Have We Told You All You'd Thought to Know?

by Steve Swallow, Robert Creeley

Overview

Have We Told You All You'd Thought to Know? is Cuneiform's second foray into spoken word. But while Richard Pinhas and Maurice Dantec's settings of Gilles Deleuze's philosophical writings (The Life and Death of Marie Zorn) resulted in claustrophobic shrouds of electric guitars and treated, almost inaudible vocals in French, this project around the poetry of Robert Creeley puts the words centerstage and accompanies them with soft free improvisations with a jazz inflection. Creeley needs no introduction; he has a strong reputation and his relation to jazz has always been a source of inspiration. Here, four high-end jazz musicians are inspired by his words -- drummer Chris Massey, bassist Steve Swallow, saxophonist David CasT, and atmospheric guitarist David Torn develop improvisations that are "triggered," so to speak, by Creeley's readings. The poet has often read in public, and his phrasing and sense of drama captivate as much as the music unfolding around him. Taken from a show in September 1998, this CD should be experienced from start to finish so that the listener can be completely immersed in its artistic universe (all tracks segue). The proceedings remain rather accessible throughout, and poetry fans will have no difficulty staying on board. David Torn's sometimes tortured guitar loops bring a contrasting note to the otherwise jazzy approach of CasT, Massey, and Swallow, so there is something for everybody here -- that is, everybody able (or willing) to appreciate true artistic expression. Recommended. ~ Francois Couture

Product Details

Release Date:	01/16/2001
Label:	Cuneiform Records
UPC:	0045775014425
Rank:	178326

Tracks

1. Introduction
2. What's Heart to Say
3. Blunted Efforts as the Distance
4. I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
5. It Seemed Your Friend
6. Upon Reflection
7. I Was at the Door
8. I Like the Way
9. We're Here
10. Word's Scattered
11. Mon Fr¿¿re
12. Have We Told You All You'd Thought to Know?

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Robert Creeley   Primary Artist,Spoken Word
Steve Swallow   Primary Artist,Bass
David Cast   Primary Artist
Chris Massey   Primary Artist,Drums
David CasT   Primary Artist,Clarinet (Bass),Sax (Alto),Sax (Tenor),Sax (Soprano)
David Torn   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Oud,Loops,Guitar

Technical Credits

Michael Brydalski   Engineer,Engineer
Thad Jones   Composer
Donald Bailey   Liner Notes
Nancy J. Parisi   Cover Photo,Photography
David Torn   Microcassette
Tom Mark   Editing
Chris Massey   Editing,Post Production
Bill Ellsworth   Layout Design,CD Art Adaptation
Steve Feigenbaum   Executive Producer