Vattel Cherry
夢枯記037 Vattel Cherry ｜ Is It Because I’m Black
06 07. 14 13:59
contrabass solo／cd／commercial free jazz／1982
http://www.reverbnation.com/vattelcherryssoulstation
【Yumegareki 037】
Playing music is, in a way, an act of telling story of our everyday life by using our body and asking the world a question about the body. What impressed me most were the music and words listed at the latter part of the album. They simply express a pure texture of the most important and most basic words for human beings. They can be the sound or words reflecting politics and culture. But at their foundation, all of them seem to be backed by self-recognition and identity. I think music is something that is alive in our daily life. Therefore, the memorable musical words linger deep in our mind. The real feeling of being alive in the world leads directly to the recognition of our existence. Then, music and songs that have been created by taking a lot of time are regarded as the indispensable components in that particular space. At one time, they are the love songs that help share a sense of nostalgia that coexists with a sense of death. On another occasion, they are the wishes for peace, ideal, or the world without war. On other occasions, they emerge as the resistance for survival on a more serious and realistic level and as a conscious expression of human pride. In this way, music is a self-recognition of our deeply rooted existence. But at the same time, it opens up a channel for communication through music. Although music is invisible, it lives by moving through the ruffles of time and space.
“Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old; seek what they sought – Basho”
This is the motto of “Soulstation,” a music group led by Cherry. It is derived from the teaching of Basho Matsuo, one of the greatest haiku poets in Edo period in Japan. Just like Basho lived his life in journey, songs and poems live in human beings. Suppression of songs can deprive people of their identity and even squash them. But music and sighs of songs that are born as a natural consequence of efforts and pains associated with our lives will survive by transforming their forms. When we identify spirits and souls that the men of old aspired for within music, the music starts breathing in a place away from self-assertiveness. When music opens up to the world without losing its identity and linking to the ideas and words of the men of old, the true sense of being alive in this world gets stronger. I do want to believe at this point in time that music is supported by the spirit of people in various parts of the world who are seeking for something most precious for us and by the awareness that we live as human beings. Spirit of music should be open all the time. This should be remembered in this global information society fully covered by this capitalistic principle.
Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old; seek what they sought - Basho
故人の跡を求めず故人の求めたるところを求めよ（芭蕉）
F Vattel Cherryというベーシストは全く知らなかった。Cherryさんはニューヨークで活動していたらしいが、ネットで少しみてみると、ボルチモアの彼の率いる音楽グル―プ『Soulstation』の掲げている格言とは、芭蕉の書いたこの教えらしい。空海の言ったことばでもあるようだ。タイトルの＜is it because I'm black＞はこの教えの言い換えとも受け取れなくもないし、実際聴いてみると、この音楽はこの教えをよく貫こうと努力している演奏であることがわかる。このアルバムはまるごと、まさにベース的身体といえると僕は思う。決して大袈裟な音楽でもないが、ある種の主張をはじめのうちは感じる。だがその主張は気取ってはおらず、気負ってもいない必然的なものなのだとじわじわと感じられてくる。音量を上げてみても楽器の音や録音自体はやせているようにはきこえる。だがそれは見かけのはなしで、演奏者としての音が太いのはすぐにわかる。こういう音楽は即興とは何かとか、技術どうこうという話を先行させる…もっと読む... Read more...
http://www.reverbnation.com/vattelcherryssoulstation
【Yumegareki 037】
Playing music is, in a way, an act of telling story of our everyday life by using our body and asking the world a question about the body. What impressed me most were the music and words listed at the latter part of the album. They simply express a pure texture of the most important and most basic words for human beings. They can be the sound or words reflecting politics and culture. But at their foundation, all of them seem to be backed by self-recognition and identity. I think music is something that is alive in our daily life. Therefore, the memorable musical words linger deep in our mind. The real feeling of being alive in the world leads directly to the recognition of our existence. Then, music and songs that have been created by taking a lot of time are regarded as the indispensable components in that particular space. At one time, they are the love songs that help share a sense of nostalgia that coexists with a sense of death. On another occasion, they are the wishes for peace, ideal, or the world without war. On other occasions, they emerge as the resistance for survival on a more serious and realistic level and as a conscious expression of human pride. In this way, music is a self-recognition of our deeply rooted existence. But at the same time, it opens up a channel for communication through music. Although music is invisible, it lives by moving through the ruffles of time and space.
“Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old; seek what they sought – Basho”
This is the motto of “Soulstation,” a music group led by Cherry. It is derived from the teaching of Basho Matsuo, one of the greatest haiku poets in Edo period in Japan. Just like Basho lived his life in journey, songs and poems live in human beings. Suppression of songs can deprive people of their identity and even squash them. But music and sighs of songs that are born as a natural consequence of efforts and pains associated with our lives will survive by transforming their forms. When we identify spirits and souls that the men of old aspired for within music, the music starts breathing in a place away from self-assertiveness. When music opens up to the world without losing its identity and linking to the ideas and words of the men of old, the true sense of being alive in this world gets stronger. I do want to believe at this point in time that music is supported by the spirit of people in various parts of the world who are seeking for something most precious for us and by the awareness that we live as human beings. Spirit of music should be open all the time. This should be remembered in this global information society fully covered by this capitalistic principle.
Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old; seek what they sought - Basho
故人の跡を求めず故人の求めたるところを求めよ（芭蕉）
F Vattel Cherryというベーシストは全く知らなかった。Cherryさんはニューヨークで活動していたらしいが、ネットで少しみてみると、ボルチモアの彼の率いる音楽グル―プ『Soulstation』の掲げている格言とは、芭蕉の書いたこの教えらしい。空海の言ったことばでもあるようだ。タイトルの＜is it because I'm black＞はこの教えの言い換えとも受け取れなくもないし、実際聴いてみると、この音楽はこの教えをよく貫こうと努力している演奏であることがわかる。このアルバムはまるごと、まさにベース的身体といえると僕は思う。決して大袈裟な音楽でもないが、ある種の主張をはじめのうちは感じる。だがその主張は気取ってはおらず、気負ってもいない必然的なものなのだとじわじわと感じられてくる。音量を上げてみても楽器の音や録音自体はやせているようにはきこえる。だがそれは見かけのはなしで、演奏者としての音が太いのはすぐにわかる。こういう音楽は即興とは何かとか、技術どうこうという話を先行させる…もっと読む... Read more...