Kevin Kastning :: Partitas, Book 1

Partitas, Book 1 :: Reviews and Quotes

Kevin Kastning / Carl Clements — Partitas, Book 1
(Greydisc GDR3590, 2024, CD / DL)

by Peter Thelen, Published 2024-12-27
Partitas, Book 1

"Kastning and Clements are no newcomers to collaboration. If I’m counting correctly this is their seventh album working together, and I’m guessing — though I can’t be a hundred percent sure — that the seven tracks at hand were composed as they were created, thoroughly improvised as only these two outstanding musicians can do. While I can’t provide a lot of background information on the project, it seems to be a set of real time pieces where each player plays one instrument only, with no overdubbing of any kind, the result given to a more gentle sound overall, with moments where Kastning leads on his 24- and 29-string double contraguitars, his 30-string contra-alto guitar, and his 17- and 18-string sub-contra guitars, other times where Clements leads on his soprano, alto, and tenor saxophones, but more often where the two are composing in real time together, each supporting the other. One has to wonder how many hours of work went into these mysterious explorations, as well as how much of their work didn’t make the final cut — though it seems the two work together with telepathic instinct, Clements more often taking the lead due to the saxes being a single-note-at-a-time instrument, and Kastning often supporting with chords and structures the way only a guitar can do. But since there are only two players, who know each other’s style of playing well, there is always plenty of free space in their compositions, neverly overly dense with too much going on. Furthermore, Kastning is often occupying the bass registries while the Clement’s saxes are floating above it all in free melodic play. For listeners who require labels, I would have to call Partitas, Book 1 instrumental free-chamber jazz, not in the wild and crazy free-jazz sense, but in the free floating almost-ambient at times sense, truly melodic, magical, and beautiful at every turn."

- Exposé Magazine (US)
January 2025

Kevin Kastning / Carl Clements - Partitas, Book 1

""Partita is a form of musical work ... a type of suite or concert suite is a cyclic form consisting of five or more movements" - this definition is given by Wikipedia. It was the partita that was chosen as the main form for their improvisational compositions by Kevin Kastning and Carl Clements. Moreover, in the title of the album, they made a significant addition: "Book 1". This means that new partitas from the duo of these two most interesting American musicians are waiting for us ahead.

Our website contains reviews of many of Kevin Kastning's works from 2021 to 2024, including collaborations with Carl Clements: in trio format with Hungarian guitarist Sándor Szabó (Convergence II, 2022) and in duo format (Strand in Strands, 2022), and in general these musicians have known each other well for a long time, suffice it to say that Partitas, Book 1 is their seventh joint album. Kevin and Carl came into the two sessions last winter fully armed in terms of a wealth of tools. Not only was he an excellent guitarist who had studied privately with Pat Metheny, but he was also the creator of a family of multi-stringed guitars, using five different instruments from his unique arsenal. Clements armed himself with the three most common saxophones, from soprano to tenor. The program of the album consisted of the five-part Partita No. 1 and the two-part Partita No. 2. In each track, the duo uses a different combination of guitars and saxophones. For example, Partita No. 1 opens with a dialogue between tenor saxophone and double Contra guitar (28 strings), then the soprano saxophone is paired with a sub-Contra guitar (17 strings), the next movement is again tenor saxophone, but with a Contra guitar (18 strings), the alto saxophone performs a duet with a contralto guitar (30 strings) and in the last track of this Partita the soprano saxophone sounds together with a double sub-Contra guitar (24 strings). I did not understand, however, why the authors decided to mix the tracks of both partitas during the arrangement in the program, but, apparently, they had their own reasons. However, this does not prevent you from enjoying the music of the duet, and fans of the guitar sound from savoring the differences in the sound of different guitars.

By taking the form of partitas in the new project as a basis, the musicians obviously brought their music closer to the academic tradition, but I don't think that in each of the parts Kevin and Carl agreed on anything more than the general principles of building their compositions. It seems to me that the rest of the improvisational element still reigns here. However, Bach and Frescobaldi were improvisers in their time, often using partitas. So, the combination of the baroque past and the jazz present in Partitas, Book 1 looks very organic, which makes the album one of the most interesting in the history of the collaboration between Kevin Kastning and Carl Clements."

- Jazz Square Magazine (RUSSIA)
January 2025

Kevin Kastning & Carl Clements: Partitas, Book 1 (2024)

Kevin Kastning (30-string Contra-Alto guitar, 28-string Double Contraguitar, 24-string Double Subcontraguitar, 18-string Contraguitar, 17-string Subcontraguitar) has returned for his seventh album with Carl Clements (Tenor, Alto, and Soprano saxophones), following on from their 2022 release ‘Strand in Strands’. I noticed this has been mixed and mastered by Sándor Szabó, who has recorded music with both these guys in the past, so really knows the thinking behind the music and he has definitely assisted in capturing the space and reverence this music deserves.

With both musicians playing multiple instruments, this album was recorded over a period of time instead of the speed at which Kevin normally operates in the studio, but by taking baroque as their starting point they have somehow delivered music which stays true to that original form while also being full of excitement and improvisation. Kevin is a painter which a rich musical palette, playing instruments which provide colours like none other, and he has found musical colleagues which allow him to journey through a unique world, taking detours along the way. Here he often allows Carl to take the full melodic lead, driving the vehicle down whichever road he wishes to take, but taking that route only makes sense with Kevin there providing the support required. At times it feels as if Carl is a solitary sound in the wilderness, but there are a whole host of musicians in the darkness letting him know he is never alone, but they are also there for the experience.

This is improvised music which needs to be listened to on headphones to get the best benefit, and while this will not be to everyone’s tastes, those of us who enjoy their music to be different to the norm will find a great deal to enjoy.

- Kev Rowland
House of Prog Radio magazine (NEW ZEALAND)
February 2025