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Filmtracks Recommends:
Buy it... if you're curious about Terence Blanchard's film scores and want to start with one of his most culturally precise and elegantly engaging entries. Avoid it... if black, Southern Gothic sounds, and the jazz quartet at their center, hold no interest for you. Filmtracks Editorial Review:
Restrained, but beautiful, the music for Eve's Bayou builds, more than anything else, a bridge between the Southern Gothic sounds and those of the traditional orchestra that could define any American family, regardless of race or region. Oddly romantic, secretive, and mysterious, Blanchard knows this genre well, and the authenticity of Blanchard's music is undeniable. The intimacy created by the individual elements of the quartet is often accompanied by deep rumblings of the full ensemble, constantly reminding of the ominous actions within the story's family. In a few places, Blanchard allows the ensemble's dark rumbling to explode, as in "Elzora and the Strange," with brutal force in the form of strong minor key progressions. Many of these heightened cues include a wash of ethnic percussion along the folk lines, turning over what sounds much like Craig Armstrong's brooding line of writing for The Bone Collector and rooting it strongly in the region. Where Blanchard really excels is in his ability to swing in a few comedy and "spirit" cues, in which the quartet dances with delight or a light woodwind bounces with Rachel Portman-like whimsy. Sparing performances by a harmonica are mixed at a hazy distance, helping to blur the distinctions in the film. The title theme has the solitude of one of Elmer Bernstein's more intimate character themes, and while the theme isn't a particular strong point in the score, its consistent development through the different sections of the ensemble is commendable. In "Mozelle in the Mirror," Blanchard allows the orchestra to slowly overtake the quartet element in an extended interpretation of the theme, and the simple harmonies in this cue are attractive and classically informed. The overall impression that Blanchard leaves you with in Eve's Bayou is one of somber, cultural elegance, and while it may not be snazzy enough to capture your attention at first, its long-lasting effect is gripping. A score album released a few months after a widespread song album is still available (a decade later) at incredible discount prices, and will not disappoint. ****
The insert includes the following note about the score and film from director Kasi Lemmons:
When Terence Blanchard's name was mentioned to compose the score, I was immediately interested. He is, of course, an internationally known musician, but he has also distinguished himself as a versatile composer of film scores. Because Terence is from Louisiana, it was clear that he related to the story and the characters when we talked. Not being musical at all I struggled for words to describe the score I imagined. I said something like "Epic Black Southern Gothic." I was relieved when he seemed to understand. Terence's idea was to use a jazz quartet (piano, bass, guitar, drums) along with the orchestra, mixing regional folk and jazz accents with traditional orchestration. When I first heard Terence's score, I burst into tears, as I did many times during the recording of it. While we were mixing the film, every time a cue came up that I particularly liked, I would announce excitedly, "This is my favorite cue," and everyone would agree, "Oh, yeah, mine too. It's incredible!" We said it so many times that it became a joke. I felt as if he eavesdropped on my soul, as I've often felt that my director of photography peers into my dreams. We were in love with the whole score. Each time I watch the film there are particular moments where the marriage of the music and picture makes me shiver. One such cue is "Mozelle in the Mirror." Mozelle is telling her niece, Eve, about a tragic night in her past when her lover came to the door of her house and confronted her husband with his love for her. As Mozelle tells the story, her memories become more vivid until Eve is able to see the fateful night reflected in a mirror. The cue starts simply with a beautiful romantic melody introduced by piano and clarinet. As Mozelle tells her story, the instrumentation builds gorgeously to full orchestra. I feel like Mozelle's whole life is captured in this one beautiful, passionate and tragic cue. Another one of my favorites is "We're Going To Elzora's." The child, Eve, has decided to take fate into her own hands to solve the problems in her family. She consults an eccentric voodoo practitioner named Elzora and is led down unknown bayou roads to Elzora's house in the swamps. The music brings to mind the classic tale of a child's adventure into an unknown land; conveying mystery and danger through the use of low strings, all the while expressing the innocence of a ten year old in the playful melody that is Eve's theme. The main theme of Eve's Bayou weaves through the drama seamlessly, sometimes epic and haunting, sometimes quiet and reflective and other times lush and romantic. It hints at secrets that can never be told and emotions that lurk beneath the surface. Mr. Blanchard's gorgeous score captures the essence of Eve's Bayou. It is as rich, darkly beautiful and mysterious as a bayou in a summer's moonlight. I hope you enjoy it." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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