Common Ground uncommonly good

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Review

Common Sacred Ground

By Don Pullen

Blue Note/EMI, 1996

Get ready to embark on an unparalleled cross-cultural musical journey that weaves its way through traditional powwow and jazz.

The renowned composer pianist, Don Pullen, and the Chief Cliff Singers from Montana's Flathead Reservation, have created a dazzling work that punctuates the band-leader's life work beautifully.

The collaboration was initiated in 1993 as a commissioned piece by the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Arts Partners Program for a dance work by Garth Fagan. It recently premiered at Washington DC's Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

Pullen, who had longed to bring together jazz and Indigenous music, became immersed in these explorations and experimentation's. The work began in the Salish-Kootenai community of Montana with direct input from advisors, Elders and the entire community. The musicians learned from and taught each other in order to gain a level of understanding and respect. This enabled them to venture into free-form grooves with both traditional song structures and jazz.

Mike Kenmille, the Chief Cliff Singers lead, developed a series of signals to conduct the group to complement the jazz musicians.

The opening drumbeats to an honor song announces the tract "The Eagle Staff is First". Following the first round of the song, a low rumbling thunder of piano keys ushers in the band that peaks to a lively cadence and takes the music for a walk downtown.

The two musical styles are bridged by drum patterns and complex melody sequences that echo back and forth. The smooth as glass vocals of Kenmille set the mood. Pullen tinkles the ivory with fingers as light as falling autumn leaves. This is particularly apparent on the second track, "Common Ground".

"River Song" comes alive as the drum's heart-beat is embraced by the African rhythms and the masterful horn section of Pullen's band, the African Brazilian Connection. The band kicks out a jazzy dance that invites the singers and inspires scattered improvisation.

There are natural commonalties to the two styles of music which suggest a similar reverence for life and earth.

"Reservation Blues" begins with a round dance and African drumming. The swank and blues piano flickers across the horn section's carefully timed traffic. "Message in Smoke" opens with Pullen's trademark glide across the ivories. The dance is given a powwow beat and stirs the jazz to a fluttering wakefulness and resembles the chatter resounding through a forest teeming with life.

During the sessions, Pullen had begun the final stages in a losing battle with cancer. "Resting on the Road" is a warm reflection of his final work. The call of the Chief Cliff Singer's crier on "Reprise-Still Here" gently closes the circle.

The recording was created with respect and passion that produced a brilliant cross-over project, resulting with a greater understanding between two communities. Initially the Chief Cliff Singers were nervous about performing the music for their community, but the response was overwhelming. There was some concern about the tradition being improvised until it was noted that better a constructive collaboration than a quick and exploitive flirtation. The singers had complete control over their input while providing the band some understanding as to the nature of some of the songs and the drum itself.

Sacred Common Ground is available as an import but is currently being distributed in Canada by EMI (905) 677-5050.