Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Scott Dubois: Landscape Scripture
Scott Dubois: Landscape Scripture
ByLandscape Scripture is a highly accomplished and fully realized example of this concept. The fifth album by guitarist Scott DuBois (his third for Sunnyside Records), this record draws inspiration from the Impressionist paintings of Claude Monetspecifically his seasonally thematic Haystacks series. Capturing subtleties in lighting, temperature and texture, DuBois' aural interpretations of Monet's varied canvases convey the rising potential of spring, the celebratory warmth of summer, the wistful melancholy of autumn and the meditative calm of winter, in all their multihued glory.
Eschewing the intricate contrapuntal structures that dominated his quartet's previous releases, DuBois penned a series of melodically straightforward pieces for this evocative session, including two long-form works directly inspired by more familiar landscapesthe panoramic vistas of his home state of Illinois. The sanguine "Prairie Suite" builds to an ecstatic climax reminiscent of the New Thing's transcendent spirituality, while the episodic "Lake Shore Suite" boasts an array of kaleidoscopic detours, ranging from German multi-instrumentalist

Gebhard Ullmann
saxophoneb.1957
The leader's prismatic fretwork is featured prominently throughout the date; darting between harmonic intervals with virtuosic aplomb, his quicksilver arpeggios lend an air of bristling intensity to the set's folksy, psychedelic patina. At their most reserved, his resonant single note lines evoke a rustic Midwestern sensibility, which inspires introspective reflection from Ullmann, whose muted musings on "Goodbye" mirror the leader's serene lyricism, while providing significant contrast to his own caterwauling bass clarinet tirade during the bracing coda of "Prairie Suite."
Evoking
John Fahey
guitar, acoustic1939 - 2001

Bill Frisell
guitar, electricb.1951

Thomas Morgan
bass, acoustic
Kresten Osgood
drumsA creative breakthrough for DuBois' longstanding quartet, Landscape Scripture is more tuneful, earnest and accessible than any of their previous releases, and more importantly, is a brilliant transposition of another artist's visualizations into pure sound. ">
Track Listing
Spring Haystacks; Prairie Suite; Goodbye; Summer Haystacks; Lake Shore Suite; Autumn Haystacks; Passing Spirit; Winter Haystacks.
Personnel
Scott DuBois
guitarScott DuBois: guitar; Gebhard Ullmann: tenor saxophone and bass clarinet; Thomas Morgan: bass; Kresten Osgood: drums.
Album information
Title: Landscape Scripture | Year Released: 2012 | Record Label: Sunnyside Records
Tags
Comments
PREVIOUS / NEXT
Support All About Jazz
