Savina Yannatou & Joana Sa, Ways of Notseeing

 

Some music compels from the very first notes and never lets up. That for me is very true of Ways of Notseeing (Clean Feed CP563CD) by Savina Yannatou and Joana Sa. It is a group of some seven free-flowing improvisational landmarks by Savina on vocals and Joanna at the piano, both conventional and semi-prepared piano and props. There are also three "Resonance" interludes by Joana Sa alone. 

These are all wonderfully nuanced New Music sounding poeticisms. Ms. Yannatou gives us a sung-spoken sprechstimme that might remind you slightly of Schoenberg's vocal part for his celebrated Pierrot Lunaire  for its dramatic declamatory animated presence. Yet this is improvised--incredibly inventive and complexly flowing and a ways along from Schoenberg.

Joanna Sa gives us some timbrally and notefully brilliant playing that sounds at times almost orchestral yet directly performative. She compliments Savina's imaginative utterances grandly and veers off on her own with a sure sense and poetic excellence that is a rare thing indeed.

These are two artists made to perform this together! It is one of those sonic adventures that stays with you the more you hear it, that leaves a lasting impression that only makes you want to hear the music the more.

I will admit Joanna Sa is an artist I think central. With Savina Yannatou there is kinetic frisson of the very vert best kind. Molto bravo!