Stillpoint (CD Review)

by Karl Nehring

Jessie Montgomery: Rounds; Paolo Prestini: Code; Alvin Singleton: Time Past, Time Future; Pēteris Vasks: Castillo Interior; Tyshawn Sorey: Untitled Composition for Piano and Eight Voices; Judd Greenstein: Still Point. Awadagin Pratt, piano; Roomful of Teeth, voices; A Far Cry, strings. New Amsterdam NWAM177-CD

 

Way back in 1994 I reviewed a solo piano recording titled A Long Way from Normal by a young African-American pianist by the name of Awadagin Pratt. Born in Pittsburgh, Pratt began studying piano at the age of six. By age nine, having moved to Normal, Illinois thus the title of his first album) with his family, he also began studying violin. At age 16 he entered the University of Illinois where he studied piano, violin, and conducting. He subsequently enrolled at the Peabody Conservatory of Music where he became the first student in the school’s history to receive diplomas in three performance areas – piano, violin and conducting. In 1992 he won the Naumburg International Piano Competition and two years later was awarded an Avery Fisher Career Grant. Now in 2023 I find myself reviewing his latest album (although there have been many between that first one and this one), this time not a solo recital, but a program in which his piano playing is accompanied at various times by the voices of Roomful of Teeth and the strings of chamber ensemble A Far Cry. 

 

The program opens with Rounds for Piano and String Orchestra by the American composer Jessie Montgomery (b. 1981), which she describes as “inspired by the constancy, the rhythms, and duality of life.” Toward the middle of the piece, Pratt uses an EBow to modify the sound of the piano, giving it something of an archaic sound – it is almost like hearing time being looped upon itself. But don’t let my clumsy descriptions put you off; Rounds is melodic, charming, and delightful. Next up is Code by the Italian-born Paola Prestini (b. 1975), who says that she “was inspired to compose Code based on of life’s most fundamental mysteries: the relationship between two individuals.” The opening notes are bird calls intoned by Roomful of Teeth over softly muted strings, then as the piece proceeds, it becomes more like a piano concerto, but then  voices join with the piano and strings, wordless voices longingly lamenting, until we hear distant bird calls at the end. It is a fascinating musical journey.

 

Time Past, Time Future by the American composer Alvin Singleton (b. 1940) has a more direct, exuberant feel. As Marc Rabideau, the album’s executive producer, comments in the CD booklet, “Time Past, Time Future draws Alvin’s inspirations together in one space: stark, sustained octaves contrast angular melodies reminiscent of the bebop era, fugue-like motifs press up against super-charged repeated rhythms.” A slow section from the strings will butt up against a passage that finds Pratt pounding the keyboard; however, there are always defined chords, the music never devolves into mere noise or effect. Should you need to wind down a bit after the Singleton, the opening measures of Castillo Interior by the Latvian composer Pēteris Vasks (b. 1946) should prove to be the perfect calming restorative. Pratt plays this pensive music with a soft, reflective touch that will calm your mind and reduce your heart rate. The work was originally written for violin and piano, but Pratt made this arrangement for solo piano with the blessing of the composer. It is a beautiful piece, one that seems to suspend time.

 

Readers who are into jazz may recognize the American composer Tyshawn Sorey (b. 1980) from his role as a drummer on numerous jazz albums. The multi-talented Mr. Sorey is also proficient on piano, trombone, and assorted percussion; indeed, he is one of the leading musical figures of our time. That said, Untitled is a piece that many may find difficult to love. Roomful of Teeth vocalize chords that are mostly dissonant; not teeth-grindingly so, for the most part, but neither are they endearing. Pratt plays chords and notes on the piano to accompany them, but no discernible melody. This is not music that will drive everyone out of the room – in a way, it does have a certain fascinating quality about it – but it certainly won’t draw many folks into the room, either. 

The program closes with the title piece, Still Point by the American composer Judd Greenstein (b. 1979), who writes: “Somewhere amid writing this work, my first ‘piano concerto,’ of any kind, I realized that a new spirit had entered my process. It was the remembered spirit of the great pianist and composer McCoy Tyner, one of my musical heroes.” The piece begins with lively string chords followed by repeated chords on the piano – you can sense the momentum building. As the music progress, the voices add their energy to that of the piano and strings, making for quite a captivating sound. 

The enclosed booklet contains informative notes on all of the compositions and performers, and the sound quality is excellent. Awadagin Pratt may not be a household name, but he is a fine pianist who has assembled a group of musical collaborators and put together a musical program of contemporary music that is fresh and invigorating. Stillpoint is an album well worth seeking out by those seeking to hear something new and different.