Blu Mulcru by Pat Ryan

Liner Notes (partial):

“Blu Mulcru” is an admittedly odd choice for a CD title. Anyone who has seen Peter Weir’s provocative 1977 film “The Last Wave” might remember the aboriginal shaman, hypnotically asking Richard Chamberlin “Who are you, who are you, who are you??? Are you Mulcru?” The screenplay posits that at the end of a “cycle” (period of evolution, or era of relative ecosystem stability), there are those endowed with “mulcru”, who can channel, or access, somehow, this spiritual power or insight, “mulcru.” Chamberlin plays such a character in The Last Wave, and is plagued with a deep sense of foreboding, premonitory dreams, and intuitions regarding a pending disaster.

As I pondered a title for this CD, my friend Keith, who has jokingly asked me “are you Mulcru?” for years, suggested somehow incorprating this concept. At first I dismissed the idea, thinking that no one would get such an obscure reference... but then I re-watched “The Last Wave” and found that the apocolyptic visions of the protaganist centered around what we find, in the last scene of the film, to be a giant tsunami. Chills went down my spine.

The very reason I was able to record this CD in the first place was due to the support of another old friend, who had provided me with the start-up money last spring. What he asked in exchange was that we dedicate it to the victims and relief workers of the Tsunami disaster of 2004, and that we incorporate a sitar into the recording as a kind of aural homage to them. The fact that the producer of this CD just happened to have a friend down the street who played sitar was a further "coincidence." Did I find the title or did the title find me?

The notion of “mulcru” seems metaphorically appropriate. In so many ways, humanity is at the end of a cycle, as global warming and other crises point toward the need for a radical change in how we order our priorities and how we live. Despite all the chaos and uncertainty in the world, one place to find solace is in music. Hence this offering, to you.

I wish for you, dear listener

Peace. Depth. Resolution.

in listening, in living, in loving

- Pat Ryan, 11/05

About the Tracks:

1. Pippa’s Song was written for my first daughter, just after her birth. The melody and chords came to me in a moment of almost pure rapture, after she had been hosptialized for an arduous 60 hours due to severe jaundice. I slept maybe 4 of those hours, and when we finally got her home, and I sat gazing at her on our deck, this music came. 2. Head’s Up was inspired by a renewed sense of vitality and energy, which I tried to capture with the ostinato bass line and ascending melodic and chordal structure. 3. Remembering Hymn was written for my dear friend Geoff, who tragically died in his 29th year. Originally a ballad, the melody is based on a progression of almost entirely minor chords. The healing which comes with the passage of time, and the memory of Geoff’s bouyant spirit, make the treatment here more appropriate and uplifiting. 4. The Promise owes a lot to the Brazilian jazz artists whose music I love so much. 5. Notice Moments was originally the title track for this CD, but the idea still ties in nicely with Mulcru... life is fleeting, deep, and sometimes tragically beautiful, and so we really have to notice and appreciate each moment. 6. Part Blues was written a few years ago when I was fortunate enough to study with Leni Stern at the National Guitar Workshop. 7. Goddess is a love song, which, like life, has elements of both the sacred and the profane. The transformative power of love is a greater force than any tsunami. 8. Waiting for Spring was written in anticipation of Pippa’s birth in the spring. The musicians really lock in on this one. 9. Funk It was written for an organ trio, and we added bass, percussion and sax to the mix. 10. Find You, composed in 1986, contrasts harmonic simplicity with shifting meters. 11. Little Gem is named for my youngest daughter, Gemma. Like her, this tune floats along with a a graceful energy. If you listen closely you’ll hear her laughter at the end... Special thanks to Perry for the ending montuno idea, and to Bob for the inspired sitar.

