Dieter Ilg - Folk Songs

Jazzline JL 11146-2

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Background: 

Dieter Ilg is by now one of the most established bassmen worldwide .
During the years he has worked for Randy Brecker, Nguyen Le, Mike Gibbs, Dave Liebmann and the "Jazzpana"-Project a.o.
His three albums until 1996 (the Contemporary-Jazz-CD "Summerhill" (LIP 89006-2) with Mike Stern, Randy Brecker, Bob Berg, Jim Beard and Peter Erskine , as well as his two Trio-Albums as a co-leader with Marc Copland on JAZZLINE) were a success worldwide - even the JazzTimes and Billboard wrote favorable reviews.

".. highly enjoyable, harmonically intriguing .. Highlights include Ilg's swinging, latinesque "Gabi's Delight" (Billboard Jan 29, 1994 about Ilg's "Two Way Street")

" .. Jazz album of the month , audiophile recording ..(AUDIO magazine, Germany, about "What's Going On", January 1995)

".. Ilg, a german bassist, is notable for the fullness of his tone, the centered cleanness of his attack and his agility .." (Jazztimes 5/94)

".. Trois interpretes talentueux: Dieter Ilg (bassiste qui sonne comme un piano) et .. " (Jazz Notes, France 12/94)

The concept:

The album "Folksongs" is a change in direction for Dieter Ilg - and much more innovative then his earlier work. It builds original jazz songs and improvisations on european folkloristic traditional songs. While these songs give the basic melody to the new tunes, the rhythms are modern jazz rhythms (including sometimes Reggae or Latin grooves - and the arrangements are modern.

The european media love the album - and the album became a jazz-hit in fall of 1997 in Germany with over 2.500 copies sold in Germany until late 1998. He was supported by

Since the recording of the album, Dieter formed a steady trio with guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel and drummer Steve Arguelles - which has already played two great tours of Germany and festival shows in Germany and France.In October 1998 their second album - this time only with this steady trio - featuring folkloristic song material was released in Germany. It has the name "Field Work" and uses swing elements for some tunes as well as rhythm loops (resulting from Arguelles work as DJ in France), bringing the concept a further step ahead.

The album was recorded live to digital 2-track at

Gil Evans Studio, Amiens, by Philippe Teissier du Cros (tracks 1 to 5)
Hansahaus Studio, Bonn, by Klaus Genuit (tracks 6 to 11)

All arrangements by Dieter Ilg, published by Alex Merck Music GmbH (GEMA)

The cover was designed by Knut Schötteldreier.
The songs:

(click on the highlighted names to get realaudio examples between 40 k and 110 k):

  1. Guter Mond Du Gehst So Stille (Oh moon, you leave so softly..)
  2. Es Tagt Der Sonne Morgenstrahl (Sunrise)
  3. Frere Jacques (french folksong)
  4. Arirang (korean folksong)
  5. Wann Ich Des Morgens Früh Aufsteh (When I rise in the early hours..)
  6. Im Märzen Der Bauer .. (In march the rancher will..63 K ram)
  7. Alles Schweiget (Everything is quiet now..) a
  8. Maienzeit bannet Leid (May drives away pain..)
  9. In Stiller Nacht (In a quiet night)
  10. So Sei Gegrüßt Viel Tausendmal (Be greeted thousand times)
  11. Der Mond Ist Aufgegangen (The moon has risen..)

 

REVIEWS:

US-magazine JAZZTIMES reviewed the album (which will become available in spring in the USA.) in their December 97 issue: " .. beautiful. Conceptually clever and brilliantly realized, Folk Songs is as inventive and provocative as it is musical."

Jazz-Album of the year 1997 (Music & Media Magazine)

Dieter Ilg's own comments about the songs and the way the album was created:

Looking for new material I followed a hunch and searched the archives of the ãDeutsches Volksliedarchiv" in Freiburg. The more I got used to the songs, the more I became fascinated by the idea of using old folksongs, many of which I remembered from my childhood and which are mostly from the central parts of Europe.

DER MOND IST AUFGEGANGEN ( ãThe moon has risen") was the initial song that got me started.Our lyrical treatment has a solemn athmosphere.
The melody of IN STILLER NACHT (In a quiet night) is presented as a perpetually repeating line with variations. With his solo Wolfgang builds an extraordinary transition into SO SEI GEGRÜSST VIEL TAUSENDMAL (literally be greeted a thousand times). Listening to this you can say that polka is actually a slower version of punk from this century - or that punk is a faster version of a polka.
We made MAIENZEIT BANNET LEID (meaning ãMay drives away suffering"), the oldest song which probably dates back to about AD 1250, a bit more ãhip" with a Pop/Reggae-Groove.
ALLES SCHWEIGET (everything is quiet) is a moody, soft, almost fragile ãKanon". It contrasts with the seasonal song IM MÄRZEN DER BAUER (In March the farmer does...), a hitsong of my childhood. It cried out for an ironic treatment with a swinging twist as the rhythm - the cue for Steve.
Benoit outlines the melody of WANN ICH DES MORGENS FRÜH AUFSTEH (literally When I get up early in the morning, from a song collection dated 1544) very clearly and with convincing simplicity.
The only song from outside of Europe is ARI RANG, which I found by chance when looking through a folder entitled Korean Folksongs. Once heard, the melody stays in your head.
The french song FRERE JACQUES just appeared under my fingers while playing. It said ãHere I am. Form me into something..!"
I found ES TAGT DER SONNE MORGENSTRAHL (the title refers to sunrise) in a book of german songs. I've given it a sombre mood. The composer was reportedly banned from any public practise in 1933 but bizarrely enough this song appeared in some official song books of the time.
Most german folk-collections of the last century contain GUTER MOND DU GEHST SO STILLE - a beautiful lovesong. The title is about the moon leaving the sky.

It was an enormous pleasure to fathom the depths of the melodies, songs and forms of my musical roots in two classic trios and to conserve them on this album - turning old into new and rediscovering new, age-old landscapes.

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Author: Alex Merck
Last Updated: 3. December 1998