Kathryn Ladano - OPEN Review Published on "Keeps me Alive" (http://music-kma.livejournal.com/140936.html) Miles Davis was once quoted as saying "...I'll just walk into the ocean and die, if I lose my tone." All musicians, whether they admit it so freely or not, are seeking that elusive tone that defines them. Granted, Kathryn Ladano has a slight advantage in that the bass clarinet has not been an instrument of choice for most musicians. But therein, also, lies the challenge, and she handily tames the beast. Her tone is clearly the product of long practice, natural creativity and, most importantly, soul. Part soundtrack to, perhaps, a playfully dystopian horror film, part sound/texture experiment, but all done with intention and purpose, Open reveals mastery behind apparently random strings of notes. For those conditioned by mainstream jazz and pop to expect chordal resolutions, most tracks on this record will not satisfy. And fair enough. From the outset it's musically made clear that Open is not here to hold your hand. But play it through, especially on quality headphones, until your understanding of the pieces (if you'll pardon the play on the title) opens. Once it does, there are treasures around every corner, in the low growls, the trills and flutters, the engaging uncertainty of what might happen next. Scattered throughout, other instruments including xylophone, guitar, piano and a double bass, competently attempt to add to the melee. But it's Ladano's clarinet that soars. We're tugged to and fro at varying paces and volumes, always with the understanding that what you find here, through your willing investment of time and thought, is your own discovery. Real jolts come as well, as after the first five truly hypnotic improvisation tracks comes the startling drum crash intro of Art Show (Improvisation), probably the most mainstream jazz-like song of the tracks here. Later, there's the wonderful silliness of Evil Kirk, complete with spoken word quotations of Star Trek's Captain Kirk (provided with obvious glee by Ladano's brother, Mike). Open will surely not be for everyone, but for those willing to strap in and hold on, it will reveal itself to be the conceptually strong, musically thoughtful record that it is. ALBUM INFORMATION: Produced and engineered by Earl McCluskie About the Music Open Strain – Kathryn Ladano Open Strain was composed in 2007 for bass clarinet and electronics. It was to be my final project for the electroacoustic composition course I was auditing at the time at Wilfrid Laurier University taught by Richard Windeyer. Recorded sounds of instrumental effects such as slap tonguing and multiphonics (the production of more than one note at a time) on the bass clarinet are the foundation for the electronic component of this piece. Every sound heard originated from one of three separate sound samples that I recorded from my bass clarinet. I then processed and manipulated these sounds electronically and layered them on top of one another and later composed a live performance part to go with it. The title Open Strain literally means “free sound”. This piece features several layers of sounds (live and electronic) that constantly evolve throughout while the underlying pulse quickens and the tension grows. – Kathryn Ladano Artoxinovix – Dan Di Maggio Artoxinovix is a kind of free soliloquy, sometimes excited, sometimes quiet, with witty sentences, nonsense, clichés, idioms, but also memories and attempts to remember. Sometimes memory fails and stops, restarts, tries to explain better, and maybe later changes the subject. This composition is a free flow of thoughts; the player, though according to what is written on the score, is very free in her performance. Artoxinovix is the name of an imaginary place I dream of sometimes. When I am there, I feel happy and playful, and that’s because this composition, as it’s written on the score, should be performed “with a certain playfulness”. – Dan Di Maggio Ladano – Veronica Tapia This work was composed during a composition seminar given by David Eagle at the University of Calgary in 2004. It was dedicated to Kathryn Ladano who premiered it that year in Calgary. Over the past four years, Harry Sparnaay, Fernando Domínguez and Antonio Rosales, have also performed this work several times. Kathryn Ladano has interpreted it in several cities in Canada; Harry Sparnaay in Spain and Italy; Fernando Domínguéz in Puebla, Mexico and Mexico City; and Antonio Rosales also performed it in Mexico City and in Puebla, Mexico. The material in the sound file was created with several basic sounds such as bass clarinet, prepared piano, and several prehispanic instruments such teponaztles (a hollowed trunk with two wedges to be stricken with drumsticks), and huesos de fraile (priest bones), which are actually clusters seeds. The harmonic and melodic material of the sound file and the live bass clarinet, are based on the notes found on the teponaztles and the whirl xylophone, which is also included in the recording. Ladano has been published by Periferia, Sheet Music, Barcelona, Spain. – Veronica Tapia The Taste of Time Still Lingers – Kathryn Ladano The concept for this piece came about in 2007, but the final version of it did not come into being until 2010. I revised and changed most of the movements several times and finally completed the piece a few days before it was recorded. The only movement which was never altered or changed in any way is the second. All of the movements are through-composed except for the third which is improvised based on a very basic set of guidelines. In this movement the performer is meant to react to specific words and phrases which are written on the score. The piece as a whole is auto-biographical, representing both positive and negative aspects of my past and present. It also expresses various current and past internal struggles. All of the movement titles are in Italian. – Kathryn Ladano Evil Kirk – Kathryn Ladano This track was not in my original vision for this CD! The idea for this track came about after watching old episodes of Star Trek and commenting on how much the bass clarinet is heard in those episodes – particularly right before someone dies. One episode in particular which had a lot of bass clarinet in the background was “The Enemy Within” – the episode in which an evil version of Kirk is loose on the Enterprise. Watching that episode gave me the idea to record a very short improvisation as an homage to this. The idea was enhanced when my brother came aboard and compiled some of the best Kirk quotes to be used along with the music (though sadly, “KHAN!” is not one of them). The music is improvised and we did not rehearse or plan anything ahead of time as we wanted it to be very spontaneous. – Kathryn Ladano www.kathrynladano.com All music composed by Kathryn Ladano except: Track 1 – composed by Kathryn Ladano and Richard Burrows. Track 2 – composed by Kathryn Ladano, Jason White, and Joe Ryan. Track 3 – composed by Kathryn Ladano and Tomas Bouda. Track 5 – composed by Dan Di Maggio. Track 6 – composed by Kathryn Ladano, Tim Turvey, and Nick Bastian. Track 7 – composed by Veronica Tapia. Lyrics on track 13 compiled and arranged by Michael Ladano Tracks 1, 2, 3 & 6 recorded at the John Aird Centre, Wilfrid Laurier University Tracks 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 & 13 recorded at the Keffer Memorial Chapel, Wilfrid Laurier University Tracks 4 & 7 recorded at Chestnut Hall Music All music edited, mixed, and mastered at the Chestnut Hall studio by Earl McCluskie Kathryn Ladano, bass clarinet Additional musicians: Richard Burrows, percussion Jason White, piano Joe Ryan, drums Tomas Bouda, double bass Tim Turvey, drums Nick Bastian, guitar Michael Ladano, vocals Photography by Martin LePage Graphic Design by Erin Flannery The production of this CD has been made possible by a generous grant from the Region of Waterloo Arts Fund. Thanks to: all of my friends and family for their support, Martin LePage, Earl McCluskie, Erin Flannery, Vandoren Canada, all of the great musicians who donated their time and energy to this project: Rich Burrows, Jason White, Joe Ryan, Tom Bouda, Tim Turvey, and Nick Bastian. All of the great teachers I’ve who inspired me and fostered my love for the bass clarinet: Lori Freedman, Stan Climie, Tilly Kooyman, Mike Bergauer, and Michelle Bergauer. Dan Di Maggio and Veronica Tapia for dedicating their wonderful compositions to me – it was a privilege to record them. Special thanks to the Region of Waterloo Arts Fund. I couldn’t have undertaken this project without your generous support. Thank you for supporting new music!