The two faces of Marilyn Crispell

[B. Goren.]

Two days ago I received the new ECM release of Marilyn Crispell: Storyteller. I have been a Crispell fan for years, long before she started to record for ECM. I am familiar with most of her recordings for Leo and Music & Arts. Sometimes it is unbelievable that the same pianist is playing on both recordings. It is so different from each other. How do you prefer Crispell: playing free jazz and avant-garde (with Peter Brotzman, Drake & Joseph Jarman) or do you like more her expressive style like she plays when she records for ECM???

BTW: Her recording on ECM reminds me from time to time Paul Bley's playing.

Edited September 22, 2006 by B. Goren.

[David Ayers]

Marilyn's own rectitals have a bit more structure and I prefer them for that reason. I find some of her free group contributions effective but - how can I put it - generalised? In duos the character of her work is more distinct and I like how she bounces off e.g. Braxton.

[B. Goren.]

David, I can imagine you are talking about the "Live at Mills College" and about "The Woodstock Recital". For me also Marilyn Crispell is first of all free jazz player but it is very interesting to listen to the other side of her musical personality.

[Dave James]

Crispell's work with Anthony Braxton puts me in mind of a female Cecil Taylor. Very out and very percussive. It is interesting to see her "softer" side on ECM. I would also recommend these recordings for Paul Motian's drumming. I just wonder to what extent the ECM stuff she does is subsistance based. If you've read "Forces in Motion", the chronicle of the Braxton group's tour through England, you get some sense of the hardscrabble existance forced upon musicians like Crispell. One must follow one's muse, but one must also eat and have a roof over one's head.

Up over and out.

[J.A.W.]

It is interesting to see her "softer" side on ECM. I would also recommend these recordings for Paul Motian's drumming.

And for Gary Peacock's bass playing as well.

[Nate Dorward]

It's Mark Helias on the new one. Truthfully I don't much like Nothing Ever Was Anyway or Storyteller; I've only briefly heard Amaryllis but it seemed by far the best of the bunch.

Hmmmm.... if Crispell were just doing it for the money I think she'd be more productive than she is...? It's striking how little she's recorded since the late 1990s, compared to the huge stacks of discs she accumulated before then. She'd already been moving in the direction of the ECMs before then--witness the Bill Evans stuff on Live at Yoshi's.

[JohnS]

I don't know anything about Crispell's free playing but the three ECM albums are certainly very enjoyable with very fine support from Peacock, Motian and Helias. All players who are very much to my taste.

I think I'd probably agree that Amaryllis is the best of the bunch but Storyteller seems to be growing on me.

Edited July 30, 2004 by JohnS

[mikeweil]

This site gives a comprehensive listing of her activities.

[Late]

I almost sold Storyteller a while after I'd purchased it, but I'm glad I didn't. I'm listening to it right now — expressive, but subtly expressive stuff. I like Peacock a lot better with Crispell than Helias (though I think Helias is great in other contexts), which is one of the initial reasons I thought about dumping it, but, the more I listen, the more I hear Motian stepping up without Peacock on board. Interesting how the dynamics between a group can effect such change.

I personally think nothing ever was, anyway is by far Crispell's best record on ECM, and I'd credit that to Annette Peacock's compositions — so much more tension in the playing on that record, but tension spread over a lot of space and quiet, not the tension one hears (or feels) in Cecil Taylor's playing.

When I heard Crispell live (promoting Amaryllis at the time), her set, which was solo, was entirely in her "free" context. I wondered what audience members who weren't familiar with her playing thought. Did they buy Amaryllis afterward? I didn't see many copies moving off the sales table. To be fair, the set was supposed to be a trio outing, but Peacock had to pull out at the last minute for health reasons. I thought, wow, it's going to be a duo concert with Paul Motian ... but he decided not to show either. (I still enjoyed the concert.)

[B. Clugston]

Crispell performs a lot in my part of the world, so I've been fortunate to see her both in "free" and "composed" contexts and enjoy both. Once, during a trio concert a couple of years ago, she even sang one song!

[rostasi]

Ay! The lass does a fair bit of playin' on this here rekkid

(maybe a third side to Marilyn?)

This was my first introduction to her.

Edited September 21, 2006 by rostasi

[PHILLYQ]

Can anyone recommend a disc or two of hers that represents her well? I'm curious about her but I don't know where to start. Thanks for all replies.

[B. Goren.]

Can anyone recommend a disc or two of hers that represents her well? I'm curious about her but I don't know where to start. Thanks for all replies.

I think Gaia and Live in Zurich are good starters.

[Nate Dorward]

Santuerio, on Leo, a quartet album with Mark Feldman, Hank Roberts & Gerry Hemingway--her best album, I think.

[Late]

Philly — I'd go with one of the recs that Bentsy and Nate are suggesting above, and then I'd get one of her ECM sessions. That way, you could have at least two discs of hers representing both "faces."

Additionally, if you like Anthony Braxton, that's another good avenue to explore Crispell's work. Braxton's quartet with Crispell, Gerry Hemingway, and Mark Dresser is heavy duty. Their stuff on Hat and Leo is top-notch.

[alocispepraluger102]

love the duo outing with hemingway on knitting factory.................;ovely stuff

love the ecm.....with gary/paul

would love to hear marilyn with gratkowski...........