Steve Markoff & Patricia Lazzara – For The World

Steve Markoff & Patricia Lazzara – For The World – Album Review

19 songs, over an hour and a half of running time, 18 different cultures & 17 nations represented, and three players at the heart of it all.  You certainly can’t dispute the level of work and research that’s been put into Steve Markoff & Patricia Lazzara’s new album, For The World.  For this chapter of their story, the two flautists we’ve come to know throughout the years are joined once again by Dave Malyszko on piano, who was with them when they covered “Stairway To Heaven” the last time I reviewed them.

The duo start their sonic trip around the globe with a highly peaceful selection called “Ashokan Farewell” to represent…lemme see here…*checks notes…wait…America?  Umm.  Yeah, so that’s an interesting perspective…but what do I know anyhow – I’m just a lowly ol’ Canadian.  Honestly I had assumed this song would have been older than it actually is…”Ashokan Farewell” traces back to 1982, though it’s often viewed as a Civil War classic based on different documentaries and such.  Anyhow.  I don’t know that I’ll go into the history of each and every tune as that might have me keeping you all here until the next century, but all needling aside, I do like what I hear in the way they play “Ashokan Farewell” and feel like Steve, Patricia, and Dave got a genuinely calming & confident sound out of the sweetness inherent to this song.  For as mellow as it appears, it’s played with a bold sense of wonder, respect, and appreciation for their nation that allows them to get the best out of every single note.

Oh who am I kidding?  I’m probably gonna look every one of these songs up and share a little about what I find.  Isn’t that part of the point in making a record like this?  “Bakit Pa” is typically regarded as a Pop song, originally performed by Jessa Zaragova.  From what I’ve read, “Bakit Pa” even has its own movie, which also stars Jessa.  The original does have quite a large, cinematic vibe to it…big drums from the 80s & such, though the song itself was released just prior to the turn of the millennium in 1999.  The point is, it’s yet another interesting selection by Steve and Patricia, who have become somewhat known for their fearlessness in tackling material you’d never expect them to.  I like the treatment they’ve given to this melody…”Bakit Pa” is very pretty in this rendition, yet still filled with an exquisite amount of fluctuation that spans a range of emotions.  You’ll find no objections from me here – I like “Bakit Pa,” which is from the Philippines…the layers of instrumentation are all very complementary to each other.

Assuming I’m getting the history correct here, “Bang Chhun Hong” is the oldest song to this point in the set-list early on, with roots that trace this Taiwanese original back to 1933.  It’s actually quite a heartfelt story about young love, or perhaps more accurately, the potential for young love.  I suppose we could debate that a little…”Bang Chhun Hong” is kind of like a story about perception and seeing what we want to see as well, if you think about it.  In this wordless rendition from Patricia, and Dave…I suppose you could argue that it’s about whatever it is that you see in your mind though, right?  That’s kind of the beauty of instrumental music, ain’t it?  It becomes about what you feel by listening to it.  This is one of the shortest tracks on the record, but there’s lots to be admired about it.  “Bang Chhun Hong” has a very humble sound at its core, and it felt like these three musicians were able to shine a light on that element perfectly, while also adding in the hopeful spark the original displayed so wonderfully well.

“Native American Suite” is one of the more ambitious and complex tracks you’ll find on this record.  Over thirteen minutes in length, comprised of four different songs to form its larger structure, “Native American Suite” contains “Zuni Sunrise Song,” “Deer Hunting Song,” “Kiowa Love Song,” and “Popago Crop Growing Song,” for those of you at home keeping track on your notepads and napkins.  Obviously in comparison to a track like “Bang Chhun Hong” right before it that was less than three minutes in length, you can do a whole lot more with thirteen & the use of four different songs.  That being said, does it necessarily make “Native American Suite” the better track to listen to?  I don’t think we can say that definitively…we’re all going to come to our own individual conclusions on that I’d reckon.  I do think that the amount of skill they display on this song is pretty remarkable though – listen to the fifth minute alone – if you need a sample to convince you to check this record out, that could be one of its most engaging highlights.  I also love the way that this fireworks display of musical chops is then followed up by one of the album’s most thought-provoking and evocative melodies right afterwards.  All-in-all, like I said, “Native American Suite” is enormously ambitious in terms of the range of sound it spans, but hearing this trio of talents find their way to the charming heart & personality at the core of each part along the way was truly something special to listen to.  This song is like its own mini-EP inside the album.

