From Brush And Stone [Import]

I bought this after watching a programme featuring guitarists' the BBC had recorded over the past four decades. I was unaware how good Gordon Giltrap was; but totally aware of Rick Wakeman's extraordinary talent. As a pair they work extremely well together. Rarely have I hear the piano and guitar relate to each other, and the listener, in such an effective way. The theme of the album (associating the music with works of art) is imaginative and doubly engaging when one knows the paintings and scultures to which the tracks relate (but that is not a prerequisite need). I can only advocate buying it for a truly relaxing but thoughtful experience. Hopefully work of similar quality from these masters of their genre in the forseeable future.

Wakeman's selflessness seems to typify his demeanour when working in collaboration with other musicians. Indeed, concerning his collaborator, Giltrap, his sleeve notes are praiseworthy: "There are many great guitarists but few who are unique, he actually listens to what other musicians around him are doing." All the more humbling to read, also from Wakeman's pen, "'Leave it to the expert'" Wakeman writes, "is something all musicians can learn from and I never stop learning...Gordon did things [on this album] I would never of thought of." High praise indeed.

That aside this collaborative instrumental album, Wakeman writes, "was done because we wanted to do it...It was not commissioned...It was under no time constraints". Which is probably why the album took over a decade to come to fruition. And, in the process made one individual, Malcolm Welch, very happy that he got his wish: seeing these two musicians finally working together.

This album, as it turned out meant the musicians were sending each other their own music tracks, in Giltrap's case adding, guitar arrangements, to Wakeman's suite; in Wakeman's case providing keyboard parts for Giltrap's music.

However, the music Giltrap chose for this album he had already recorded for the "Brotherhood Suite" in 1987. This time round afforded Giltrap the opportunity for Wakeman to add his unique style to his music. In the process such was the quality of Giltrap's work, it inspired Wakeman, and of course Wakeman reciprocated, with a suite of his own. Based around sculptural figures of art; Wakeman whittled this down from twenty five to seven sculptures as his final selection- Indeed they were to be the one's which "Gave [him] immediate inspiration."

On one level this is a meditative album. On another level this album showcases both musicians' talents in the fields of classical and modern guitar and keyboard: "musically it evolved in the most natural way", without being trite.

The musical highlights to Wakeman's tracks are for me: Sylvia Judson, 'Savannah Bird'; Rodin's 'The Kiss'' and Myron's, 'Discus Thrower'.

However, one track for me stands out above the rest: Giltrap's piece, "Last of England". Painted by the Pre-Raphalite painter, Ford Madox Brown it (1) currently hangs in Birmingham City Museum and Art Gallery (2): the picture comes with "social and didactic implications...the picture has as a result a quality of stark and compressed emotion"(3). The music written for this piece as Giltrap writes, evokes a feeling of trepidation and uncertainty (I think he has captured this wonderfully) as -the painting reveals- a young couple with their child are about to embark on a sea journey and emigrate to a new continent; In this case Australia.

An instrumental album, and one I think you will enjoy.

Notes:
1)The booklet/commentary for the paintings "Pre-Raphaelites and their Circle"- was produced by the Publication unit, Birmingham City Museum and Art Gallery, 1979 with minor revisions. The cover illustration of this booklet is a detail from Ford Madox Brown, "Last of England'. p3 'Pre-Raphaelite' "In it's precise meaning it refers to the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood which was formed in 1848 by seven young men with the idea of propagating various artistic aims. Firstly it was anti-academic, preferring instead to substitute direct study of nature for the rigid rules of composition and artificial scale of colour then demanded by the academies. Secondly, they wished to paint natural objects in minute detail, out of doors and in full sunlight.".
2) ibid p4 (Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery possesses the largest collection of Pre-Raphaelite drawings, in the world)
3) ibid p14

I bought this for someone else as a present and when they played it in their car I was hooked on it. It is so relaxing and yet not really a run of the mill relaxation cd. It kind of carries you along on another level with deeply enjoyable music.