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Patrick Zimmerli, Songs of Innocence, Emergence Music Productions ***1/2

marlbank15 May 20252 Mins read

The moon, like a flower
        In heaven’s high bower,
        With silent delight
        Sits and smiles on the night.

From ‘Night’ by William Blake, Songs of Innocence, 1789

Modern Music was released by Nonesuch in 2011 and featured material including Zimmerli and Hays originals and an arrangement of Ornette Coleman’s ‘Lonely Woman’

Known for their work with Brad Mehldau on Modern Music saxophonist Patrick Zimmerli and pianist Kevin Hays are found here on an album inspired by English poet and painter William Blake (1757-1827).

With percussion from Satoshi Takeishi completing the sound this is issued on Zimmerli’s new label Emergence Music Productions.

Takeishi’s clapping rhythms establish a joyous uptempo feverish feel on ‘Wedding Song’ the third of these tracks.

Hays’ flowing lines on ‘Dreamscape’ punctuated by ravine deep detonating chords are among early stand out moments found on this unusual chamber jazz work stocked with signature Zimmerli flourishes.

Zimmerli if he were a painter would be a figurative one rather than an abstract expressionist. There’s so much character and vivid Chagall like colour to his soloing on ‘Dreamscape’ and Hays’ transcendental lines match this feeling well.

The modalities and yearning tonalities mesh into a broad brush of sound texture that has more weight than at first glance you think it has.

Zimmerli, Hays and Takeishi have worked together on tracks such as ‘Three Dreams of Repose’ from Shores Against Silence (Songlines, 2016).

“What I like in the William Blake ‘Songs of Innocence’ is a kind of willful naiveté, yet coming from a seasoned and rich intellect. The idea of simplicity really appeals to me, and as someone who gravitates naturally towards complexity, it’s a challenge to write music that is simple, sunny, and appealing.”

Zimmerli on Blake

*Songs of Innocence* was a complete collection of 23 poems first printed in 1789. Blake etched 31 plates to accompany the texts.

The composer, 56, attended the same high school as Mehldau in West Hartford, Connecticut. He was awarded the 2024 Copland Fund grant to support his next album Messages.

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