Lloyd Miller • Orientations

 

Review
by Thom Jurek  
Dr. Lloyd Miller is an American musician, academic, musicologist, and multi-instrumentalist. Based in Utah, he has been fusing jazz with Middle Eastern, African folk, and classical forms since the early 1960s. He plays more than 100 instruments and has issued a slew of privately recorded albums. His 1968 offering, Oriental Jazz, is a cult classic and was remastered and reissued by Now-Again in 2019. During the '70s, Miller hosted a longstanding prime-time musical variety show in Tehran. In 2010, he released a popular collaborative outing with the Heliocentrics. In his eighties, Miller continues to make music, as evidenced by 2020's wondrous At the Ends of the World for Fountain AVM. It collects 22 unissued recordings between 1960 and 2021, sourced from Miller's personal archive. He plays a slew of instruments: santur, oud, piano, saxophone, dhol, qanun, tar, setar, tanbur, kamanche, zurna, ney, and analog synth.

These recordings offer Miller playing solo, in the company of students at Brigham Young University and University of Utah, and with various Persian, Arabic, Indian, and African musicians on his television show. All have been painstakingly remastered. Opener "Camels to Cairo" was recorded in 1963. Reeds, percussion, and tar play a circular eight-note pattern appended and subtracted in each chorus like a ceremonial piece. "Segah Leaves" commences as a santur solo but morphs into a lithe, bluesy, jazz piano tune with droning overtones. "Orientation #1 (Kheneccordion)" from 1963 (revisited in 2021), reveals Miller's considerable improvisational skills (after all, he played with Eddie Harris and Don Ellis in the '50s) on a Persian accordion accompanied by layers of percussion and an overdubbed analog synth for texture and atmosphere. His highly individual oud-playing style is highlighted beautifully in "Takseem It Seems "Beautiful Eyes"," recorded live at a jazz festival with his university ensemble that includes reeds, winds, piano, and percussion. 1963's "Pentakarnatica" weds raga, blues, jazz, and Persian classical music with traditional instruments, as well as piano, saxophones, and an upright bass. 1990's "Persuasian" weaves together various flutes, large drums, santur, and piano; it sounds like it was composed for dancers. "Pacific Breeze," from the early '80s, joins synth, piano, tympani, bass, and more into an ascendant spiritual soundscape flavored with post-bop. Several pieces are drawn from tapes of Miller's TV show, including "Mellow Cello," which is plucked and played like a lead guitar. 1972's "Shahin" is a lovely jazz piano trio number that suggests the influence of West Coast piano icon Russ Freeman. 2005's stunning, 18-minute "Improv in Isfahan" is an improvisation played by an ensemble using traditional Persian instrumentation to evoke the feel of Arabic classical music before transforming itself into a swinging post-bop, jazz-piano trio groover.

Orientations, even more than Jazzman's 2009 compilation A Lifetime in Oriental Jazz, is far more representative of Miller's depth and reach. This isn't merely a great introduction to the artist, but a deep, resonant, and revelatory listen in its own right.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/orientations-mw0003686469

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Reseña
por Thom Jurek  
El Dr. Lloyd Miller es un músico, académico, musicólogo y multiinstrumentista estadounidense. Residente en Utah, fusiona el jazz con el folclore de Oriente Medio, África y formas clásicas desde principios de la década de 1960. Toca más de 100 instrumentos y ha publicado numerosos álbumes privados. Su trabajo de 1968, Oriental Jazz, es un clásico de culto y fue remasterizado y reeditado por Now-Again en 2019. En los años 70, Miller presentó en Teherán un programa de variedades musicales en horario de máxima audiencia. En 2010, publicó un popular disco en colaboración con los Heliocéntricos. A sus ochenta años, Miller sigue haciendo música, como demuestra el maravilloso At the Ends of the World de 2020 para Fountain AVM. Recoge 22 grabaciones inéditas entre 1960 y 2021, procedentes del archivo personal de Miller. Toca un montón de instrumentos: santur, oud, piano, saxofón, dhol, qanun, tar, setar, tanbur, kamanche, zurna, ney y sintetizador analógico.

