Monday, August 9, 2010

Gene Pritsker's Sound Liberation Ensemble


We can be thankful that we do not live in a homogenized musical world right now. In many ways anything goes. If you look for it you can find innovative hybrids sporting just about any combination of stylistic traits you can imagine.

Gene Pritsker's Sound Liberation is a great example of this, in particular his new recording Varieties of Religious Experience Suite (VRE Suite) (Innova 235). It's Pritsker on electric guitar plus a second electric guitarist, cello, contrabass and drums. It's an instrumental suite from his opera William James - Varieties of Religious Experience.

Beyond these basic particularities are where the interest lies, of course. The music combines a sort of fusion-prog rock sensibility with a new sort of minimalism, modern concert vocabulary and a two-pronged concern with both the written note and improvisation. The drums pulse in a quasi-rock way, one or more of the guitars set up ostinatos with the cello and all three get space for improvisation.

That only begins to describe the music at hand though. This is a long suite with many twists and turns and in the end Gene Pritsker's music is much more than the sum of the elements involved. It's one of the more unusual works-performances I've heard in some time. It will no doubt appeal to those who look for rock that moves deeply into the "serious" music category. Those enthusiasts of contemporary classical and improvisation will find something very different here. No matter what camp you may be a part of, this recording will stretch the boundaries of what you expect. Most importantly Pritsker does it all with an assurance and lucidity that make a case for why such hybrids can provide exciting, absorbing listening. This one does.

6 comments:

  1. Hey Grego: Thanks for the great write-up of Gene's disc! Can you drop me a line with your contact info at innovapr[at]composersforum.org so we can send you some more stuff you might be into?

    Thanks again!

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  2. Hey Steve,

    My pleasure. Always up for new avenues of expression! Very interesting music. I'll be in touch.
    Grego

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  3. Hi Grego

    Thank you for your insightful review of my composition. I am really glad you liked the music an am happy that the disk is getting into the hands of knowledgeable listeners

    peace
    - gene pritsker

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  4. Hi Gene,

    Thanks for the thanks! And thanks for the music. I'm really glad I had the opportunity to hear it. Your work is the sort of thing that moves the music forward and we so much need that. Nice guitar playing there too! I like the way that the styles converge without the seams showing. It makes me want to hear more of your music!
    Peace and harmony,
    Grego

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  5. Hi Grego
    Here are some more albums of mine available online:

    this one is guitarist Greg Baker performing an album of my guitar music:
    http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/scars-wounds-lacerations-guitar/id288591696

    these are 2 more sound Liberation albums:
    http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/open-up-your-ears-and-get-some/id315155898

    and you can hear lots of my music on my website
    www.genepritsker.com

    of course if you email me your address I can mail you all of these albums and more
    soundliberation@nyc.rr.com

    thanks for the interest.

    peace
    g

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  6. Hi again Gene,

    Thanks for the additional discographic info. I'm sure it will be useful for readers who might wish to follow up. I'll certainly also be in touch.

    Peace,
    Grego

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