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LIVE and
INTIMATE-------Review
David Cross is one of the more prolific ex-members
of progressive rock band King Crimson, noted for his stunning violin
performances on many of their past albums. With many other strings
to his bow (no pun intended), this small concert with the Japanese
pianist and singer Naomi Maki in Soho Japan London, billed as “Live
and Intimate”, gave a good introduction to what David calls
“Electric Chamber Music”.
The premise behind the concept of electric chamber music is a simple
one; in practice, classical musicians have largely ignored the available
range of dynamics and timbres that have been dramatically extended
following the invention of the electronic amplifier, and rock musicians
tend to use the loud end of the spectrum. Electric Chamber Music,
according to David, uses a much bigger dynamic range, and is something
that he has been developing over the last two years.
David’s stunning violin playing and visual representation was
the perfect complement to the enchanting piano and vocals provided
by Naomi Maki, a combination that made for an interesting and evoking
evening.
The venue was small and intimate, exactly as billed in the write-ups,
and all the tickets had been sold prior to the performance date. David
and Naomi captivated the audience by introducing each piece personally,
and thereby making everyone present feel involved in the concert.
The audience were extremely attentive and still, as if they were completely
absorbed in the music and did not want to move until every last note
had been played.
“Insight” was the first solo track played by David, which
started off with a soft hypnotic melody and a distinct Arabian feel,
almost transporting those who hear it to another time and place, before
combining effortlessly with extracts from “The Skye Boat Song”.
David played with great conviction, totally focused in his approach
and execution as the music picked up pace, and there were overtones
of early progressive rock.
He followed this with “Rain, Rain”, a moving, romantic
piece, soft and enchanting. Building a multi-layered soundscape through
the use of loops and delays, David proved himself a master of the
effects box as well as the violin. Finally, “Exiles” is
an evolution of David’s work with King Crimson. Incorporating
the sounds of whale music, and so engaging in its delivery, I was
hard-pressed to work out whether it was a violin or an electric guitar
playing.
Naomi Maki opened her solo set with a traditional Japanese song entitled
“Kiyomoto”, which she sang acapella, followed by an enchanting
solo piano piece that was in parts reminiscent of Enya. A traditional
18th Century love story followed, entitled “Okinawa”,
which was sung in both the traditional dialect and modern Japanese.
Naomi displayed her improvisational skills in her final piece when
she asked for a volunteer to provide a melody which she would perform
as a song, something she did spectacularly well. Based on just a few
notes, she created a new composition before our ears, which built
to a rousing crescendo.
David and Naomi joined forces for the last three numbers, which were
effectively a conversation between piano and guitar. With overtones
of folk, rock and classical, the music defied classification, with
each of them rising to the challenges thrown down by the other. David’s
violin at times punctuated, accompanied and juxtaposed Naomi’s
piano and vocals, and at one point he even found himself playing a
jazz baseline.
These are two highly accomplished musicians who manage to combine
a variety of traditional influences into a totally modern type of
music. It is refreshing to see musical boundaries being extended,
and, if the response debut is anything to go by, Electric Chamber
Music is set to go from strength to strength.
..........by Lisa Ventura 2BitsDesign
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