Encounters
Ravello, 2021
8/10
An esteemed educator, composer and author, Herb Deutsch is in the company of The American Chamber Ensemble here, as 10 tracks unfold with a variety of strings, horns, woodwinds and even occasional vocals on the contemporary jazz and chamber listen.
“Measured In Miles” starts the listen with Paul Hefner’s agile keys alongside Glen Drewes’ soulful trumpet and flugelhorn in the playful yet cautious opener, and “Woman In Darkness” follows with expressive soprano vocals from Deidre Kingsbury, as cello, violin and piano complement the poetic storytelling.
At the halfway point, Nancy Deutsch’s piano pairs with firm keys from Denise Lozano-Healey in the tense and emotive climate, while “For Everett” makes the most out of Christina Pantelidou’s oboe prowess amid a bouncy, frisky execution.
Closer to the end, “All That Tread The Globe” recruits much of The American Chamber Ensemble as strings and keys weave in and out each other with mystery, and “When To Visit Donna” exits on a swift display of electric violin from Darryl Kubian and jumpy keys from Hefner.
Deutsch has a lengthy history in the music world that involves collaborating on the development of the Moog Synthesizer in the ‘60s, and with Encounters he proves that even in his late 80’s he’s still very much relevant in the area of jazz and chamber ideas.
Travels well with: George Palmer- Breaking The Silence; John Robertson- Symphonies No. 4 & 5