BELLBIRD

THE CALL

Constellation Records

Allison Burik, alto saxophone/bass clarinet; Claire Devlin, tenor saxophone; Eli Davidovici, bass; Mili Hong, drums.

Straight-ahead leads the way on the premier tunes jumping off this album called “Firefly Pharology.”  The music flutters and flies like a firefly around the flickering lips of a flame.  These four musicians are on fire!

This bird (Bellbird) takes its name from the loudest, most distinct bird voice in the animal kingdom. This is the group’s second album release.  They have made sure to weave the sound of the Bellbird into the songs they’re recorded for this project. As a Montreal-based Canadian quartet, that performs without piano or guitar, they have their own unique sound. Still, with only drums, bass and woodwinds, they create a rich, full production.

On “Murmuration” you hear the raw beauty and talent of each musician.  They operate as a true collective, without sacrificing their individual talents. Drummer Mili Hong is very creative and energetic throughout.  At the same time, those drums blend with the other instruments like boiling hot water and tea leaves.  The group’s flavor is both unique and appealing. All four musicians have written every song together. The bridge on this song was borrowed from the call of a Carolina Wren.  Allison Burik on alto saxophone and Claire Devlin on tenor Sax display magnificent, improvised solos.

“Soft Animal” was motivated into a collaborative effort in composing a song that was inspired by Mary Oliver’s poem, “Wild Geese.” It’s a ballad that has a melancholy feeling woven into the arrangement.

“Blowing on Embers” opens with the bass of Eli Davidovici dancing solo on his instrument to set the tempo and groove of this song. Their arrangement includes free improvising, lots of circular breathing, and some Ellington-styled harmonies.  When you blow on embers, you are bound to inspire a serious explosion of fire.  I keep waiting for that to happen.  About three-quarters of the way into this tune, a fiery tempo blasts onto the scene. It makes me think of Eric Dolphy and Ornette Coleman, a time when pure freedom in jazz caused the music to burst at the seams.

This is music created to support and spotlight the beauty of nature, the voice of birds, and it’s also a social and political statement.  Here are four very talented musicians who unite creatively as composers and bandmates, to not only make music, but to call attention to the state of the world.  For example, their original composition “Blowing on Embers” is dedicated to a free Palestine. You will hear a unified cry from Bellbird, a band fully impowered by their terrific talents, their unique sound and chord-less collective voices.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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