Dip Your Ears, No. 218 (Third Stream Beauties from David Baker)

David Baker, “Singers of Songs” Music with Cello Manuel Fischer-Dieskau (cello) M|DG

Bell-tinkling and vibraphone-hints for Miles Davis, cello cantilenas, calypso-moments for Sonny Rollins, an air of spirituals suggesting Paul Robeson, quasi orchestral harmony for Duke Ellington and bebopping percussion beneath a vocalizing cello: And that’s just the opening, “Singers of Songs” on David Baker’s disc with music for cello and variously percussion, piano, or jazz trio. Gunther Schuller defined the term “Third Stream”, under which David Baker’s eclectic, but essentially romantic compositions fall. To summarize Schuller: “Contemporary classical ethno-fusion”… which applies fully to “Singers”. The Cello Sonata is more on the classical side of this stream, the terrific Trio on the jazz side. Written for János Starker (and with his input), they are performed by Starker-student Dieskau jr.

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