Time: 57:49
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz Vocals, World
Art: Front
01. Curse Of The Locust (5:55)
02. Daylight Savings (5:01)
03. Sand Dunes (4:15)
04. Harvest Season (4:37)
05. Fire Dance (4:56)
06. The Princess (7:26)
07. Round Dance (4:12)
08. Flash Back (7:08)
09. The Quest (4:55)
10. Reaping Spell (4:57)
11. Ritual (4:20)
In her relentless pursuit of innovative brilliance, extraordinary vocalist Beata Pater has one consistent rule. “True artistry demands that we always challenge ourselves, never look for an easy route, work hard and thoroughly enjoy the process. There is no other way for me.”
That process is vividly reflected on Fire Dance. Beata has always been heavily involved in the production of all of her recordings, but for Fire Dance she has taken it a good deal further, controlling the process from start to finish, putting together the musicians and supervising every aspect of the production in and out of the studio, from conceptual inception through the mixing and mastering. To begin, she engaged composer/pianist Alex Danson to create eleven original compositions, providing the structure and framework, specifically for Beata to infuse the colors, textures and contextual vision. When her conceptual vision was in place, she selected seven remarkable musicians to develop them into a most captivating anthology of vividly cinematic excursions.
Sam Newsome’s sparkling soprano, Anton Schwartz’s muscular tenor and Aaron Lington’s burly baritone form an exhilarating saxophone section. Keyboard wizard Scott Collard and bassist Aaron Germain combine with Alan Hall and Brian Rice on drums and percussion respectively to provide a scintillating rhythm section. Together they give Beata the full palette of colors, textures and patterns from which she constructs her vivid imagery.
A key element of the concept was the marvelous use of vocal overdubs. As many as 16 tracks on some pieces, with the vocal parts ranging from bass to soprano – all sung by Beata, and in old-school style. No technological shortcuts, no gimmicks… just plain old-fashioned vocal virtuosity – and not for its own sake, but woven intrinsically into the musical context of her sumptuous vision.
Although Beata is considered in the creative forefront of jazz vocal expression, there is a highly significant World Music influence upon this music, along with some rich doses of R&B. The rhythmic thrust calls to mind the fiery exoticism of Middle Eastern, North African and Eastern European improvisational folk forms, defying category. A major part of this comes from Beata’s utterly unique wordless vocal style, impeccable in its intonation and as fluidly rhythmic as a wind instrument – sometimes serpentine like a shenai or oboe, sometimes as dulcet as an alto flute, and others as warmly beguiling as a muted trumpet – as she soars, dives, coils and shimmers inside, around and through the music.
From the percussive and episodic opener Curse of the Locust, through the World-influenced atmospheric auras of Sand Dunes, Harvest Season, The Princess and the title track, spiced with the R&B/Blues grooved excursions Round Dance, Flash Back and Reaping Spell, the pulsing horn-driven rhythms of Day Light Savings and The Quest, and culminating in Ritual, the richly layered and punchy closing piece, Fire Dance is a scintillating, rapturous and spectacular journey. For Beata Pater, it’s another step in a life journey of totally singular and profound expression.
That process is vividly reflected on Fire Dance. Beata has always been heavily involved in the production of all of her recordings, but for Fire Dance she has taken it a good deal further, controlling the process from start to finish, putting together the musicians and supervising every aspect of the production in and out of the studio, from conceptual inception through the mixing and mastering. To begin, she engaged composer/pianist Alex Danson to create eleven original compositions, providing the structure and framework, specifically for Beata to infuse the colors, textures and contextual vision. When her conceptual vision was in place, she selected seven remarkable musicians to develop them into a most captivating anthology of vividly cinematic excursions.
Sam Newsome’s sparkling soprano, Anton Schwartz’s muscular tenor and Aaron Lington’s burly baritone form an exhilarating saxophone section. Keyboard wizard Scott Collard and bassist Aaron Germain combine with Alan Hall and Brian Rice on drums and percussion respectively to provide a scintillating rhythm section. Together they give Beata the full palette of colors, textures and patterns from which she constructs her vivid imagery.
A key element of the concept was the marvelous use of vocal overdubs. As many as 16 tracks on some pieces, with the vocal parts ranging from bass to soprano – all sung by Beata, and in old-school style. No technological shortcuts, no gimmicks… just plain old-fashioned vocal virtuosity – and not for its own sake, but woven intrinsically into the musical context of her sumptuous vision.
Although Beata is considered in the creative forefront of jazz vocal expression, there is a highly significant World Music influence upon this music, along with some rich doses of R&B. The rhythmic thrust calls to mind the fiery exoticism of Middle Eastern, North African and Eastern European improvisational folk forms, defying category. A major part of this comes from Beata’s utterly unique wordless vocal style, impeccable in its intonation and as fluidly rhythmic as a wind instrument – sometimes serpentine like a shenai or oboe, sometimes as dulcet as an alto flute, and others as warmly beguiling as a muted trumpet – as she soars, dives, coils and shimmers inside, around and through the music.
From the percussive and episodic opener Curse of the Locust, through the World-influenced atmospheric auras of Sand Dunes, Harvest Season, The Princess and the title track, spiced with the R&B/Blues grooved excursions Round Dance, Flash Back and Reaping Spell, the pulsing horn-driven rhythms of Day Light Savings and The Quest, and culminating in Ritual, the richly layered and punchy closing piece, Fire Dance is a scintillating, rapturous and spectacular journey. For Beata Pater, it’s another step in a life journey of totally singular and profound expression.
Fire Dance
