Landscape Suites For Trumpet liner notes
by Scott Yanow
Landscape Suites For Trumpet, Rebecca gathered together a diverse group of superb musicians who live locally. “Jessica Jones, who plays tenor, lives in the same area as me. We’ve known each other since we were 16 so it was fun to have her play on this. I teach music at SUNY New Paltz so I included other faculty members including bassist Rich Syracuse and drummer Jeff Siege. They were very supportive and enthusiastic about the project. I also hired six classical musicians (two violinists, two cellists, a clarinetist, and a flutist) to play their parts. While they do not improvise, I gave each of them a chance to play some of the melodies by themselves so they would be featured.” The full group performed three shows at different venues before the recording which was done live in the studio.
Landscape Suites For Trumpet begins with the wistful waltz “Mohonk Meadow” which depicts a walk through the Mohonk Preserve, a beautiful property that includes a resort. The trumpeter sails above the strings and, after playing the picturesque melody, she swings a bit with the rhythm section. As with the other movements, the music explores several different moods and has its dramatic moments.
“Forest” is about an area of the Mohonk Meadow that is dense with trees. The episodic piece begins and ends with the sounds of birds and nature. Rebecca and the woodwinds set a mysterious mood, Jeff Siege’s drumming has a Latin tinge, and there are prominent roles for the flutist and one of the violinists.
The passionate “Castle Rock” has moments that recall Gil Evans’ writing for Miles Davis on Sketches Of Spain but Rebecca displays her own powerful sound on trumpet and the movement concludes in a celebratory mood. “Lake O,” which in spots utilizes a four-note phrase in the background, is a particularly colorful work with relatively brief but inspiring solos from both the trumpeter and Jessica Jones and some superior writing for the classical musicians. It is inspired by a secluded lake in the State Park with crystal clear water and can only be reached by a 40-minute bike ride.
“Wallkill River” feels like a rushing river, beginning as a tender waltz and becoming funkier and more soulful as it progresses. “Gunks,” the nickname of the Shawangunk mountain range, includes a march rhythm and takes listeners on some different adventures. The brief “Finale” closes the memorable suite.
“For me, Landscapes For Trumpet was a bit of an experiment. I wanted to write music that combined together classical and jazz influences and fell between the two.” The “experiment” is clearly a major success, the latest milestone in the career of Rebecca Coupe Franks.
Scott Yanow, jazz journalist/historian and author of 12 books including Trumpet Kings
Rebecca Coupe Franks 