I think it’ll be interesting for Steve and Patricia to hear about how each of these songs are received by those of us out there listening.  I get to a song like “Belarussia” and instantly feel that like…somewhat typically forlorn or emotionally cold sound we westerners tend to associate with a lot of music that comes from Russia, but I was so pleasantly surprised to hear them shift into a warmer sound that also reflects their culture, just in ways we’re not as familiar with way over here on the North American continent.  What I felt like this duo really got right was that they tapped directly into the relationship between tension, drama, and the release of all that…so in listening to “Belarussia,” you kind of go from feeling this isolated & melancholy feeling, to an emancipatory beauty that feels like a freedom we don’t usually associate with Russia.  This is another stellar example of how far Steve & Patricia are capable of going within a song to span through a variety of emotions we can sincerely connect to on several levels.

Obviously when we get to my own country, they end up teaching me something about it that I didn’t even know.   As it turns out, “Canadian Railroad Trilogy” was written by our own Gordon Lightfoot, which is a fact my wife would have certainly known.  I have the strangest gaps in my musical knowledge, and Canadian Folk from the past is admittedly one of them.  So I suppose this is where the rubber meets the road…this is the only song on For The World that I’d be able to speak to on a nationalistic type of level with any kind of accuracy, because I live here…but yeah…I guess I’d have to fight against an army of my own brothers and sisters over whether or not this represents the whole Canadian vibe.  It’s fair to say that just because I’m so brutally unfamiliar with Lightfoot’s catalog doesn’t mean I’m the standard – there are tons of people that consider him to be a national treasure, and rightly so.  So any of those folks, are clearly going to say that “Canadian Railroad Trilogy” is a perfect representation of what it sounds like to celebrate Canadian culture.  People like myself would probably have a different take on that.  It’s a pleasant song, don’t get me wrong – I ain’t hatin’ on it.  I’m Canadian!  We don’t hate on anything really.  Does it move me in a patriotic or nationalistic sense?  Does it make me think of the mountains and forests and many cultures within Canada?  No.  But again, perhaps I’m the exception and not the rule based on my incredibly limited amount of Lightfoot knowledge…I’m willing to accept that.

Guess I’ve always considered myself to be more of a worldly citizen anyhow…one of those pesky globalists that firmly believes we’re all interconnected on this one floating rock we all call home, and that we all need each other for our universal survival as a species.  Crazy, I know.  On the flipside of that coin though, it’s what makes records like For The World appeal to me though, because it does represent so many different types of cultures, people, and places.  I’d be interested to learn about what created the layout in this set-list…there are noticeable things like Russia having a song coming before Ukraine does with “Dreaming In Blue And Yellow,” places that have been left out altogether, the inclusion of a song for Israel but not one for Pakistan…you get the idea – I think Steve And Patricia are generally doing their best to stay out of the political arena in making a record like this, but you can always spot things that might tell you about the people behind the music on any album if you’re paying close attention.  Obviously it’d be impossible to include every country and culture into this one recording, and I think we have to be a bit mindful of that; they’ve done a tremendous job in including as many as they have.  I really liked “Dreaming In Blue And Yellow” and would put this track up there with my favorites on the album…it’s got such a powerfully moving, contemplative mood to it that audibly sounds like dreaming, like its title would imply.  I love the connection Steve’s flute displays to the sentiment & melody here.

“El Condor Pasa” traces back to 1913, and is often regarded today as the “second national anthem of Peru.”  Safe to say that more than a few people would be familiar with this tune.  I felt like this particular track was one of the more unique in the set in terms of the character within the song.  It’s got a very adventurous spirit to it…upbeat in many ways, and exciting in others too.  Whereas many of the songs on this album have delved into a wider range of emotional content, “El Condor Pasa” is a more focused example of what it sounds like to be in one main gear.  So…don’t get me wrong, it’s not like the trio has left their versatility and diverse style behind, it still has a presence in “El Condor Pasa” – I’m just saying that this song is more tailored to a specific vibe overall I suppose.  I mean, as it begins, you can hear that “El Condor Pasa” is more delicate and gentle as it builds, but the uplifting spark it possesses is still very much something we can hear, and by the time you reach about 1:45 into this song, it chooses a track to follow permanently from there, and that inspired melody goes on to be the dominant trait to the end.

