Saturday, September 27, 2014

Jane 12-21 by Harold Budd


No note out of place.
Something this simple is so
complex to compose.

Harold Budd's Jane 12-21 is the sequel to last year's Jane 1-11 (my comments). Both are exquisite examples of the composer's gift for minimalist, improvisational piano.

I'll imperfectly analogize by saying these songs are like sonic architecture, not in the incomplete sense but in the sense of sketching out a framework full of pregnant open spaces.

Listen to Jane 16 (For Pale Saints), the only track with a title other than Jane and a number, to get an idea of what I'm trying to say.

Jane 12-21 is available from Darla Records.


"Aside from purely technical analysis, nothing can be said about music, except when it is bad; when it is good, one can only listen and be grateful.” -W.H. Auden

I received no compensation of any kind for this review.

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