Album Review
Likeness in titles apart, Merry Melodies constitutes the logical next step to Nadelohr's previous album, 1999's Charming Stories. After drawing inspiration from the world of Russian absurd poet Daniil Charms, the trio turned to a selection of cartoons. The project began on-stage in May 2000 as improvised accompaniment to a program of cartoons. One of these free improvisations has been included here, "Blue Velvet." Two more, "Ooh..." and "Ayurveda," were reconstructed and overdubbed in the studio. The other six pieces are written-down soundtracks. Like the cartoons they accompany, the music is exuberant, shifts constantly in mood and tempo, and explores a wide range of emotions. But it never falls into the culprit of illustration — it follows, it doesn't translate. While the previous album focused on Christian Strässle's violin and included a strong leaning toward contemporary chamber music, this time the leading instrument is Christoph Grab's saxophone. Mathias Gloor plays a lot of synthesizers (organ and burbling electronics) in addition to piano, and the general mood is closer to rock thanks to Dominik Burger's fast-paced rhythms. The undisputed highlight is "Dirdy Birdy," based on John R. Dilworth's 1994 animated short of the same title. It packs a lot of energy and nasty changes. Most cartoons serving as prime material are European productions from the late '80s and '90s, with two exceptions: the aforementioned Dilworth (an American) and Tex Avery's classic 1947 The King Size Canary. This music is wildly entertaining yet uncompromising, seriously funny but not as off the wall as John Zorn's similar compositions — think closer to Jean Derome's more humorous pieces and soundtracks. Recommended. ~ François Couture, Rovi
