Zimbabwean melody and featuring the mbira (thumb piano) played by Jamie David. Mark Cain’s tarogato (Hungarian wooden saxophone) is also heard, as are the lyrics of Lea Tabur from the poem "Aktsendid" ("Accents"), sung by Kristiina. The poem talks about the silent dance of winter before the Spring takes its turn. {Kristiina - voice, Jamie - mbira; Mark - tarogato and Sanshi - didgeridoo]
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Maalaps Marjuke (Lea Tabur/Kristiina Maalaps) 4.34
The lyrics to this song are written in Estonian by Kristiina’s mother and poet, Lea Tabur. [Kristiina - voice; Mark - alto sax; Steve - guizouki and Sanshi - didgeridoo]
Kylä Vuotti Uutta Kuuta (Trad. Finnish/arr. Eastwinds) 4.50
Translated as, The Village Waited for the New Moon, this tune was first recorded on Finnish group, Vartinna’s second album, Musta Lindu in 1989 and again on a subsequent cd, Seleniko. As US folklorist and writer Steven D. Winick explains: this “song was part of the traditional Karelian wedding. These weddings lasted four days, at the end of which the bride went to live with her new husband in his village. Often it was far away, and the bride was alone, facing a village full of strangers coming to check out the new girl”. The song is an allegory about the loneliness the bride experiences in this setting. [Kristiina - voice; Mark - alto & soprano sax; Steve - guizouki and Sanshi - didgeridoo] _______________________________________ The Passage (Mark Cain) 5.42
Written by Mark in the Turkish hijaz scale (D) this tune again features Esfandiar Shahmir playing ney flute and Mark on claritube. Mark wanted to capture something of the elegant spaciousness of the Persian tradition in this piece. The tune opens with Sanshi’s didgeridoo then Esi and Mark playing in harmony over the tune. Esi’s solo takes advantage of studio overdubbing to create vibrant duet between two neys (both played by him), whilst Mark’s solo is more spare and languorous. [Esfandiar - ney; Mark - claritube (D hijaz) and Sanshi: didgeridoo] __________________________________________ Didge Solo (Sanshi) 2.34
This piece is a fine showcase for Sanshi virtuostic solo didgeridoo. The opening features bass flute-like overtones that are remarkably achieved by blowing across the mouthpiece end of the didgeridoo, not unlike the technique used to play a kaval flute in the Balkans. The middle section of this piece features Sanshi in ‘didgeriduet’. _________________________________________
Three Slips and a Gully (Steve Barnes) 3.34 Written by Steve this tune is a duet featuring his guizouki (a cross between a guitar and a bouzouki) and Mark’s soprano sax. Another of Steve’s play-on-words, this title refers to the 9/8 time signature of this piece. __________________________________________
Esmerim (Trad. Turkish/arr. Linsey Pollak and Eastwinds) 5.27 Esmerim Bicim Bicim is a Turkish traditional song popularised by, among others, famed Turkish singers, Ibrahim Tatlises and Izzet Altimese. This version somewhat slower version and was taught to Mark by Linsey Pollak, with whom he studied and toured with in the 1980s. It’s a slow burner over which Kristiina provides a scat vocal in duet with Mark’s soprano sax. [Kristiina - voice; Mark - soprano sax; Steve - guizouki and Sanshi - didgeridoo] ________________________________________
Aeti Mu Mõtsa (Trad. Estonian/arr. Kristiina Maalaps) 2.45 Estonian archaic runic song delivers us the sorrow of an orphan girl lingering her dreams around the idea what had been had she had parents. "Aeti mu Mõtsa" - “I Was Sent to the Forest” performed as a trio. Aeti mu mõtsa, aeti mõtsa ommukult, varra inne, varra inne valgõt Anti mul peiu, anti peiu pikk vits, kandli ala', kandli ala' karjavits Oles mul olnu, oles mul olnu uma imä, elanü, elanü uma esä Andnu mul peiu, andnu peiu piimämuru, kandli ala', kandli ala' karjamuru Võõras an'd peiu, võõras an'd peiu pikä vitsa, kandli ala', kandli ala' karjavitsa An'd luu, an'd luu, ütel liha, an'd koorigu, an'd koorigu, kuulut' är Oles mul olnu, oles mul olnu uma imä, elanü, elanü uma esä Imä an'd liha, imä an'd liha, ütel' luu, an'd tükü, an'd tükü, ütel' tühä [Kristiina – vocal; Esfandiar - daf and Sanshi - didgeridoo] |