That’s from Marianne Moore’s poem “O To Be a Dragon,” one of four works set to music by pianist Dave Burrell and performed tonight in duo with bassist Michael Formanek. The poet Nzadi Keita recited Moore’s words before each piece.
With its unique performance environments, Philly can be such a delight, and this program at the Rosenbach Museum & Library, a two-minute walk from my house, might make my top-ten list for ’08. While there were brief detours into free jazz, Burrell’s pieces in the main were tonal, even triadic in their lyrical purity, with a Strayhorn-like elegance. Formanek’s arco intonation was impeccable.
“Those Various Scalpels” included this thought from Moore:
Why dissect destiny with instruments which
are more highly specialized than the tissues of destiny
itself?
Burrell will repeat the program this Saturday afternoon. And being the Rosenbach’s musician-in-residence, he has other projects in the pipeline.
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