| Cides - "Primitivo" |
| (Mundo Records MRCD 99007-2, 1997, CD) |
| Sounds like Mr. Cides had quite a bit of fun recording this (his
second) disc. On "Primitivo," the Argentina native explores the many
facets of the Chapman Stick's capabilities and in so doing moves quite
beyond what our heroes in Crimson have done. But the connection is
nevertheless present. You've got material that echoes Sylvian and Fripp's
last album, alongside a reading of a Bach passacaglia, in which the Stick
becomes a harpsichord. Some funky rock moments (with vocal) and spacey
workouts collide into the picture as well. Here he gets support from a
tabla player. On top of that are some melancholy moments, contrasted by a
wild outing featuring bizarre howling and a multitude of overlapped layers
of interlocking melodic lines. Yes, an eclectic one to be sure, and a
fusion of sorts, but not necessarily of rock and jazz. On the other hand
it does focus primarily on the instrumental side of things. For his
arsenal of sounds Cides probably uses the MIDI Stick, or at least the
effects module 'Patch of Shades' that Emmett Chapman developed for his
creation. It allows the player to fade effects in and out gradually,
rather than just on and off. (I'll never forget a personal demonstration
from Mr. Chapman I witnessed at his home many years ago .... ) Whatever
the case it serves the project well-a veritable whole band is at the hands
of the performer. If there is one gripe though it would be that Cides
takes advantage of this convenience by assuming too much of the
responsibility himself. Thus, I'm not quite sure who to recommend this CD
too, but still it's worth checking into.
[Centro de Stickistas en Argentina, CC 81 Suc. 28 (1428) Bs, As, Argentina] |
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