October 18, 2004
Mei Han & Randy Raine-Reusch | Distant Wind |Za Discs | China
Buy It
I'm definitely a latecomer to this disc by composers/zheng players Mei Han and Randy Raine-Reusch, but this is definitely a case of better late than never. One dubious advantage to my tardiness is that I get to read all the reviews that came out at the time of its release. My favorite comes from no less a critic than The Wire's Clive Bell, who says, "Their mission is to rescue the zheng from the highly hysterical sentimentality that pervades much Chinese music..." I couldn't agree more.
Though the title and artwork of this disc might suggest otherwise, Distant Wind is not escapist, romantic or (at times) even particularly Chinese sounding. Though the familiar timbre of the zheng is present, the tunings, melodies and motifs that pervade are blessedly from the land of No Cliché. At a time when some labels are actually including colored sticks of incense in the jewel cases of their Chinese CDs (you know who you are) these zheng duets seem almost radical.
The rowdy finish on "Dragon Dogs," for example, features some aggressive speed plucking not suitable for bubble bath use. The recording's deep connection to the history of Chinese music can be found in moments like this--it's a sort of musical onomatopoeia representing a clash of energies, reminiscent of the pipa battle pieces of the past. In many of the pair's experiments, calm or kinetic, a representative connection to nature is palpable. This Taoist intent is clear in the liner notes, but making such a connection clear in the playing requires great skill. "Forest Rain," "Clouds" and "Tokyo Crows" truly conjure their subjects in ways sometimes lovely, sometimes haunting.
Perhaps this disc's best asset is the experience of its creators. Mei Han and Randy Raine-Reusch are adventurous as composers, but it is their command and confidence as players that bring their ideas into fruition. Each note, planned or improvised, subtle or stentorian, is played with power and commitment.