The Visibility Of Thought

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Total Tracks: 6   Total Length: 72:11

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Kevin Whitehead

eMusic Contributor

01.07.04
Jazzman, composer — Abrams speaks many languages, and fluently
2004 | Label: Mutable Music / The Orchard

On the AACM co-founder's Wikipedia page, all of the albums listed, including this one, are classified as "jazz," a reminder how hard it's been for open-minded African American composers once associated with jazz to get recognized — let alone approved — for doing anything else. But save for Muhal's dark, extended piano improvisation and the electronic title track worked up in the studio, this program is scored contemporary music for small combinations. Featured are pianist Joseph Kubera, classical baritone Tom Buckner, heard in a wordless role and accompanied by string quartet, and the superb reading/improvising violinist Mark Feldman. The stately pace and high drama, and the transparent string writing, display a radically different side of Muhal's writing than his celebrated big band records do. But then composers may be fluent in more than one language — efforts to pigeonhole them aside.

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AACM

By Kevin Whitehead, eMusic Contributor

In 1965, pianist Muhal Richard Abrams, trumpeter Philip Cohran, drummer Steve McCall and other like-minded Chicagoans banded together to form the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians: the now famed co-operative that would go on to spawn the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Anthony Braxton, Leroy Jenkins, Henry Threadgill, Nicole Mitchell and dozens more. Over four decades later, the AACM still thrives, with branches in Chicago and New York. AACM's founders mostly came from jazz, but… more »

They Say All Music Guide

Muhal Richard Abrams’ work as a pianist in all forms of creative music derived from free jazz is well-known. It is not the case for his contemporary classical compositions. The Visibility of Thought was the first CD to focus on this part of his output. One of the first two initial releases by Thomas Buckner’s label Mutable Music, it presents four contemporary pieces, one computer piece, and a 30-minute solo improvisation. Pianist Joseph Kubera is featured on three tracks. His duet with bassist Jon Deak (“Duet for Contrabass and Piano”) features nice interplay but too much restraint. The same goes for the “Duet for Violin and Piano” with Mark Feldman, although here the listener feels something connecting with his deeper emotions. More flamboyant is “Baritone Voice and String Quartet” with Buckner and the ETHEL String Quartet. Here the disc reaches a highlight and some people might think of Charles Ives or Pierre Boulez. The “Piano Duet #1″ (Kubera and Philip Bush) fails to strike as an inventive piece of music. The solemn computer piece “The Visibility of Thought” develops interesting textures, but one wishes it would be presented in a more appropriate context — it feels out of place here. The “Piano Improvisation” completes the picture, featuring Abrams as a performer — a great one. Strangely, it makes one wonder: “Why bother composing when you can improvise like that?.” Abrams’ writing is not without its moments, but it is unlikely that it will overshadow his recognition as a free jazz pianist. – François Couture

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