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liner notes by dave liebman the process of solo recording is extremely complex. first of all, there is the deep psychological factor of conversing with oneself rather than between members of a group. in a solo situation there is no camaraderie or esprit du corps, no ego reinforcement, no one to shift responsibility if things don't work out as expected or desired. essentially it's like looking in the mirror and having to accept what you see because there is no choice. truly it is a lonely and arduous journey. |
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| secondly, in a recording when extensive overdubbing is used as is the case here, there is the unenviable task of technically executing the written ensembles and backgrounds for solos. the process becomes more challenging when there is no rhythm section or some other time keeping element on the recording. (in the actual recording process a phantom click track or metronome may be used for reference.) but the positive side of solo recording far outweighs the deficits. an artist can finally get everything right-the way he or she truly hears the complete picture. gebhard ullmann has done an incredible job on this recording. this music is actually cliche-free meaning that the writing is unusually original. and to be sure: there is quite a lot of written material included. gebhard did not just record some ostinato lines or vamps to solo over. with his masterful use and proficiency of a full array of saxophones, clarinets and flutes the orchestrations alone would suffice as fine work. the key to the success of tá lam is how gebhard achieves that most important of aesthetic requirements balance. he employs pure unisons as well as harmonized sectional lines throughout the music well arranged to cover the entire sound spectrum from high (piccolo) to low (bass clarinet). harmonically, the music skirts the grey area between tonality and non-tonality. static and sustained chords are interspersed with moving lines. the solos, especially for my taste on the bass clarinet, are very rhythmically free and vocal-like with a tasteful use of expressive nuances, sound clusters, multiphonics and the extreme ranges of the horns. the overall textures range from dense to spacious. most of all the flow of the recording is exciting and continually evolving. in fact for me the compositions all seem to be part of one long suite. the composition tá lam includes all of the elements i have described. the wonderfully executed and difficult fast lines give way to a rubato bass clarinet solo followed by a mournful flute ensemble (which to me sounds like japanese gagaku music). the accordion weaves around sustained dissonant chords. a freeish, unaccompanied tenor solo with good use of wide intervals counterpoised against lyrical, jazz-like melodies follows. this gives way to a very rhythmic ensemble section which revolves into a reprise or echo of the beginning texture before the soprano solos over a flute chordal background supported by a bass clarinet ostinato. more ensemble and another fairly chromatic tenor solo occurs over very tonal backgrounds which are enhanced by a dissonant accordion entrance before the final ensemble. quite a journey! i should point out that the use of hans hassler's accordion does not mean this is not a pure solo recording. the instrument used sparingly sounds to me like gebhard's alter ego. occasionally commenting on the goings on. i think using such an unorthodox instrument was very clever, as if ullmann was curious what another, completely different species of sound would think about the internal conversation taking place. hans' style sounds like an intense, highly rhythmic stream of conversation, almost as if he were in another room. the mix of this recording is excellent with backgrounds truly placed behind and around solo voices. reverb and delay are discreetly used for ambiance. i feel that gebhard ullmann has produced quite a gout here: beyond category, spiritually rewarding, perfectly executed and fully satisfying. the listener who is curious as to how varied a solo recording can be will greatly appreciate tá lam.
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