Paradox Trio
Matt Dariau
Paradox Trio
Knitting Factory Works, KFW 171, 1995
74 Leonard St., New York, NY 10013
Tel: 212 219 3006 / Fax: 212 219 3401
Although Matt Dariau is the current horn player for the Klezmatics, and although the Paradox Trio has appeared on a couple of lovely klezmer compilations, this is not klezmer. But then, neither is this a trio--it's a quartet. The music is a delightful fusion of Balkan rhythms and sounds with a modern American jazz sensibility. The fusion is quite real. The two traditions play off each other expertly, creating something quite American, and different. Fans of Yvo Paposov may not be as thrilled as I am, but I really, really like this stuff. I feel like I'm getting the best of two worlds--the Balkan time signatures and rhythms to which I love to dance, and the driving, exploring, very American jazz horn and electric guitar that define my preferences in jazz.
The opening "New World Cocek" (you'll have to imagine your own accents over the "c" and pronounce the last word, "CHO-check". Bless HTML and the limitations of Latin 1 character sets.) is a perfect example. This would not be welcome at a Bulgarian wedding, but, damn, it sounds like perfect dance music for a New York jazz club. The differences are even more pronounced on the slower "Tziganski" again, with a very American set of changes as a chorus. At the same time, "Pump up the goat," featuring the piercing gaida, not only reminds us of the extent of Celtic influence two millenia ago, but is unexpectedly focused and traditional--here, in fact, a bit more spirit and soul might not have been remiss.
The Paradox Trio have a new album due Fall 1997, and will also be recording an album comprising a "Yiddish repertoire," whatever that means. They also appeared at the 1997 Ashkenaz Festival in Toronto.
Reviewed by Ari Davidow, 8/16/97
Personnel this recording:
Matt Dariau: soprano & alto saxes, clarinet, irish flute, kaval (Bulgarian flute, tracks 5, 9), gaida (Bulgarian bagpipe, track 4)
Brad Schoeppach: electric guitar, acoustic 12-string guitar
Rufus Cappadocia: electric five-string cello, accoustic cello (track 9)
Seido Salifoski: dumbeks, percussion
- New World Cocek (Darriau/trad.) 6:29
- Rufus 7 (Cappadocia/Darriau) 7:02
- Tziganski (Schoeppach) 6:30
- Pump up the goat (Darriau/trad.) 5:37
- Rythme Bulgare #1 (Bartók) 2:24
- Live Lines (Darriau) 8:06
- Drifting on a riff (Cappadocia/Darriau) 5:44
- Buchimish (Darriau) 4:51
- Kopanitsa (Darriau/Trad.) 8:32
