Brittany
Anjou
‘Enamiĝo Reciprokataj’
Origin Records
If
the title of pianist Brittany Anjou’s excellent new CD seems unfamiliar, it’s
because “Enamiĝo Reciprokataj”
means “Reciprocal Love” in Esperanto – the would-be international language
invented in 1887. That didn’t quite work out, but Anjou, who views Esperanto as
a “psychic dream,” learned the language anyway, finding it useful in her
travels around the world.
Playing
with a distinctive blend of rhythmic and melodic keyboard prowess, Anjou
possesses a style reminiscent of piano greats like Ahmad Jamal, Don Pullen and
McCoy Tyner. Anjou’s 10 original compositions are fiercely unpredictable,
flowing smoothly like a brook or crashing percussively like a waterfall. Most
of the tracks feature the strong support of Gregory Chudzik
on bass and Nicholas Anderson on drums. Bassist Ari Folman-Cohen
and drummer Ben Perowsky guest on “Reciprokataj V: Flowery Distress,” while all the musicians
come together on the closing track “Reciproka Elektra,”
a wonderfully futuristic, electronic journey.
This article appears in Feb 27 – Mar 5, 2019.
