Mahler Revisited by Uri Caine
BY LARS BJÖRN
Pianist
Uri Caine has attempted to incorporate the work of Gustav Mahler
into a more contemporary framework since 1996, with the release of Urlicht/Primal
Light CD. He performed before a packed Kerrytown Concert
House in Ann Arbor on May 14.
Without claiming to be an expert on Mahler
I must say that Caine's creations come off as unitary, though others
might see the snippets of pop, jazz, klezmer, and Mahler as too disparate.
Caine is a veteran jazz pianist, but his major contribution is probably
his compositional concepts and his role as group leader. He had assembled
some very able players: Ralph Alessi on trumpet, Joyce Hammann on violin,
Tim Flood on bass and above all clarinetist Don Byron and drummer Jim
Black. Byron can play anything on the clarinet and Black is a master
percussionist who always listens carefully to the people he plays with.
An added attraction to the Ann Arbor performance was not only the wonderful
bass of Flood, but DJ Recloose on turntables
It was an interesting evening of music and
the Kerrytown Concert House audience was very enthusiastic.