Personally I felt like “The Old Years” was one of the more perplexing inclusions.  I’m not saying I have any kind of real idea of what Italy sounds like from way over here in Canada, but if this is what it is, it’s definitely not what I would have expected.  Doesn’t make it a bad song in any way, just different from what I would have associated the Italian sound with is all.  Dave has had many spectacular moments on this album along the way, but “The Old Years” would certainly be a highlight for him, specifically in the song’s latter half.  Yeah…interesting choice overall.  I’m no expert – I took Italian in high school, but that doesn’t mean I have any real world context in regards to what their sound would be like to experience.  “The Old Years” is a good example of how the trio maintains high standards when it comes to the quality of their performances and playing together, even if it’s tougher to pin down the cultural roots of the sound as easily as it has been to songs like “Belarussia,” “Dreaming In Blue And Yellow,” or “Bakit Pa.”

Poor England gets “Scarborough Fair” when Italy just got such an upbeat little ditty like “The Old Years?”  Like I said…politics, perceptions, and preferences show up in the strangest of ways, don’t they?  It is what it is, and it ain’t like “Scarborough Fair” couldn’t be argued as being one of the better songs that has been written throughout history…it’s a spectacular composition, and Steve & Patricia have stayed true to the melody that has made it so mesmerizing & memorable to listen to.  It’s a good choice when it comes right down to it…I’m sure we’d all love it if our countries and cultures were represented by an upbeat tune, but that’s not really the way things work.  Accuracy is kind of the priority if you ask me, and in that respect, I think “Scarborough Fair” is pretty much the perfect choice.  It’s one of the more well-known tracks on For The World I’d bet, but the trio of talent has really shown no fear in taking on such a diverse array of important cultural material, and really delivered some of their very best so far to-date.

I think it’s also good advice to be careful what you’d wish for too.  Would I rather be represented by “Scarborough Fair” than “My Father Is From Appenzell?”  100% – sorry Switzerland!  This is probably a solid example of where upbeat songs drift way too close to parody if I’m being completely honest with ya.  That being said, when was the last time you heard a song adapted to the flute from its original form of being yodeled?  Probably never right?  Franzl Lang’s original is something else to experience y’all – check that out on YouTube sometime.  Anyhow.  Umm…yeah…look…I think I probably like this about as much as I would like being yodeled at, which is to say, not a whole lot.  Do I appreciate such a noticeable cultural inclusion?  Certainly.  Does that mean I enjoy it?  No…we’re not talking about the same things.  I admire that they dared to cover this song as it is by far one of the strangest choices on the album, but I felt like the highest of high notes in “My Father Is From Appenzell” came out a bit more grating than they likely intended them to be.  Considering how frequent they occur, it’s a bit of a hindrance to our ability to enjoy this song, in my opinion…but yeah…it’s on-target for what people would assume of the Swiss sound, even if it’s a bit on the stereotypical side of what could have been selected for this album.

How many songs make a suite?  Turns out the answer is legitimately two.  Who knew?  I would have thought it would have to be more.  “Japanese Suite,” which includes “Soran Bushi” and “Sakura” are good samples of the traditional Japanese sound…no real objections here, and the songs suit the flute.  I will say this…I actually felt like I expected this particular culture’s sound to stand out a little more than it does with “Japanese Suite,” but I guess thems the breaks, right?  It’s by no means a bad song – I still like it enough, but it did feel like it was missing a bit of that inspired spark we’ve heard so consistently from this trio throughout the album so far.  On a technical level, Steve & Patricia’s music remains impressive, and even in this mellower energy, they still flash a noteworthy amount of chops.  That’s the positive part of the scenario.  Material-wise, I feel like there was probably a more engaging choice that could have been made to represent Japan’s music, but who knows…maybe that’s just the way that I feel about it.

