Cellist/Composer Andrew Downing Lives in 'Otterville.' It's a Nice Place to Visit. [REVIEW]

This one's different. Ingenious, actually. Andrew Downing plays one whale of a cello like no one I've ever heard. He leads an octet in Otterville, both his Ontario Canada hometown and the title of his 10^th CD. The trick here is that these 15 compositions-spread out beautifully over two folk-lovely, classical-leaning, jazz-to-the-max discs-are a totally new way to digest the "Great American Songbook."

Other than Billy Strayhorn's "Take The A Train," Downing has taken the melodic and harmonic structures from existing classics and rewritten them to suit his own purposes. This may sound like the height of arrogance but there's an innate logic to it all, one that benefits the listener when wisps of familiar strains waft through the ear hole to tickle the brain. You'll be tickled pink when elements of George Gershwin's 1927 "Strike Up The Band" float through "Fall In Line." Jerome Kern's 1942 melody for "I'm Old Fashioned" becomes opener "This Year's Fancies" (check out the imbedded video below.) Dizzy Gillespie's 1954 "Con Alma" becomes "Observatory." Get the picture? Those unfamilar with the original inspirations will still get a kick out of the odd instrumentation.

Through it all, Downing's cello leads the way of a sumptuous sound bouquet. With alto saxophonist Tara Davidson, lap steel guitarist Christine Bougie, vibraphonist Michael Davidson, bassist Paul Mathew, drummer Nick Fraser, trumpeter Rebecca Hennessey and trombonist William Carn, a joyful noise spreads its wings and takes flight.

Downing is a something of a sound scientist. He recorded Anahtar with Turkish oud player Guc Basar Gulle in Istanbul. Plus, he's written and arranged for the Vancouver Bach Choir and banjoist Jayme Stone. His work with The Great Uncles of the Revolution (cello, guitar, violin and trumpet) won him some Canadian kudos. There's no genre limitations to this esoteric eccentric musician and he likes it that way just fine. So will you.

TagsAndrew Downing, Great American Songbook, Billy Strayhorn, REVIEW