|
|
||
|
|
|
All About Jazz Italy La Palma, Roma, Marzo 2006 L'ultima serata in programma era dedicata a un chitarrista americano, Tim Sparks, accompagnato da Greg Cohen al contrabbasso e Cyro Batista alle percussioni. Partito dal ragtime e dal fingerpicking puro, Sparks ha progressivamente arricchito la sua musica di connotazioni etniche, sviluppando un particolare interesse per l'area balcanica e dell'est europeo, sfociato nel klezmer e nell'approdo alla corte del sassofonista e compositore d'avanguardia John Zorn e dei suoi progetti a nome Masada; proprio la sua etichetta. la Tzadik, ha pubblicato i lavori più recenti di Sparks, oltre a fornirgli i due musicisti che lo affiancano anche in questo tour. Il repertorio è in gran parte quello della tradizione ebraica che ha inciso in trio nei suoi ultimi lavori, Tanz e At the Rebbe's Table. La musica klezmer affonda le sue radici nell'Europa dell'Est, mescolandosi alla tradizione gitana (uno dei suoi massimi esponenti del Novecento è stato il clarinettista Naftule Brandwein, del quale Sparks esegue “Araber Tanz”, “Fun Tashlach” e “Turk in Amerika”), ma si è sparsa un po' in tutto il mondo sulla scia della Diaspora ebraica; non mancano brani di ispirazione spagnola (”Morenica”, “Tres Hermanicas”), bosniaca (”La Jave Espana”) e addirittura brasiliana (”Eu So Quero Um Xodo”). Due brani proposti fanno parte del repertorio Masada (”Kodashim” e “Kanah”, di Zorn), mentre a metà concerto Sparks in solitudine porge un tributo ai padri della musica afroamericana (e allo stesso tempo alle proprie radici chitarristiche) con il trittico “Maple Leaf Rag” di Joplin, “Original Jelly Roll Blues” di Jelly Roll Morton, e “Mississippi Blues” di Willie Brown. Il chitarrista riesce a destreggiarsi mirabilmente in mezzo a tutte queste influenze, grazie a una padronanza della tecnica strumentale di tutto rispetto; mentre l'accompagnamento della coppia ritmica formata da Cohen, preciso e potente, e Batista, dinamico e fantasioso, circondato da percussioni di tutti i tipi cui si alterna senza sosta, permette al chitarrista una maggiore libertà nelle improvvisazioni solistiche, dove rivela la sua natura di jazzista non sempre evidente dagli album. Un altro ottimo concerto, che ha chiuso in bellezza l'edizione 2006 di questa importante rassegna, ancora una volta di alto livello. Link: italia.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=590
Tim Sparks Tanz Downbeat December 2000 For his second Tzadik album, Sparks intelligently and lovingly arranges some of his favorite songs from the Oriental, Sephardic and Yiddish canons of Jewish music for his guitar and, often, Greg Cohen's string bass and Cyro Baptista's percussion. With impeccable control, he imparts quiet depth to his close study of the melodies, harmonies and unusual rhythms belonging to, say, the Caucasus Mountains region wedding song "Aji Tu Yorma?" and four Depression-era compositions credited to the storied klezmer clarinetist Naftule Brandwein. No small achievement, Sparks conveys the pathos of the Diaspora in his music. Frank-John Hadley Tim Sparks Tanz [Tzadik 2000] Dirty Linen, 2001 For his second album on Tzadik, Tim Sparks has expanded on his groundbreaking concept of presenting traditional Jewish melodies on acoustic guitar. This time he has recruited Greg Cohen, a bassist, and Cyro Baptista, a Brazilian percussionist, to accompany him on most tracks. Not only is the idea of playing such music on acoustic guitar a novel idea but, in the nimble hands of Sparks, it succeeds admirably. On Tanz, Sparks interprets four tunes by the famous Naftule Brandwein as well as other material drawn from Yiddish, Sephardic, and Oriental sources. The mix of a traditional approach with the jazz nuances that the trio brings to the arrangements makes for compelling and original music which should impress both guitar aficionados and those with a keen interest in the diversity of Jewish music. - Paul Emile Comeau Acoustic Guitar, August 2001 Fingerstyle guitarist Tim Sparks continues to explore the underlying connections in world music on this beautifully played and recorded CD of Jewish music from around the world - his second recording for John Zorn's Tzadik label. On Tanz, Sparks is joined by bassist Greg Cohen and percussionist Cyro Baptista for music that is adventurous and rich with melodies and odd meters. Sparks' studies in world music allow him to trace Jewish musical influences through the cultures of Brazil, Mexico, Yemen, the Balkans, Africa, and Spain, and the result is reflected in his mastery of these difficult musical forms. - Gary Joyner Guitarist explores Jewish influences Pioneer Planet The title of this disc, "Tanz,'' is the Yiddish word for dance. But to paraphrase an old Boston ad campaign, you don't have to be Jewish to move to and be moved by this music. This is guitarist Sparks' second record based on Jewish music, particularly the popular and familiar klezmer style, for John Zorn's "radical Jewish culture'' label Tzadik. On it, the fingerpicking champion, a North Carolina native who now lives in Frazee, Minn., also dips into jazz, bluegrass and classical styles. And along with the accompaniment of bassist Greg Cohen and Brazilian percussionist Cyro Baptista, he presents an intriguing set of tunes. For me, the standout piece of the album is "Dos Oybershte Fun Shtoysl (The Most Conceited of All),'' a 1920s piece based on traditional Yiddish melodies that strikes a variety of moods. Another moment of captivation comes with "Atumati Te'orer Hayeshenim (The Holy Presence Awakens the Sleepers)'' from the Jewish-Yemenite Manakha tradition. One critic calls Sparks' technique "musical sleight-of-hand''; it certainly is some kind of string-bending magic. I'm not certain what constitutes "appropriate'' Hanukkah music, but I should think this would certainly help set the tone. -- James M. Tarbox |
