#1262 『Anne Hartkamp & Thomas Rueckert / Dear Bill』
text by Kayo Fushiya 伏谷佳代
JazzSick Records (2015)
5086-1JS(Vinyl)
5086-2JS(CD)
Anne Hartkamp (vocals)
Thomas Rueckert (piano)
*special guest
John Goldsby (bass on 3,6,7,8)
1. My Foolish Heart (Victor Young, Ned Washington)
2. Letter to Evan (Bill Evans)
3. How Deep is The Ocean (Irving Berlin)
4. Quiet Now (Denny Zeitlin, Suzy Stern) 4:56
5. Theme From M*A*S*H* (Johnny Mandel)
6. Dear Bill (Thomas Rueckert, Anne Hartkamp)
7. Never Let Me Go (Jay Livingston, Raymond B. Evans)
8. How My Heart Sings (Earl Zindars, Anne Zindars)
9. Turn Out the Stars (Bill Evans, Gene Lees)
10. Translucent Yellow (Thomas Rueckert, Anne Hartkamp)
11. Very Early (Bill Evans, Carol Hall)
12. You Must Believe in Spring (Michel Legrant, Alan & Marilyn Berbman)
Recorded and mixed by Christian Heck @ Loft, Cologne and Tonart Studio Kerpen
Mastered by Brigitte Angerhausen
Produced by Phillip van Endert, Anne Hartkamp, and Thomas Rueckert, 2015
Cover design by Michael Potrafke
ケルンを本拠地とするアン・ハルトカンプ(vo)とトーマス・リュッケルト(p)によるビル・エヴァンスへのトリビュート作品。タイトルの通り、ビルへのリスペクト、その音楽への愛情がやわらかな雰囲気となってアルバム全体を満たす。CDと同時にLPでも発売されるという趣向からも、アコースティックへのこだわり、音楽することとその表現においてプレイヤーが要求されるクオリティというべきものについて、ふたりのアーティストの確固としたスタンスや想いが伝わってくる。基本はヴォーカルとピアノによるデュオだが、標題曲とエヴァンスの定番数曲にベースのジョン・ゴールズビィが参加。互いに気心の知れた者同士とあって、いずれも高い音楽的水準がキープされた、息のあったプレイを聴かせる。
ハルトカンプのヴォーカルは、非常に個性的でアンビヴァレンツな魅力に満ちている。かなり粘着質でみっしりとした密度をもつ高音ヴォイスだが、最速の浸透力としなやかな伸縮力が特徴だ。成熟していながらガーリー、ドラマティックでありながらキッチュ、独特の節回しを超えたところに遊戯がある。ふとした瞬間に風穴があき、清冽な開放感に聴き手は見舞われる。名曲揃いのなか、とりわけ5.“M*A*S*H*のテーマ”などのスキャットにおいてその美質が顕著だ。音型や構成はミニマルながら、どこまでも跳躍し拡張する音の粒子。無駄を削ぎ落とした理知的なアレンジメントのセンス、相反する溢れんばかりのフィーリング。そのドラマティックな乖離が豊穣な音空間をうみだすのに成功している。この”M*A*S*H*”をはじめ、9. “Turn Out the Stars”など、そのテーマが哀切と切り離せない楽曲が独特の光彩を放っている。これは叙情の曳きが豊かで、残響で多くを語ることのできるトーマス・リュッケルトのピアノによるところが大きい。シンプルなフレージングが盤石の存在感をもつ。さて、エヴァンスといえば「ピアノ・トリオ」、ベーシストは注目される役どころではあるが、そこはヴェテランのゴールズビィである。スコット・ラファロのような派手な斬り込みのインタープレイは敢えて出さず、成熟した味わい深いリリシズムでアルバムのストーリィに適切なタイム感覚をもたらしている。シーンはあくまでさり気なく切り替わる。8. “How My Heart Sings”など、渋みの効いた大人の音楽。
音楽表現が人々にもたらす究極の恩寵はなにかと想いを巡らすときに、言葉で表現しようとするとあまりにも陳腐になる。あえて言えば、どことなく光が仄見える状態だろうか。そのようなシンプルかつ深い問いに行き当たるアルバムである。(伏谷佳代)
The album “Dear Bill” is a tribute to Bill Evans, from Cologne-based Anne Hartkamp(vo) and Thomas Rueckert(p), and the title clearly shows the artists’ respect for Bill ; their affection for his music overflows to create a soft atmosphere, permeating the whole of this wonderful album. The release of the LP concurrently with the CD is testimony to these two artists’ pursuit of the depth of acoustic sound, and their determined approach and thoughts about the quality demanded from musicians in terms of their expression and engagement with the music. The album couldn’t be much simpler, just a duo of vocals and a piano, with a bassist, John Goldsby, joining in on the title piece and for several of Bill’s standards. It is evident the pianist and the singer are familiar with each other’s heart and mind, maintaining a tight musical rapport and treating the listener to a seamless performance.
Hartkamp’s vocals are fairly distinctive and filled with an ambivalent attractiveness. Her high-pitched voice is pretty viscous with tight density and is characterized by rapid penetration and a supple stretching force. Affecting an air of maturity, she displays simultaneously girlishness, and is capable of not only being dramatic but also delightfully kitsch; beyond her distinctive melodies, lays a beguiling playfulness. At unexpected moments, a surprising gap appears, and the listener glimpses crystal-clear scenes of space. From among the line-up of well known tunes, her fine musical character is amply demonstrated particularly by her scat-singing on “Theme From M*A*S*H (Track 5).” The figures and composition are minimal, but the sound particles are vibrant and expanding infinitely. The intellectual sense of arrangement cuts through all superfluous expression, conflicting with the performers’ overflowing feelings, and this dramatic mismatch successfully creates a rich sound space. This “Theme From M*A*S*H” and “Turn Out the Stars (Track 9)” are classic pieces with themes that cannot be separated from the plaintive feelings and shed a peculiar luster; this effect greatly relies on Rueckert’s richly lyrical piano performance capable of speaking of many things by artful sonority. The phrasing although simple, has a solid and comforting presence. Well, whenever we hear the name Bill Evans, we naturally think of a “trio formation”, and the bass is a role worthy of attention, and in this case is admirably filled by experienced player, John Goldsby. Although choosing not to unleash spectacular cutting interplay like Scott LaFaro, he brings with his mature profound lyricism a measured sense of time to the story of this album. Each scene is persistently and unobtrusively shifting. As superbly represented by “How My Heart Sings(Track 8)”, this is music of restrained good taste.
“What is the ultimate grace given by musical expression to the listeners?” —– when this question is called to mind and the feeling tried to be expressed in words, they end up as so many tired clichés; suffice to say that it would be a state in which the eye faintly perceives just a hint, a smudge of light. This album provokes such a simple and deep question. (Kayo Fushiya)
《Links》
http://www.annehartkamp.de/
http://www.thomasrueckert.com/
http://www.jazzsick.com/
