I first met Stanley Adler in 1980, during those heady days in NYC while performing with the art-rock group "The Same" and their mentor, Brian Eno. Amazingly talented, Adler would go on to audition for King Crimson, perform with Madonna, tour with the Crazy World of Arthur Brown and dozens of equally influential and creative musicians. These days, Adler makes his home in France, moving from electric and acoustic bass to his Steinberger 5 string electric cello, recording and performing with the "Symphony of Wrong", a delightfully French avant garde combo that must be seen to be believed. I caught up with Adler a year or so ago in Cannes, as he prepared to enter the studio to record this wonderful new solo album, "Arias Under Curves".According to Adler, "Arias Under Curves" is the result of musical ideas spanning some 30 years, now arranged for multiple over-dubbed cello and released on the French Wriggly Pig label. The opening tune, "Les Oublandes", is actually an invented word and composed in 1988 while apparently riding on the London Underground. Adler always had a penchant for making up names; take for example his popular song from the 1980s, "Kevohei, Kevo, Tengaro".
"Benares Bounce" was written in 2002, originally for the group 'Dha'. It's an attempt to incorporate harmonic movement into the framework of an India raga, specifically Todi. All the bass notes are actually in the raga. "Five Hours North" was begun in 1980, but extensively revised in 1988. It came from an experience of a road trip from Washington to New York in a rain storm with the windshield wipers providing the rhythm.
"Shedding My Skin" originally began as a melody for "Sunrise In Your Arms", which he then tried to add lyrics that Adler described as "Horrible". He asked fellow musician Deb Swallow for help, adding words he described as "wonderful, aphoristic and tentatively cogent, while retaining a cryptic, gossamer shield!" Adler and Swallow performed the song many times as both a duo and trio with Keith Bray in the group, "The Lost Puppies".
"On Waking To Snow", is the oldest melody on the album, first composed in the fall of 1979. It was untitled until recently, but began as a piano piece influenced by Brian Eno. "Buffalo Dancer" is from 1980, inspired by a painting by the Native American artist Fritz Scholder. "Karagouna" was also written for the group "Dha" in 2002 and is based on a Greek dance rhythm Adler played with "The Button Band".
"Love Sine" consists of three related fragments spanning 18 years. Part one from 1988, part two from 1996 and part three from 2006, finally bringing closure. Like the title of the album, 'Love Sines' is a mathematical play on words, courtesy of his recording engineer, Eddie Castellan. The beautiful "Lullaby For Tim" was written between 2005 and 2006, dedicated Adler and Swallow's friend Tim Petter, "a multi talented and gentle soul with whom we performed in the 'Button Band' and the "Lord Mayor's Parade" in London.
"Kamancheh" was composed in 2003, originally written for fretless jazz bass. It is also the name of a 2 string Iranian "spike fiddle" and is written in the "maqam", in other words, the Arabic modal music of North Africa, the Middle East and Asia. The high drone is taken from Professor John Baily's duty licks on "Kabul To California". Adler's "Tromba Marina" was conjured up in 2007 and the name of a medieval bowed string instrument. This piece consists entirely of harmonics. According to Adler, "The low F string enables me to play a pentatonic scale in A and is entirely improvised".
"Metal Postlude", the final piece on the album began as the 'Lost Puppies' tune, "Terracotta Princess" by Keith Bray. The arpeggiated second part was written in 2004 as a study exploring the harmonic possibilities of the 5 string electric cello.
Adler's compositions on his 5 string electric cello are truly modern, technically ground breaking and hauntingly melodic. With his impeccable understanding of rhythms and his unique use of harmonic movement, this collection is a must for all alternative cellists and lovers of the cello. For people who like challenging music, expertly devised and constructed in a way that communicates emotion and atmosphere, "Arias Under Curves" is truly forward thinking music.
I'll never forget something Brian Eno once remarked to us back in the day. "Mark my words, one day, the world will know the name Stanley Adler!", he exclaimed. Thanks to the global, digital music age, a career spanning thirty years and a truly amazing album, they will.
