Madeleine Dreams is the second recording from cornetist/composer Taylor Ho Bynum's improvising chamber ensemble, SpiderMonkey Strings. The centerpiece of this release is Bynum's titular composition, a six-movement secular oratorio inspired by the novel, Madeleine is Sleeping (Harcourt), a 2004 National Book Award finalist written by his sister, Sarah Shun-lien Bynum, and its theme of the logic of dreams.
The piece, which the band has performed on tour since the March 2008 debut at New York's Roulette, draws text from the book, a magical-realist fable of a girl's coming of age that moves between dreams and reality in 19th century France. Madeleine Dreams also documents Bynum's distinctive arrangements of music by Ornette Coleman, Duke Ellington and Sun Ra.
Musicians
Taylor Ho Bynum :: cornet, flugalhorn
Jason Kao Hwang :: violin
Jessica Pavone :: viola
Tomas Ulrich :: cello
Pete Fitzpatrick :: guitar
Joseph Daley :: tuba
Luther Gray :: drums
Press Reviews for Madeleine Dreams
Whether he's making cinematic soundscapes for snippets of his sister's surrealistic novel, or bringing a heavenly tone to such earthy fare as Ellington's "The Mooche," the cornet player makes music that places nuance on the top of the priority list. His new Madeleine Dreams features violin, viola, cello, guitar, and, in an inspired twist, tuba. The vocals are fetching and flighty; the repertory choices discerning and deft.
-Jim Macnie, Village Voice
There's something addictive about Taylor Ho Bynum's new Madeleine Dreams (Firehouse 12). The cornetist's mix of strings and brass, along with the narration that parallels the texts, is simultaneously calming and unsettling.
-Jim Macnie, Lament For A Straight Line
Bynum's richly detailed settings for his sister's words take on some of the dreamlike aspects of the source material, with his winningly oblique arrangements mirroring the opacity of the text. Each repeated listen uncovers correspondingly more depth to the artistry of this heartfelt and challenging project...an exuberant yet weighty release.
-John Sharpe, AllAboutJazz.com
Each song is a separate story and has its own "sound." Joseph Daley's tuba playing is very impressive and expressive throughout and the writing for the strings (violinist Jason Kao Hwang, violist Jessica Pavone, cellist Tomas Ulrich and guitarist Pete Fitzpatrick) allows each voice to stand out at different moments in the story. Luther Gray shows admirable restraint on the percussion; his shading underneath the melodic instruments is fascinating. Bynum sounds as melodic as you'll ever hear him yet he still has that unique attack. Vocalist Kyoto Kitamura is a wonder here; she serves as narrator, as a character in the song/stories and as another instrument in the ensemble with her siren-like voice...an excellent experience.
-Richard Kamins, Hartford Courant
Taylor Ho Bynum and SpiderMonkey Strings weave deftly through the magical realism of Madeleine is Sleeping, a novel written by Bynum’s sister, Sarah Shun-lien Bynum. Vocalist Kyoko Kitamura flows through the divide between dream and reality with grace. She narrates the first seven tracks, the lyrics of which are excerpts from the story, with a smoky alto that at turns belongs to a children's storyteller, slam poet or blues singer. The CD wavers between fantasy and reality with
nimble fingers and a flair for storytelling.
-Ivana Ng, AllAboutJazz-New York
Bynum gives each member of the strikingly configured SpiderMonkey Strings interpretative latitude throughout the six-part title piece, tests of tensile strength easily met by Bynum's detailed score (not surprising given an ensemble including violinist Jason Kao Hwang, violist Jessica Pavone, cellist Tomas Ulrich, guitarist Pete Fitzpatrick, tuba master Joe Daley and drummer Luther Gray). Even though Bynum has a relatively narrow spectrum of strings and brass to mix (although Fitzpatrick does provide some jarring shades), he has the latitude to reshape the piece each performance, a dynamism that's palpable throughout the album...Kitamura is a gifted singer (she is electrifying on Ornette Coleman's "What Reason Could I Give," the first of three afterwards-like tracks that conclude the album)...
-Bill Shoemaker, Point of Departure
...a six-movement suite that intriguingly blends chamber classical, beatnik jazz, indie-rock and free improvisation, dominated by violin (Jason Kao Hwang), viola (Jessica Pavone), cello (Tomas Ulrich) and stately, evocative moods. Vocalist Kyoko Kitamura recited magical-realism vignettes, based on an acclaimed novel by Bynum's sister, that blur the line between reality and the world of dreams...it's a fun listen.
-Michael J. West, JazzTimes
The music is performed by a wonderful ensemble, which are essentially a string quartet augmented by voice, drums, guitar, tuba and Bynum's trumpet. Bynum's years with Anthony Braxton has placed him in good stead, in regards to this work, with the music providing a strong and compelling counterpoint to the succinct yet supremely poetic text. The mix of composition and improvisation provides a focused yet flexible collaborator to the images evoked by the sometimes sung, sometimes spoken text, and is never contrived or obvious. The remaining three pieces by Ellington, Coleman and Sun Ra are also infused with a sly originality, completing a very satisfying work.
-Nilan Perera, Exclaim!
A fine ensemble recording, featuring smart arrangements and the fascinating vocal work of Kyoko Kitamura.
-Richard Kamins, Step Tempest
Un conte musical moderne.
-Julien Gros-Burdet, CitizenJazz.com
This group uses strings and brass to weave a seductive spell behind Kyoko Kitamura's singing of text from a novel written by Bynum's sister. On the second half of this set, the group becomes something of a repertory band tackling jazz classics by Ellington, Coleman, and Sun Ra with panache.
-Jerome Wilson, Cadence
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