An Article:

Entertainment News

Posted: Dec 16, 2005

Falmouth-Jazz Guitarist Releases New CD: 'Blu Mulcru'

By GERREE HOGAN TRUDEAU

"Very melodic, harmonically rich, and dynamic in rhythmic and emotional intensity" is how Falmouth guitarist Pat Ryan describes his new CD of contemporary jazz, "Blu Mulcru."

He will host a celebration of the CD’s release Sunday afternoon, December 18, from 1 to 4 at Bleu in Mashpee Commons. All are welcome.

Mr. Ryan will be joined by bass player Jorge Roeder, drummer Steve Langone, keyboardist Perry Rossi, and Bill Jones on saxophone. They will play selections from the CD, which will be available for purchase along with special items from Chef Frederic Feufeu’s brunch menu.

The guitarist left his public school teaching position in February to pursue his music full time, though he is still teaching a few classes at Falmouth Academy as well as giving private lessons at Cape Cod Conservatory.

In addition, he has been running Full Spectrum Music for the past 11 years. "We have a solid reputation as a source for quality live music for events of all kinds," he said. Mr. Ryan has worked with the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod, the Friends of the Mashpee Public Library, and the Falmouth Village Association, organizing their summer concert series and other events.

He is on the board of the Falmouth Cultural Council and is a former board member of the Cape Cod Jazz Society; last year Mr. Ryan even wrote and recorded a jingle for Slade Mortgage Company that can still be heard on the radio.

Passionate about environmental issues, Mr. Ryan moved to the Cape in 1990 to work with John and Nancy Todd of New Alchemy Farm. "The very reason I was able to record this CD was due to the support of an old friend who provided me with start-up money last spring," he explained. "What he asked in exchange was that we dedicate it to the victims and relief workers of the tsunami disaster of 2004, and that we incorporate a sitar into the recording as a kind of aural homage to them."

The CD’s title "Blu Mulcru" is an obscure reference to a line in the 1977 film "The Last Wave."

The script suggests that at the end of a "cycle," such as a period of evolution or an era of relative ecosystem stability, some people are endowed with spiritual power or insight called Mulcru.

In the Peter Weir movie, Richard Chamberlain plays a character plagued with premonitions of impending disaster; an aboriginal shaman asks him, "Who are you? Who are you? Are you Mulcru?"

Mr. Ryan has always liked the term and its significance, and when he watched the film again this year he found that the protagonist’s apocalyptic visions turn out to be a giant tsunami.

"Chills went down my spine," he said. The name for the CD was decided.

"There are some really fine musicians on the recording," he added. "Jorge Roeder has recorded with Herbie Hancock; Perry Rossi has performed for President Clinton; Steve Langone is one of the most in-demand jazz drummers in Boston, especially with regard to Brazilian-flavored jazz; and Bill Jones is a rising star on the tenor saxophone who played a gig with Winton Marsalis this summer."

The 11 tracks (10 of which are instrumental) were written by Mr. Ryan, so each has personal importance. "Pippa’s Song" was written for his 11-year-old daughter just after her birth (she’s now a cellist in the "Composing Kids" program at Morse Pond School, sponsored by the Cape Symphony Orchestra). "Little Gem" is for his 5-year-old daughter Gemma. "Like her, this tune floats along with a graceful energy," he said.

"Remembering Hymn" was composed for Mr. Ryan’s dear friend, Geoff, who died in his 29th year. "Notice Moments" was originally the title track for the CD, "but the idea still ties in nicely with Mulcru... life is fleeting, deep, and sometimes tragically beautiful, and so we really have to notice and appreciate each moment," explained Mr. Ryan.

"The notion of "Mulcru" seems metaphorically appropriate. In so many ways, humanity is at the end of a cycle, as global warming and other crises point toward the need for a radical change in how we order our priorities and how we live. Despite all the chaos and uncertainty in the world, one place to find solace is music. Hence this offering, to you:

"I wish for you, dear listener,

Peace. Depth. Resolution.

In listening, in living, in loving."

© Copyright 2005 Falmouth Publishing Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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