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Review by Bill Binkelman This CD, a career retrospective collection, is my first exposure to Kevin Keller's music. It's obviously better late to the party than never, as evidenced by my enjoyment of Gathering Leaves. Keller is a contemporary of Tim Story and Harold Budd, albeit with less electronics than the former sometimes uses. All three musicians (pianists/keyboardists) compose miniature/minimal soundscapes that frequently are sepia-toned and melancholic in nature, evoking introspection and reflection from the attuned listener. Gathering Leaves contains two new tracks (the title song and "First Snow") and the remaining are from recordings spanning the last ten years (The Mask of Memory, Intermezzo, Pendulum, and Across the Sky). Previously released numbers have been re-mastered and Keller (in the liner notes) states he paid particular attention to track sequencing with the intention being to convey a journey. While no detail is given as to when a guest artist appears on any given track, accompanists on the album include David Darling (cello), Jeff Pearce (guitar), and four other string players (cellists Tania Simoncelli and Eric Stein, violinist Rachel Amov, and bassist Mark Fassett). Track length varies considerably, with the opening title song being under two minutes and "Arc of the Pendulum" clocking in at just over thirteen minutes. That opening brief salvo of somber piano on the title track casts a pale grey sky mood immediately, in keeping with the beautiful photograph on the CD cover (a fog-shrouded park in late autumn, adorned with a blanket of fallen leaves). "Pale Unkempt Hours" has a strong Continental feel to it (after a brief ambient-like opening) painting a portrait of deserted carrousels near the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The piano is melded with lazily swirling keyboards and slightly off-kilter tones, as if Tim Burton was shooting a travelogue of French carnivals, albeit ones that have closed for the season. "The Blossoms of Change" displays Keller's flair for a more dramatic and less subtle mood, as the piece gradually builds from the bell and chime tones at the outset to a neo-classical combination of piano, cello, and synth tones/textures, eventually including percussion (cymbals). "First Snow" (the other new composition on the CD) is aptly named. Delicate solo piano "sounds" like softly falling flakes of white on barren ground, ground which is desperately trying to stave off the onset of winter. There is beauty here as well as a hint of sadness and regret. In the middle of the CD sit the two longest tracks - the previously mentioned "Arc of the Pendulum" and nine-and-a-half minute long "Unharvested." The former is an almost elegiac somber affair, with elements of both neo-classical/chamber music and subtle dark ambient textures and tones. The mood is almost sorrowful at times, yet (like Story's music) rich with beauty. "Unharvested," at first, presents Keller at his most abstract, with a shadowy ambient opening of swirls of sound and electronic effects. When deeply echoed piano, quavering synths, cello and plucked harp strings take over the piece, the mood doesn't so much lighten as shift from the cold and sterile to the organic and human, yet the tone is still darkish and suffused with loneliness. "Acquainted with the Night" is one of my favorites here and comes closest to sounding like Tim Story (from either Beguiled or perhaps Glass Green). "Barely there" strings hover hesitantly underneath plaintive echoed piano and the evocation is of deserted city streets in the very late hours, wet from a recent rain, reflecting the sparse artificial light from bar signs and stoplights. Rumbling noises now and then could represent a passing bus or overhead train. "Distanced" closes the CD in superb fashion, as the sound of crickets merge with soft echoed piano and subtle synth textures. Keller shows a remarkable restraint here, allowing the barest of melody and tone to speak volumes. What exquisite nuance and subtlety is exhibited here! At a shade over nine minutes, the song gets to unwind patiently, as the artist introduces other sounds and effects, yet never anything that disturbs the air of finality or closure. A mixture of emotions is unleashed, from remembrance and regret to resignation even acceptance and perhaps even a sliver of hope. I think (although I'm not sure) that this is the song which features Jeff Pearce, as deep in the mix I detect his gently pealing guitar. If so, his measured magic is readily apparent on headphones (probably not so much when the song is played softly through speakers, though). Gathering Leaves is a stunning album and if you have never sampled Kevin Keller's music, this would be a great place to start. Keller is a master of minimal evocative piano/keyboard music and this CD displays his talent everywhere throughout its sixty-one plus minutes. Mirroring the beautiful cover (Kevin, where can I get a print of that photo?), the music contained within is haunting, beautiful and will stay with you long after the last note fades. Highly recommended. |
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