Estas grabaciones ofrecen a Miller tocando en solitario, en compañía de estudiantes de la Universidad Brigham Young y la Universidad de Utah, y con varios músicos persas, árabes, indios y africanos en su programa de televisión. Todas han sido cuidadosamente remasterizadas. La primera, "Camels to Cairo", se grabó en 1963. Las cañas, la percusión y el alquitrán tocan un patrón circular de ocho notas que se añaden y se quitan en cada estribillo como si fuera una pieza ceremonial. "Segah Leaves" comienza como un solo de santur, pero se transforma en una ágil melodía de blues y piano jazz con matices zumbones. "Orientation #1 (Kheneccordion)", de 1963 (revisitada en 2021), revela las considerables dotes de improvisación de Miller (después de todo, tocó con Eddie Harris y Don Ellis en los años 50) en un acordeón persa acompañado de capas de percusión y un sintetizador analógico sobregrabado para dar textura y atmósfera. Su estilo de tocar el acordeón, muy personal, se pone de manifiesto en "Takseem It Seems "Beautiful Eyes"", grabado en directo en un festival de jazz con su conjunto universitario, que incluye lengüetas, vientos, piano y percusión. Pentakarnatica", de 1963, combina raga, blues, jazz y música clásica persa con instrumentos tradicionales, además de piano, saxofones y contrabajo. Persuasian", de 1990, entrelaza varias flautas, grandes tambores, santur y piano; suena como si hubiera sido compuesta para bailarines. "Pacific Breeze", de principios de los 80, une sintetizador, piano, timbales, bajo y más en un paisaje sonoro espiritual ascendente con sabor a post-bop. Varias piezas están extraídas de cintas del programa de televisión de Miller, incluida "Mellow Cello", que se puntea y toca como una guitarra solista. Shahin", de 1972, es un encantador trío de piano jazz que sugiere la influencia del icono del piano de la costa oeste Russ Freeman. Improv in Isfahan", de 2005, de 18 minutos de duración, es una improvisación interpretada por un conjunto que utiliza instrumentación tradicional persa para evocar la sensación de la música clásica árabe antes de transformarse en un swing post-bop, jazz-piano trio groover.

Orientations, incluso más que el recopilatorio de Jazzman de 2009 A Lifetime in Oriental Jazz, es mucho más representativo de la profundidad y el alcance de Miller. No se trata simplemente de una gran introducción al artista, sino de una escucha profunda, resonante y reveladora por derecho propio.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/orientations-mw0003686469

Tracks:
1 - Camels To Cairo (1963)
2 - Segah Leaves (1960)
3 - Orientation #1 (Kheneccordion) (1963)
4 - Carnatic Clarinet (1960's)
5 - Intercollegiate Jazz Festival Introduction (1968)
6 - Takseem It Seems "Beautiful Eyes" (1968)
7 - Orientation #2 (The Telling Of Thai'me) (1963)
8 - Mellow Cello (mid 1970's)
9 - Shahin (1972)
10 - Pentakarnatica (7/8) (1963)
11 - Orientation #3 (Poetically Past The Present) (1963)
12 - Piano, Santur And Drum Interlude (1960's)
13 - Persuasian (1990)
14 - Orientation #4(Of Mandarin Myth) (1963)
15 - Pacific Breece (Early 1980's)
16 - Humalayan (Edited Version 1998)
17 - Summer Thyme In Tehran (1972)
18 - Ketch Me If You Can (Improvisation) (1972)
19 - Orientation #5 (Central Asian Occasion) (1963)
20 - Improv In Isfahan (Extended-Full Version) (2005)
21 - Camels From Cairo

Label:    FOUNTAINavm – FAVM 023
Country:    US
Released:    2022
Genre:    Jazz, Folk, World, & Country
Style:    Avant-garde Jazz, Free Jazz
https://www.discogs.com/release/25074616-Lloyd-Miller-Orientations

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