Have We Told You All You'd Thought to Know? is Cuneiform's second foray into spoken word. But while
Richard Pinhas and
Maurice Dantec's settings of Gilles Deleuze's philosophical writings (The Life and Death of Marie Zorn) resulted in claustrophobic shrouds of electric guitars and treated, almost inaudible vocals in French, this project around the poetry of
Robert Creeley puts the words centerstage and accompanies them with soft free improvisations with a jazz inflection.
Creeley needs no introduction; he has a strong reputation and his relation to jazz has always been a source of inspiration. Here, four high-end jazz musicians are inspired by his words -- drummer
Chris Massey, bassist
Steve Swallow, saxophonist
David CasT, and atmospheric guitarist
David Torn develop improvisations that are "triggered," so to speak, by
Creeley's readings. The poet has often read in public, and his phrasing and sense of drama captivate as much as the music unfolding around him. Taken from a show in September 1998, this CD should be experienced from start to finish so that the listener can be completely immersed in its artistic universe (all tracks segue). The proceedings remain rather accessible throughout, and poetry fans will have no difficulty staying on board.
David Torn's sometimes tortured guitar loops bring a contrasting note to the otherwise jazzy approach of
CasT,
Massey, and
Swallow, so there is something for everybody here -- that is, everybody able (or willing) to appreciate true artistic expression. Recommended. ~ François Couture