Threads of Fate, by James McGowan Ensemble
The third album from this 14-member ensemble led by a pianist/composer/Carleton University music professor arrives with a backstory that's not necessary to enjoy its 18 programmatic tracks; but neither it can't hurt to know. Though composed for what appears to be a largely dialog-free theatrical adaptation of the Greek mythological tale of the Three Fatesstaged by KingDom Theatre, a company of Eastern European youth who have emigrated to Canada, it harkens to musical motifs present on the James McGowan Ensemble's prior two long-players, Reaching In and Reaching Out.
A prologue that long should precede some engaging artistry. And it does. McGowan and his players, including an all-sibling string quartet of two brothers and as many sisters, integrate art music, jazz, and rock inspirations for a collection of cinematic scope. An abundance of brass, discreet incorporation of woodwinds and three poetry interludes complement the aforementioned strings in numbers that wend their way from representing protagonists in labyrinthine lives to finding purpose and strength in unity against oppressive forces.
Doubtless listeners already familiar with JME's previous projects and/or the stage production for which it was developed may glean more from Threads of Fate. But, even divorced from other contexts, it's a varied, adventurous outing capable of rewarding patient listeners with an aural world unto itself.
