Author: ChrisC
Date: 2003-12-16 22:03
Hmmm...my copy arrived from Balkanfolk the other day with no signs of a "quality problem," although Balkanfolk.com now lists a delay on the CD that wasn't there when I ordered mine two weeks ago. Anyway, my copy plays fine, fwiw.
It's an enigmatic record, all in all. Only the opening number, a racenica, bears the name of a Bulgarian dance. The rest of the tunes have abstract, enigmatic titles, although three of these are sung by Maria Karafizieva (no translations provided). The feel of the tunes is conspicuously jazzier than on Papasov's Rykodisk releases, with much less emphasis on odd meters and more of a focus on Ivo's virtuoso soloing, which retains the sound of Bulgarian folk music even when the rhythms don't. A couple of tracks have an acoustic piano added to the ensemble, an instrument that I have *never* heard before in Bulgarian music, making for an odd effect that I haven't quite gotten used to. Otherwise, Neshko Neshev figures quite prominently in the ensemble, as does drummer Sarif Ali, both of whom accompanied Papasov on his recent tour with the Yuri Yunakov ensemble. I can also hear an uncredited alto sax on a couple tracks, but it doesn't sound like Yuri. The final track, Rodopa, is a sumptuous clarinet solo in the na trapeza style.
I have to say that the incorporations of jazz rhythms and instrumentation into the music on Fairground strikes me as less than seamless...I honestly prefer the more funk-influenced sound of Balkanology and Orpheus Ascending. A little metric variety might help as well; with the exception of the aforementioned racenica and Ivo's solo piece, the tunes all fall roughly into the pravo horo or 2/4 kyuchek varieties. Still, it's an interesting and potentially fruitful direction for Papasov and company, and the entire band generally sounds great. It's maybe not what some would expect, but it's still an essential purchase for anyone who would be reading this. In addition, the poster that comes with the disc, viewable at cdroots.com, is in which the band plays for a traditionally attired bride and groom and a small line of folk dancers, is really pretty neat in an over-the-top way.
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The Ethnic Clarinet
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