Matthew Welch - Dream Tigers (2005)

Matthew Welch is undoubtedly best known as the first serious player of bagpipes in modern creative jazz and experimental music since Rufus Harley first appeared in the '60s. But his second album, Dream Tigers, features very little of Welch's signature instrument, which only appears in its full skirling glory in the triumphant final movement of the three-part "The Self and the Other." Instead, this album focuses on Matthew Welch the composer. First up is the seven-part "Siubhal Turnlar," a complex and intriguing string quartet written for and performed by the Flux Quartet, followed by the ten-minute "Enantiomorphs," a drone piece for clarinets that recalls European post-minimalists of the '80s like Gavin Bryars or Wim Mertens. The album's closing piece, the 16-minute "The Self and the Other," is the most characteristic piece for those familiar with Welch's earlier work, incorporating the composer's fascination with the sound of gamelan orchestras. Those expecting lengthy bagpipe solos might be somewhat disappointed with Dream Tigers' different focus, but this is an impressive and enjoyable collection.