NEW ALBUM: Dominic Miller - Absinthe

[Ruby]

DOMINIC MILLER ~ Absinthe


 
Always curious to listen to some of the ECM releases and have been sadly oblivious to Dominic Miller up to now. Turns out he has a string of solo albums (the two most recent on ECM) and as well as having played guitars extensively for Sting (he co-wrote “Shape of My Heart”), has appeared on many and varied other albums by Mark Hollis, Richard Wright, Level 42, Manu Katché, etc., to name a few. 

This release is not at all highbrow, in my view. It’s accessible, warm and melodic without losing its edge - the bandoneon plays a large role which is kinda different (the instrument hails from Argentina, Miller’s birthplace, which I also imagine is why there is more than a nod here to the tango) – Katché is on drums - usually a good thing, and Mike Lindup (Level 42) on keys. The other musicians are Santiago Arias (bandoneon) and Nicolas Fiszman on bass. 

I’d have chosen “Mixed Blessing”, but it’s not on YT so this is the title track - "Absinthe" … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY6aQy0MJ7k 

and "Etude" … 


 

[CRAZY-HORSE]

from your linked track it sounds like he is very good but alas this is not my sort of listening pleasure as a whole...

I do love the album cover for some reason though???

[Ruby]

^Must be your good taste! I can’t find out a whole lot about the cover art CH, other than that it’s by photographer/painter Fotini Potamia, aka ‘Lamp’. I do know that Manfred Eicher’s aesthetic sensibilities pretty much govern the presentation of everything his label produces and that he chooses artwork that fits as an overall impression of what is contained within - mindful of the complete package – brilliant man. Combined with what Dominic Miller has to say, you can see immediately how that would work, in this instance –

….“The first thing that came to me before I wrote any tunes was the title,” he says. “Living in the South of France, I am fascinated by Impressionism. Sharp light and witchy mistrals, combined with strong alcohol and intense hangovers must have driven some of these artists toward insanity. Skies that are green, faces blue, perspective distorted.” ….

https://www.ecmrecords.com/catalogue/1542704836