ECM

JON BALKE 
Book of Velocities

ECM 1732765
Release date: 12 November 2007

Sales Points:

• Norwegian innovator Balke’s first-ever solo piano disc
• A remarkable ‘book’ of 19 short pieces, grouped into four chapters and an epilogue, of music composed and developed, invented and improvised: exploring a whole vocabulary of ideas, techniques, rhythms, textures and sound-colours
• Resembling no other disc in the solo piano genre, this is another strikingly original release from the instigator of the Magnetic North Orchestra and Batagraf, one of the most important musical thinkers in Northern ‘jazz’ today

Potential audience is not limited to jazz, but also to listeners to modern composition

• Music/Artist background:  Norwegian pianist Jon Balke’s first-ever solo disc, Book of Velocities recorded in Zurich in September 2006, is a remarkable ‘book’ of 19 short pieces, grouped into four chapters and an epilogue, of music composed and improvised, exploring a whole vocabulary of ideas, techniques, rhythms, textures and sound-colours. Resembling no other disc in the solo piano genre, this is another strikingly original release from the instigator of the Magnetic North Orchestra and Batagraf.

The approach: the pianist sketches an idea at the piano, quite spontaneously, waits a few seconds, develops the idea and then moves on to the new “chapter”. Balke calls it “a process of understanding by doing and not by pre-conceived ideas.” The resultant sounds “are a result of the room, hour of the day, the piano, the light and so on.” Speed is part of the process: “Piano playing is in fact mainly about velocity. There is no more information going through the mechanics when a note is struck, than the sheer force of your finger hitting the ebony and ivory. Velocity produces the sound, secondary comes the chords, melodies, and context.” The album’s cover photo – taken by Balke himself, from a speeding car – gives an indication of the album’s energy. It moves swiftly through the landscape. What does it sound like? In jazz, there are very few precedents, although listeners who relate to Paul Bley’s sound-world will admire Book Of Velocities. Equally, these at times aphoristic pieces, the shortest of which is only 56 seconds, can be viewed as improvised cousins to the piano compositions of Kurtág and Ligeti.

Jon Balke, born in 1955 in Hamar, made his ECM debut in 1974 as a member of Arild Andersen’s group. He was a founder-member of Masqualero and appears on their ECM debut Bande A Part, 1985, and he became leader/composer/arranger of the group Oslo 13 (Nonsentration, 1990). He continues to lead the Magnetic North Orchestra (Further, 1993; Kyanos, 2001; Diverted Travels, 2003) and is a member of the percussion-dominated collective Batagraf (Statements, 2004).

Tracks:

Chapter I

• (1) Giada 3.35 *

• (2) Scintilla 0.57

• (3) Spread 4.26

• (4) Castello 3.48

• (5) Resilience 3.35

Chapter II

• (6) Single Line 2.34

• (7) Nyl 3.36 *

• (8) Double Line 3.09

Chapter III

• (9) Obsidian 3.26

• (10) Sunday Shapes 3.19 *

• (11) Gum Bounce 2.01 *

• (12) Finger Bass 3.23

• (13) Contrivance 2.45

Chapter IV

• (14) Drape Hanger 3.16

• (15) Septima Llegada 2.03

• (16) Reel Set 1.25

• (17) Scrim Stand 3.18

Epilogue

• (18) Sonance 4.46 *

• (19) Nefriit 2.59

Recommended listening *

Total time: 58.22