More adventures in the Rhodes-o-sphere.

Pyramid: Lee Konitz, Paul Bley, Bill Conners, 1977, Improvising Artists

Track 2: Out There (Lee Konitz)

Bley plays a Rhodes on the first half of this track, mostly doing a one-note tremolo sustain. The thing about a tremolo sustain on a Rhodes is that the instrument fights it- partly because of the action, which is stiffer than a piano, and partly because the attack shape of the tone is long, so a quick tremolo roll cuts off before the full attack is done. But the rhythmic effect created don't sound like a _hampered momentum_ as you might expect -- it sounds like any situation where you have to maintain persistence in a resistant environment or in the face of some natural disadvantage. It sounds like energy which is about to exert itself. Coming into the solo, Bley slows the tremolo down to open up the full tone a little, and does a very brief interlude where he foregrounds the lush bass tones of the instrument.