Ville St. Laurent, QC (Top40 Charts/ Enja/ Justin Time) -
Spoken in a musical language all her own, Belgian composer
Myriam Alter extends her artistic eloquence with her newest endeavor, Where Is There. A stunning album, Where Is There is not so much a question as an answer to the riddle of life and love. Building on her acclaimed Enja/Justin Time release from 2002, If, Alter clearly works at her own pace, and only when she has something to say. If the listener is ready, Where Is There will transport them from the everyday world to a place of enchantment and wonder ... if they will only listen.
Joining Alter in the studio is a standout international crew that knows her every move. Perhaps most notable is legendary Brazilian cellist Jaques Morelenbaum, joined by soprano saxophonist Pierre Vaiana and Italian pianist Salvatore Bonafede. Rounding out the group are some familiar faces from If, clarinetist John Ruocco, bassist Greg Cohen and drummer Joey Baron. In all, Cohen and Morelenbaum provide key anchors to Alter's oftentimes mesmerizing music. "I thought of having of a cello," Alter remembers, "And then saw Jaques in concert in a Jobim tribute here in Europe, and I loved his show. And I called him. I agree that he and Greg are very important. Pierre is a very good friend of mine. He wrote the charts, and I worked with him on the arrangements." As for the process of gathering musicians, not unlike finding Jaques, she says, "When the music is composed, I think of what sound I would like to hear, meaning the instrumentation. Then I search for which musicians would best fit. Then I call them!" She adds that prior to going into the studio, this band had played at a festival the day before. "I wanted us to record all together. And there are no more than two or three takes for each song."
In a previous life, Alter studied psychology, worked for an ad agency and ran a dancing school before she returned to music at the age of thirty-six. Studies with clarinetist Ruocco and Hein van de Geyn, among others, forming her own jazz band in Belgium and two albums as a pianist/leader followed. Alter's 1997 album, Alter Ego (Intuition), was the first view of her as a composer of original music, and where she left the musical performance to others; in this case, a crack American jazz band recording in the Big Apple. Five years later, If was released, and the template was secured, Alter's personal musical language of melodic charms and tender feelings now plain as day. Combining styles as varied as tango, classical, oriental and jazz, If won rave reviews and was a big hit with listeners.
Where Is There furthers this musical journey, Alter's Judeo-Spanish roots haunting such rich pieces as the title track, and moving on through aptly titled songs like "Still In Love" and "Come With Me." The startling yet hopeful-sounding "September 11" reminds us that her music is still firmly planted in the here and now. With elements of folk and world music mixed with jazz and classical sensibilities, each song seems to convey some aspect of Alter's views of life and the world. "It's my fifth CD!," she exclaims. "I would say Where Is There has achieved more in terms of density of the music and also use of the voices between instruments. To me, it is an extension, but it could open more doors."
Doors that are already open are prevalent with her new release. "The inspiration for Where Is There is really life itself," she notes, "with its emotions transcribed in my music with my own cultural background. It just comes out from me very naturally. The conception starts when I feel I am in the mood of working on a new album. I sit on the piano and see what comes." The results are just now being realized. For example, Stereo Magazine has already acknowledged Where Is There, presenting it as their "CD of the Month" selection.
When told that Where Is There plays like one song, Myriam Alter says, "I am very happy that the album sounds like a suite, because this is always one of my main concerns: tell a story."
