| 1. CONCERT
FANTASY . . . was inspired by Chopin's 'Revolutionary
Study'. It is a new and highly original composition,
of high-powered, complex rhythmic and dynamic changes,
ranging over a wide variety of moods and idioms, from
dramatic flights of tinkling fantasy to brutal power
blocks and 'fractured' classical sequences.
This truly is a 'Concert Fantasy' of interacting forms
and idioms, which offers the listener a new, yet familiar,
unique and exciting musical experience.
2. PRIMITIV . . . takes you into the
brute world of the Jurassic, of the primitive jungle
of the dinosaurs - barbaric and ruthless. A driving
boogie bass is pitted against a 'primitive' blues melody
and stab chords which cut, like T.Rex teeth, into the
fabric of the music.
In the final section of the piece, the heavy rhythm
is still as persistent, but dying away, like a ghost
of a beast still plodding on and disappearing over the
horizon. At the very end there is an angry sforzando
bellow - the last defiant roar of a powerful, tormented
beast.
3. WHIPLASH . . . This is electro-jazzrock.
The background is an electronic afro-modal pulse, over,
and through which, winds laid back Miles Davis-like
solos on trumpet, sax and funky electronics - and some
very fast piano playing and up-tempo double speed rhythm.
Sections often end with biting brass chords - like the
sound of an electronic whiplash - hence the title.
There is a substantial, and contrasting, cool, centre
section comprising repetitions of an 8 bar funky riff,
with interacting solos against weird, sweeping and bubbling
electronics and SFX modulations.
After this, the reprise is a return to the initial afro-modal
theme, but now supercharged with heavy jazz backing
and piled up jazz chords. This process gradually increases,
and the piece ends in a blaze of whipping, flashing
brass.
4. ROCK SONATA No.1 . . . may seem
to be a conflict of terms: there is Rock, and there
are Sonatas, utterly opposed in style content and expression
to each other. But Rock Sonata combines, fuses and develops
features and elements from music on many kinds of different
and seemingly-conflicting sources such as jazz, rock,
Latin-American, pop, classical, baroque, symphonic,
ragtime, medieval, funk etc: in other words a mutation
and transformation of both modern and traditional music
to produce a new species.
5. LAND OF FIRE . . . is so-called
because of its mighty and sustained 'Fire-Power', which
can be likened to the sustained heat and eruptions of
an active volcanic lava field. It unites and transforms
disparate musical material - i.e. jazz, rock, baroque
and Slavic idioms - into a unique musical unity.
There are many diverse sections that all accumulate
and contribute to the mighty power of the piece, like
colliding tectonic plates and massive eruptions.
6. LAKE OF DREAMS . . . is a gentle,
undulating piece of an impressionistic nature, in a
modern electronic idiom. Visions of idly boating on
a dreamy lake are conjured up, with water nymphs and
tinkling bells like gently falling water. Relax and
Dream On!
7. CRAZY CALYPSO . . . is a Latin-American
experience with a difference. 'Crazy'? - because, among
other things, the music jumps about - crazily! - into
other Latin-American styles and idioms (e.g. Samba,
Mambo), as well the triple time of the Spanish 'fandango';
and there¹s also some Beethoven and 'baroque-calypso'
tucked away in there . . . Supply your own coconut palms!
8. ROLLER-ROCK . . . is a high-tech
Rock 'n' Roll Boogie - like a futuristic roller skate
contest (with jet powered skates!). From the very beginning,
there is no letup of speed, excitement and action, right
to the very end - and it's real finger-cracker for the
pianist. And excitement there is! The rolling boogie
bass alternates between the traditional 'crawl' and
'walking' basses, above which the melody creates a dynamic,
high-powered interplay of traditional boogie/blues idioms.
9. SUPERSOUL . . . is a massive and
extended soul/blues piano piece, stretching and expanding
the soul music form and content to colossal lengths
of technique and expression. The basis is a repeating
12-bar blues sequence with continual variations and
high varying degrees of complexity; but the traditional
blues form is also developed and extended into new realms.
10. MADELAINE . . . is a classical-style
piece, but in a modern setting of synthesizers and electronics,
with modern rhythms. The simple classical harmonies
modulate by continuous arpeggios, as in a Bach prelude,
which generates melodies and counter-melodies to be
taken up by other instruments. A peaceful piece of 'classical-pop',
for easy listening.
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