This magnificent production joins a beautifully designed 125-page oversized paperback (with informative notes, photos, an interview with composer/trumpeter
Koglman
, and more) and an outstanding musical interpretation by the
Franz Koglman
"Pipetet"
of a portion of the
Pisan Cantos
by
Ezra Pound
. Meant to be a serious work of art, this recording combines elements of opera, classical music, and jazz improvisation to produce, if not a synthesis, then at least a studied detente among seemingly disparate elements. The success of this project lies not only with the strong musicians, who include vocalist
Phil Minton
(reciting
Pound
), clarinetist/tenor saxophonist
Tony Coe
, and string bassist
Barre Phillips
, with the leader doubling as trumpeter and composer. If the jazz element is less than on some other recordings led by
, no matter: the recording succeeds on multiple levels, and is an important work of 20th-century culture. ~ Steve Loewy