So look…I mean…I’ve said it countless times on these pages of ours…there are about a handful of albums out there with more than twelve songs that we might universally agree are perfect – and anything longer than that, chances are, there were a few spots here and there where things could have objectively been trimmed down a little to give the record a better chance.  Between tracks eleven to thirteen, I think we can start to feel a little bit of the weight of such a vast amount of specifically flute-based material, but hey, for those that love the instrument, perhaps you still can’t get enough.  With “Israeli Folk Suite” being over the ten minute mark and comprised of another EP’s worth of tunes, I’m not gonna say that cutting a few tracks here and there wouldn’t have potentially benefitted the listenability of the album for the average everyday music fans out there – it probably would have.  I do like that there’s another great dose of contemplative sound at work throughout “Israeli Folk Suite” that is quite beautiful to listen to…some of the melodies in the mix here are extraordinary, and I personally think that just about everything to do with Israel these days should be contemplated, to say the very least.  Still, politics aside, if we’re just to judge things based on the music, which is really all I’m ever here to do, I’d readily tell you that there’s a whole lot of substance that is satisfying to listen to in this suite.  Of all the songs on this record, I might not be willing to argue that “Israeli Folk Suite” was always the most exciting, but it did bring out more tangible emotions in listening to it that many other tracks didn’t.

I’d probably put “Calikusu” up there with my favorites on the album, even if I still think it was a bit of a risk to go with another slower melody after the previous two songs on For The World.  Representing Turkey this time around, “Calikusu” was originally done on the violin if I’m not mistaken, and has since been covered multiple times on the piano.  Is this the first time it’s been covered with the flute as the primary instrument?  I don’t think that’d be the first time Steve & Patricia have encountered that possibility…they’ve adapted so many tunes into the flute’s realm that I’m sure there has been at least a time or two where they were the first to try doing it.  I don’t personally have the time to research each and every cover under the sun, but it’s fun to think about Steve & Patricia being pioneers in that regard, ain’t it?  On an independent level, I don’t know of two artists that are more dedicated to their respective instruments or done more for them in the music world – Steve & Patricia are completely responsible for bringing the sounds of the flute to so many listeners out there, and they should be immensely proud of that.  “Calikusu” is another highly thought-provoking kind of song that sets your mind adrift in a very meditative type of way, and I would think this track will be among the album’s most universally loved.

Chances are, I feel just as strongly towards “The Homes Of Donegal,” if not even stronger.  I’d say there’s a pretty good chance that I actually feel like “The Homes Of Donegal” is my favorite song on the entire album…it’s in the top three at the very least.  What I really like about this track is that I think it’s a great example of sounds that are definitely found within Ireland, yet not necessarily the ones we’d naturally think of first.  Kind of like the opposite of “My Father Is From Appenzell” in that respect, you know what I mean?  Think of “The Homes Of Donegal” as like, one of the deep cuts from Ireland.  It might not be the song that everybody’s spinning every day, but it has a place within its cultural sound, and absolutely represents a part of it.  What’s harder to say is whether or not songs with such spectacular lyricism like this song has in its original, can be appreciated as much in an instrumental form – honestly, I don’t know the answer to that.  I’ll put it to you this way…I think the lyricism is so outstanding on “The Homes Of Donegal” that it’s in particularly rare company…so it might be tougher to convince listeners about this track if they’re familiar with its original version.  I love the sound of Dave’s piano in this song…reminds me a lot of the tones you get in “Avril 14^th” by Aphex Twin…there’s a real humble sweetness to it all.  This song is kind of a highlight for what I was hoping to find on this record overall…I was thinking that it might be like experiencing what it would be like to throw open your windows in each region, and what you might hear drifting in on the wind.  Wouldn’t this be a wonderful sound to hear if life were like that?

