Yelena Eckemoff: Romance of the Moon
L&H Production

Pianist Yelena Eckemoff's Romance of the Moon exemplifies many of the qualities for which her recordings have become known; it also, however, departs from them in a way that suggests promising new directions for the future. Consistent with earlier releases, all thirteen of the compositions on the new set were written by her and all are performed by musicians recruited for the recording sessions. The pianist has an uncanny ability to create a strong family feeling when musicians gather to record with her, and Romance of the Moon upholds that tradition. For this occasion, she's joined by a makeshift Italian quartet comprising trumpeter/flugelhornist Paolo Fresu, electric guitarist Riccardo Bertuzzi, double bassist Luca Bulgarelli, and drummer Stefano Bagnoli, all of who engage with the leader's material in the most sympathetic manner possible. While Eckemoff's albums are often captured in a single day, the recording of Romance of the Moon expanded beyond one session. Nine tracks were laid down on June 19, 2023 at Digitube Studios in Mantova, Italy with Fresu, Bulgarelli, and Bagnoli, after which four more were recorded remotely with Bertuzzi in place of Fresu.

Whereas an earlier album might have drawn for inspiration from Eckemoff's own texts and/or paintings (once again, the renderings adorning the physical package were created by her), in this case the writing of every piece was inspired by the work of Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca. Romance of the Moon also extends her music into an intriguing new area by augmenting her standard piano with other keyboards. Such timbres make a major difference in the sound world presented (e.g., electric piano in “Guitar” and “Old Lizard”), though one not so great that Romance of the Moon sounds radically unlike earlier Eckemoff sets. A clear through-line runs through these releases, even if personnel changes from one to the next. It's of course her identity as a writer, composer, and bandleader that establishes that sense of continuity.

Being wholly instrumental, the release can be appreciated apart from the poems; that said, the texts aren't incidental to the compositions. Testifying to their importance, Eckemoff translated them into Italian so that her collaborators would have a solid grasp of each poem's content. In her words, the music might be vocals-free, but it “still corresponds to the poems.” It's fascinating to read a given text (the poems appear in English in the release booklet, Eckemoff again translating from the original) as the performance unfolds to monitor how the two connect; Eckemoff doesn't word-paint, and neither is the material programmatic (though there's no denying the tolling effect of her piano at the start of the stately “Bells”), but there is a clear relationship between the mood of the poem and the character of the music. Lorca's thoughtful appreciation of the feline species, “About Cats,” finds its enigmatic counterpart in the adventurous and occasionally swinging concoction Eckemoff devised for it. The moon-inspired reflection “Window Nocturnes” is as romantic as the music the pianist created, and “Thirsty for New Songs” likewise exudes longing as palpably as do Lorca's words.

When not contributing an imaginative solo, Eckemoff's an embroiderer supporting the others and ensuring the music's solidly grounded. Fresu plays beautifully throughout, his warm lyricism, sculpted tone, and painterly atmospherics lending the performances immense appeal. Sometimes donning a mute, he often emotes softly but is capable of playing aggressively when the material demands it (witness his muscular acrobatics in “Barren Orange Tree” and “Diamond”). Bertuzzi only appears on four tracks but makes his presence felt nonetheless. He's front and centre, naturally, on “Guitar” and graces the rubato meditation with resonant textures and liquid phrases. Bulgarelli and Bagnoli are an ever-reliant duo who stabilize the performances but also respond elastically to the music's evolving flow.

Every new Eckemoff album feels like an invitation into the warm embrace of her music and world. There's great comfort to be derived from the annual regularity with which a release by her appears and when it promises another satisfying set of personalized expression by the pianist and inspired contributions from her partners. Scanning the list of recordings she's issued on her L&H Production label, it's remarkable to see the incredible range of players she's featured and the equally impressive collection of material she's brought into the world. Some musicians have made repeat appearances—drummer Billy Hart, bassist Arild Andersen, and guitarist Ben Monder, to name three—but it's as common for an album to document a first encounter between her and a set of players, Romance of the Moon a case in point. Regardless, a feeling of intimate connection is always present, that feeling no doubt originating from the leader and extending out to those joining her. This latest collection is at eighty minutes an admittedly long journey, but time spent in her company always brings rewards.

July 2024