David Darling - Cello (1992)

Revisiting old acquaintances portends, sometimes, a pleasant journey. I still remember those long lost ECM LP's i had years ago ; for some time, i explore the current ECM catalog which contains many splendid silver discs.

There are things that, for mysterious reasons, did not resurface on the market, such as a fine atmospheric recording by french-horn player John Clark ("Faces" [1980] ECM 1176). Similarly, i regret an excellent album from Arild Andersen ("Clouds In My Head" [1975] ECM 1059). Alas, looks like several great ECM recordings from the LP era will never make it on cd. But, as a consolation, one thing is sure : In the bunch of recent recordings (those of the 'CD era') there are truly superb ones---many of them as remarkable as the first generations ECM's.

That leads us to this admirable recording, certainly one of the great albums on ECM in the 1990's and, indeed, from their entire catalog. Listening to David Darling's "Cello", i felt immediate images ; here the cinematic quality of the music emphasizes communication between musician and listener. The beautifully crafted sonic universe is rendered at no less than audiophile quality level, thanks to Manfred Eicher's production at Rainbow Studio in Norway (top engineering is a usual trademark of this label).

For this work Darling uses the acoustic cello and completes with the aerial and wonderful sonorities of the eight-string electric cello, to which sometimes he adds special effects such as the use of a digital delay. The recording has lots of space, an ethereal, vast and contemplative atmosphere, not unlike that of John Surman's "Upon Reflection" (ECM 1148). To my view, here is music to unfold the sky ; i imagine myself dancing alone, in a field, looking at the passage of clouds above my head, under the winds of a vast autumnal landscape. I don't want to sound esoteric---this music is neither esoteric nor is it really new age... It is pure and simple contemporary in good old ECM fashion.

David Darling succeeds in the presentation of his solo works (more compositions than improvisations, i guess): Darkwood 1 is much like the overture to a classical composition. In fact, the album starts on a mood that recalls the eerie pastoral response typical of the finest classical/folk works from Scandinavia or England. The sonic crossroads of "Cello" build bridges between different styles of music---folk, classical, jazz and world music. The result is an extraordinary sort of contemporary music, in my opinion... The album surpasses the abusive limitations of a definite genre.

"Cello" is all about atmosphere. Still, it is at once strange and melodic. Most of the tracks sound enigmatically distant and sombre like a late November afternoon. I can't think of another record that can bear comparison to this one.

Darling is a classically trained musician who played with the Paul Winter Consort in the early 1970s. He also played music with many notable jazz musicians, including Jan Garbarek and Ralph Towner. This CD shows to great effect the 'verbal' utterance and articulation of this wondrous orchestral and solo instrument. Another unusual and, indeed, essential recording by the ECM label.