music.wikisort.org - Composition

Cantilena is the second album recorded by the British jazz quartet, First House. It was released by ECM. The album presents a studio performance of leader and saxophonist Ken Stubbs with Django Bates on piano, Mick Hutton on bass and Martin France on drums, recorded over 2 days in March, 1989 in Norway.

Cantilena
Studio album by First House
Released	1989
Recorded	March, 1989, Rainbow Studios Oslo
Genre	Jazz
Length	37:16
Label	ECM
Producer	Manfred Eicher
First House chronology
Eréndira (album) (1985) Cantilena (1989)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings	[2]

Reception

Jazz commentator Richard Lehnert states "Well my first – and second and third-impressions of First House's cool, sculpted, heady music are of sustained fires of excitement, intelligence, and clarity. Live long and prosper, guys – you've charted another great, serious jazz album."[3]

Master saxophonist, David Liebman comments on how... "his (Stubbs's) playing is remarkably cliche free" and also states, "It is so refreshing to hear young musicians going for a group sound as their major goal.[4]

In Billboard Magazine, Jeff Levenson cites Ken Stubbs and Django Bates as examples of how "Great Britain's young turks have adopted him (John Coltrane) as a spiritual forebear.[5]

High Fidelity Magazine stated that, "The future of British jazz is in good hands with this acoustic quartet. The follow up to the well-received 'Eréndira', 'Cantilena' is a relaxed, free form set with classy performances all round but some particularly fine playing from Ken Stubbs on alto sax."[6]

Track listing

1. "Cantilena" Ken Stubbs – 3:28
2. "Underfelt" Django Bates – 4:52
3. "Dimple" Django Bates – 3:51
4. "Sweet Williams" Django Bates – 5:05
5. "Low Down (Toytown)" Ken Stubbs – 3:28
6. "Hollyhocks" Django Bates – 3:23
7. "Madeleine After Prayer" Eddie Parker – 1:47
8. "Shining Brightly" Ken Stubbs – 4:12
9. "Jay-Tee" Django Bates – 3:55
10. "Pablo" Ken Stubbs – 3:15

Personnel

• Ken Stubbs – alto and soprano saxophones
• Django Bates – piano, tenor horn
• Mick Hutton – double bass
• Martin France – percussion
• Manfred Eicher – producer
• Jan Erik Konshaug – engineer
• Dieter Rehm – design

References

---