Some years back Disaster Amnesiac's car was rear ended and totaled, which was a complete bummer, not only on account of having to then go through the hassle of dealing with insurance, finding a new ride, etc. I also lost a copy of The Character of American Sunlight, the collection of seven works by American composer Jerome Kitzke. See, the disc had been playing when my car was rear ended by another car, and there was no chance to eject it before having the thing towed and subsequently traded in for scrap. Mrs. Amnesiac still laments the loss of vehicle but Disaster Amnesiac must be honest and confess that the toughest part of the entire ordeal's fallout was losing that copy of some of Kitzke's incredible recorded works, 1987-1996. Perhaps an odd quirk of the music fan mindset, to be sure, but that being said the music contained therein was so fascinating to me that it just could not be forgotten. Over the years it's been a recording that has been streamed over various of my devices, but as stated I have continued to desire a physical copy for play, especially during drives. Recently I broke down and ordered the desired physical object and am absolutely stoked to have done so. Kitzke's sounds are a kind of shamanic chamber music most likely only possible to have been envisioned and produced by and American composer living in and interacting with American culture and that's very exciting to this listener. The Character of American Sunlight kicks off with 1991's Mad Coyote Madly Sings, during which tight percussion and melodic invention entwine from its onset. It has the flavor of the most focused and forward thinking Jazz, think Mingus or Braxton, and these sounds frame whimsical singing of a text written by Alan Ginsberg, Lakota people, and Tewa people. The piece spins tightly around the perceptions, rewarding close listening with the delight found in truly melodious musical presentation. A Keening Wish follows, and it contrasts higher and lower melodic lines while featuring a female soprano sung voice. Surrealist ruminations about love and fine, minimal percussion color this tense and dramatic piece from 1988, which also skews downright Classical at times, while never losing its American essence. A simple tap dancing pulse pushes the start of The Animist Child, during which the composer coaxes free rhythms and glossolalia from his imagination. Chromatic exploration and shamanistic vocalization ensue, and it's as if Kitzke felt the urge to go back to almost childlike roots on this piece from 1994. Still, the dramatic nuance of engaged adulthood is never far away. Oboe/clarinet/percussion gymnastics are on display on The Big Gesture, as more of that Jazz flavor is presented. Syncopated runs push counterpoint register statements as tight harmonic focus flavors the melodies of this 1987 work. For a percussionist it's a tune of tom tom bliss while a woodwinds player would surely get of mightily on the soaring oboe. If this piece was one of Jerome Kitzke's early calling cards, it's clear as to why he became recognized as an important voice within the field of New Composition. As a requiem for a fallen comrade, Breath and Bone, with its pairing of accordion and voices, works in an emotional capacity that is never maudlin but more celebratory. It's American to the core as it hits upon First Nation notes and Bayou partying sonority. This listener finds a lot of wonderful similarity to the non Pere Ubu work of David Thomas in the piece, and that alone makes it great for this American. Pensive strings pull We Need To Dream All This Again out of the ether, which lead from largo to allegro passages fueled by more tight percussive syncopation. It's a a piece that runs the gamut from exceedingly simple phrasing to high complexity. Strings glissando and First Nations chant within its polyglot matrix of sound. The drama all leads to a beautiful coda. Yes, let's collectively find a new dream for this gauntlet named America! This collection of works by Jerome Kitzke concludes with the title track, which moves from the Impressionistic lines of its main theme and into sophisto-hobo Harry Partch-like territories with semi tones and junk percussion. Disaster Amnesiac has also heard a possible Messiaen influence at times during The Character of American Sunlight. The mid section of this piece has passages of such great splendor as to replicate that sublime light of the prairie or the desert or the forests on the Easter Seaboard. Pretty amazing, how much harmonic richness can be coaxed from a pretty simple instrumental lineup consisting of piano, harmonicas, percussion, and voices. They say that in America a person can achieve anything that they try hard enough to achieve. Disaster Amnesiac wishes for more musical achievements the likes of which Jerome Kitzke attained during the period that the compositions for The Character of American Sunlight were realized. Surely he's composed more since that time frame, and no doubt they're equally as compelling as the sounds found in this wonderful compilation. Oh and please do not tail gait.
