I Carry Your Heart: A Tribute to Arnie Lawrence
Ayelet Rose Gottlieb is an artist of the first order, broadening out from traditional Jewish repertory to free improvisation for which she is best known. Her instrument is gorgeous: lustrous, precise and feather-light. Her musicianship is fierce as she digs into the expression of every word and every sound; and she brings ceaseless variety to soft dynamics, giving every phrase a special grace. All of these gifts and characteristics of her unique style of vocalastics is brought together in these profound performances [...] This premier recording has a special atmosphere of dedication about it. Inspired by a 1969 voyage undertaken by the great saxophonist Arnie Lawrence with bassist Richard Davis, pianist Dick Hyman and drummer and percussionist Ed Shaugnessey, Miss Gottlieb combines forces with Erik Lawrence (son of the legendary horn-man), pianist Anat Fort, and literally feeding off the chorus of yelps, whoops and vocalastics of (Miss Gottlieb’s) children, the vocalist interlaces her own melodic phrases into piano, saxophone and flute harmonic lines that bop and weave in and out of the ensuring improvisations. An organic rhythm is also developed as all the musicians and children bring to the music vocal expressions, mixed in with sounds produced by an assortment of percussion instruments. The result is music that fills two discs, is light in complexion, often rises to visionary heights and will leave you in a state of rapt and often mystical wonderment.