About Me
The Gilmour Ensemble is a group created to perform the music of composer Russell Gilmour. The music is at times light and optimistic or dark and moody, and is somewhat minimalist. Russell composes according to his "best bits" philosophy - that is, why save the best bits of music for the climax of pieces, when you could just use them all the way through. The music of the Gilmour ensemble ebbs and flows, rather than building towards a specific climax point. In some ways this represents Russell's domestic contentment, tending to his Geeveston farm by day, and enjoying the pleasures of an open fire and a Chesterfield couch by night. Russell has many succesful years of composing under his belt - if you want to "research" this, go to the Australian Music Centre's website: www.amcoz.com.au. The performing group consists of Jabra Latham (soprano and alto saxophone), Greg Woodward (cello), Ben Smart (marimba) and Zac Johnston (violin). (The original violinist, Celeste Quinn, left the group when she moved to Denmark, and has unfortunately since passed away.) The instrumental line-up covers virtually all the five major food-groups - strings, percussion, woodwind, and one could argue brass - and so is a very versatile ensemble. The saxophones and the violin tend to share the melodic material, whilst the cello, marimba, and often the violin lay down the solid and often driving rhythmic foundation that is key to Russell's music. The inistent pulse of the marimba gives the music an earthy and almost pastoral feel, but the chunky and often visceral string lines give the music a bit of rock and perhaps some roll as well.The music of the Gilmour Ensemble requires a modicum of patience. You won't find ground-breaking innovation here, but listen awhile, and the subtle Thelonious Monk-style rhythmic shifting effects and Russell's own unique polyphonic harmonic language will start to weave its magic. Perhaps, if you have a Chesterfield couch and an open fire handy, sit back with a glass of wine and enjoy one of the more mellow tracks? Whatever you do, load the track up before you listen to it; Gilmour Ensemble Music doesn't take well to digital buffering. Of course, if you like it, you could always order the CD...
