A Warm and Bright Release from Susan Fancher and Ināra Zandmane
On the new record from Susan Fancher and Inara Zandmane, the two of them take on some wonderfully immersive pieces that border all different elements of classical, jazz, theatrical, and more as they perform original pieces from the likes of Harriet Steinke, Mark Engebretson, and Dorothy Chang, broken up into different segments and performed with such vibrancy that you get pulled right into the entire thing.
Susan Fancher is an outstanding saxophonist and delivers performances that showcase diversity and incredible understanding of the instrument, while pianist Inara Zandmane creates such beautiful rhythm and approach, and delivers a dynamic balance through masterful performances throughout the release.
These two are an absolute match made in musical heaven, and I couldn't be happier they decided to take on these contemporary pieces.
The first two pieces are from Harriet Steinke originally, and they are pieces called Strange Lights.
These two are amazing pieces of work because they do give you a lot to sort of swim through. They are able to create bountiful soundscapes that start in one place and grow into another.
The performances between the two of them are synergistic. You can feel how the energy fluctuates between the two of them and how they feed off of each other during these performances.
Both of these pieces have a few surprises around their corners, including sudden changes in control.
A lot of this has a way of grabbing you, whether it's from the melodic aspect or from the tones and dynamic of how they perform.
The next set of pieces are from Mark Engebretson, and these are the ones that feel a bit more jazz-oriented to me. They do branch out and go into some different directions, leading back into contemporary classical at times, but I really feel some of the jazzier influence flowing through the veins of these pieces.
These are completely encompassed, and both performers got completely immersed in those performances, which in turn lets the listener get immersed as well.
That particular set are all sonatas.
I love the way these came through in particular. They have such great range and are performed with these different levels of elegance that let the pieces really thrive and sort of breathe.
The final set of pieces are by Dorothy Chang, and these are different. The set is called New Stories, and each one gives you a lot of energy. These are a little bit more outrageous or wild. They have a bit more velocity to them, and although some of the other songs do have a sort of bouncy style of vivaciousness, this comes through with more vigor.
I love how they close the record with these pieces, and I think they do an amazing job of really controlling that energy and being precise with those performances within each piece.
Throughout the course of this release, you're able to really soak in the wondrously rich tone of the saxophone in different ways.
You can also feel a lot of the warmth coming from the instrument, especially the way it complements the piano work.
I think this was a very full-bodied and alluring, sort of exciting record that definitely has a lot to chew on.
The release features nine pieces from those three composers, all performed by Susan and Inara, and the album offers an abundance of presence that somehow feels welcoming or inviting, in a way.
I also love records like this because a lot of it is recorded live at once. So you get that live performance sort of excitement and energy on the record coming through at all times.
This was a beautiful blend of contemporary classical elements of jazz, and again, the tones between the saxophone and the piano are completely complementary to each other.
Don't miss the Strange Lights record, especially if you are really into pieces that have elements of that theatrical undertone, but are really focused on the more robust aspects of contemporary classical.
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