It’s been twenty some-odd minutes since we had a bit of energy and spark to this album though, so I think listeners out there will really appreciate “Danse Espagnole” when it comes along, and heck, it might even be a bit more loved as a result of putting a bit of life back into the set-list here.  Don’t get me wrong, I’ll sit and listen to contemplative, melancholy melodies all day long – but I’m quite certain that I’m the exception and not the rule in that regard.  The masses need a little pep in their step, and “Danse Espagnole” is ready to provide what they’ve likely been waiting for.  It’s another highlight for some of the techniques you’ll find these two flute players incorporate into their music so seamlessly…I don’t know what the technical names are for the moves they make, but I can certainly hear where technique exists and there is plenty of it to be found throughout this song.  To me, this is also closer to the kind of successful recipe that is used on “The Homes Of Donegal” as well…as in, “Danse Espagnole” celebrates its Spanish influence, without having to resort to the more stereotypical aspects of its cultural sound.

I don’t know how much flute-based music y’all tend to listen to, but lemme tell ya that as a person that doesn’t end up getting too much of that sent my way, an hour and a half is a LOT.  Especially when you’re reviewing and writing about something in a critical sense…I’ve probably spent something like close to a full day listening to this record since it first popped into my inbox.  Which is saying something about its listenability too I suppose…I never felt like I was rushing to get through this review, even if I did feel like an album dominated by a single instrument, or two if you distinguish between the flute and alto flute to be fair, could feel very similar from track to track in using such a certain type of sound.  In that respect, I feel like they went about it as best they could by visiting all these different places in the world to provide a bit of sonic diversity for us, but at the same time, I mean…it’s still flute music, you feel me?  “I Have A Dream” is kinda fun though…it’s got this like…umm…hmm…hard to describe…like a floaty vibe to it, you know, like you’re in the cloud levels of Super Mario, or just coming out of that sweet, sweet, novocaine-induced fog at the dentist’s office without knowing how puffy your face is yet.  It’s another stellar example of how this trio of talents can produce such undeniably pleasant sound together.  Is there really anyone out there loudly objecting to “I Have A Dream?”  If there is, they shouldn’t be.  This song out of Sweden should be one of those songs that we all enjoy and happily float along with, 100%.

Further proof that Australia was ahead of its time way back when and still continues to be to this very day when it comes to the art of music making, Steve & Patricia put in one of their best versions of any cover I’ve heard from them so far with “The One That You Love,” originally recorded by Air Supply.  I think it’s neat personally, because I don’t know that I’d readily say I’m an Air Supply fan typically…I know I like a few tunes here and there, but it’s not like I’ve ever sought them out specifically.  So to hear this come out so strong for our hero flautists, was special in my view.  I’ve always said that great songwriting can be totally adapted to other kinds of music and thrive no matter how different it is from the original style it was first recorded in.  “The One That You Love” is an excellent example of how that’s true, and a full dose of spectacularly endearing sound that is well worth your time to listen to.  Another track that would be right up there with the best of the best on For The World from my perspective, this is one of those spots where you marvel at the quality of the cover, and at the same time have no other choice but to really acknowledge the strength of the songwriting to be found within the original as well.  Love this!

As we circle back around to America once again to bookend this record with “Shenandoah,” I think you have to admire the effort that has been put into this album.  Sure, there was the occasional song here and there that I thought could have possibly been cut, or something that I thought wasn’t as strong as another track that came before it…yadda yadda…that’s the cost of comparison, and we all do that as we listen to a full album, naturally.  What I felt really stood out to me though, was that these two musicians at the core of it all, Steve & Patricia, really put forth some of their best performances throughout this whole album…like, it still feels like they’re legitimately getting better with their craft, and they were already great to begin with.  Essentially, they’re accomplished musicians, but they prove throughout this record that there is still clearly MORE that they want to accomplish too.  I think that’s the right way to go about things in life…do what you do as well as you can do it, but don’t let yourself get too satisfied either.  There should always be a goal to aspire to…another place we can level up…another wild idea we can pursue…another dream that can be turned into reality if you’re willing to put the work in.  It’s a long album, but I’m definitely happy with the quality of the content, the ambition of the idea, and the results of their shared performances.  “Shenandoah” was the kind of quaint conclusion the album deserved and returns it to the peaceful way that it originally began – great job on this album Steve, Patricia, and Dave.

Find out more about Steve Markoff & Patricia Lazzara from their official website at:  https://www.lazzarkoff.com

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