In Praise of Dreams
Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek cut his teeth emulatingJohn Coltraneand blowing gales through the muscular compositions ofGeorge Russelland open improvisations ofKeith Jarrett. But since the mid 1980s, the saxophonist has been making an increasingly rarefied and composed music full of chords suspended in space, harmonies echoing in gothic recesses, and always, wrenching saxophone melodies.In Praise of Dreamsis his latest foray into a music that reaches for the mystical. With just Garbarek, some keyboard pads, light percussion fromManu Katchéand haunting viola by Kim Kashkashian,In Praise of Dreamsis instrumentally sparse, yet deep in emotion and atmosphere. Based mostly on rhythm loops, there's a hypnotic trance quality to Garbarek's compositions, but also a tinge of nostalgia with Kashkashian's wistful violin. You could be in a mediaeval stave church in Norway or a Parisian café circa 1890. Atop it all are Garbarek's saxophones. He builds many of his improvisations off Kashkashian's viola, echoing her melody lines, then spiraling off with his keening soprano saxophone hailing lamentations like a rainstorm and his tenor calling out in a torrent of emotion barely leashed. This isn't a jazz album in the traditional sense, but a tone poem of memory and dreams. --John Diliberto