(Progressive/Canterbury) Volaré (Volare) - The Uncertainty Principle - 1997, WavPack (iso.wv) lossless

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Volare', an instrumental, Canterbury prog style band from Athens, GA, released their sole full length CD The Uncertainty Principle in 1997 on Laser's Edge and disbanded within the following year. Memoirs..., on Pleasant Green Records, combines the five songs on their out of print, self-titled debut cassette from July 1996 with "Memoirs of a Misshapen Man," recorded live at the Baltimore Progressive Rock Showcase in January 1997, "Oxford Don," improvised live in the studio during the March 1997 The Uncertainty Principle sessions, and "The Hive," recorded as a reunion in June 1999.

Although Memoirs... includes recordings that span a three year period, the songwriting largely stems from the era before The Uncertainty Principle, as "Memoirs of a Misshapen Man" and "The Hive" were featured in the live Volare' set as far back as 1996. Thus, with these tracks, the five songs from the debut cassette, and a live improv, Memoirs... accurately represents the Volare' live set list from summer 1996. The liner notes, including comments from three of the four band members, explain the different origins of the various tracks, their places in Volare's history, and the events surrounding the different recording sessions that generated them.

Volare's quirky and melodic prog rock shows strong Canterbury inspirations, including Hatfield and Happy the Man, in addition to slight jazz fusion and symphonic rock influences. Skillful dynamics range widely in intensity, sinuous odd meter passages groove, and textures from acoustic and electric guitars and a wide palette of synthesizers flesh out the sound. Volare' repeatedly achieves many of these extremes within the same song, making each composition more interesting through contrast rather than writing songs in slightly different styles to give the collection of songs contrast.

For budgetary reasons, the five tracks for the Volare' 1996 cassette were recorded through a PA onto four track tape, with overdubs of only saxophone and cello. The adroit execution of this low tech approach results in a surprisingly bright sound with clear separation between instruments, and along with the sharp live recording of "Memoirs of a Misshapen Man," these six tracks favorably compare to the other two Memoirs... tracks recorded in professional studios.

Memoirs... simultaneously documents Volare's early live set and releases various previously unavailable tracks from before and after The Uncertainty Principle. Fans of Canterbury style prog in general or that album in particular would enjoy Memoirs....

Volare' - "The Uncertainty Principle"

Laser's Edge LE 1028,1997 CD)

Peter Thelen
Progressive, anyone? This is the real thing. Last year's five song demo tape certainly offered a lot of promise, but who would've thought that in less than a year the band would come up with something this strong. It's all here power, melody, finesse, emotion, spirt. And did I mention chops? 100% instrumental, the band is a four piece now drums, bass & sax, guitar, and keys -apparently the cellist who was with them on the demo has split, but the band seems to be even tighter in the smaller configuration, with each member offering equal amounts of fire, coloration, and rhythm to the overall effort. A strong jazz and Canterbury ethic is at work throughout, and if one had to compare Volare' to anyone, National Health, Kenso, and Happy The Man would all be at the top of the list, perhaps some ECM artists tOO; yet Volare' has their own voice, rooted in the strength and complexity of their compositions and fortified by their sheer playing skill. Each piece develops along its own path, constantly growing and changing, finding new patterns and themes to develop and carry forward. One can hear the emotional content and technical precision playing off one another as pieces grow and unfold. Occasionally a piece will wander off course into self-indulgent territory, but not for long. Frankly, it's hard to imagine anyone not liking this. I'm sure this one will be in the top-ten list of about ten Expose' writers next spring.

Rob Walker
One could dismiss my enthusiasm for this disc as either a biased plug for a hometown Athens, GA band, or the inevitable consequence of my having reviewed so many amorphous, obtuse, experimental releases throughout the remainder of this issue. But that would be ignoring the considerable merits of one of the best releases of the year and one of the best debuts in an even longer time. Volare' dish out some truly tasty Canterbury-tinged complex instrumental prog. A quartet of guitar, keyboards, bass & sax, and drums with an abundance of original and captivating musical ideas, this band at times evokes with haunting authenticity the best of Hatield and the North, early Muffins, and National Health. "The Uncertainty Principle" is an album full of invigoratingly imaginative themes inflected with well developed subtlety and nuance. A full arsenal of classic analog keyboards along with carefully chosen guitar tones imparts a "lost classic" quality to the sound. This, combined with the harmonically sophisticated writing and occasional jazzy tendencies, might suggest a previously unreleased '705 Canterbury gem. But a distinct freshness in the top-notch performances and a discerning stylistic open-mindedness clearly point to the youth of this work. Each of the ten pieces here segues organically through a healthy assortment of complementary musical ideas with confidence and finesse. The sometimes quirky, always intelligent and intricate compositions are laced with original chord progressions, boldly varied textures, and dramatic dynamics. There is so much here to like, it takes several listens just to begin to absorb all the fine detail. Much as Anglagard did a few years back, Volare' have created something magnificent which, through impressive musical maturity and considerable stylistic awareness, is able not only to move forward but also to delve back into prog history without seeming the least bit stale. This is the type of release that reaffirms the potential of progressive rock, and one most any prog fan should thoroughly enjoy.

Exposé Magazine, Issue No. 14, Winter 1998

Gibraltar V7 #33 03 November 1997

Hailing from Georgia here in the States, Volare plays decidedly un-American Progressive Rock. Sort of. Volare's demo tape was widely hailed among the cognescenti of Canterbury styled music. But, that Canterbury prog ala Soft Machine is madly influenced by American Jazz means Volare has come full circle. A quartet, Volare consists of Patrick Stawser (piano, Fender Rhodes,mellotron, organ, Mini-Moog, a variety of digital synths), Steve Hatch (electric & acoustic guitars, mandolin, lightsaber), Richard M. Kesler (bass and sax) and Brian Donohoe (drums and percussion). The Uncertainty Principle was produced by Fred Schendel and Steve Babb (both of Glass Hammer, Babb also of Wyzards). Like all Laser's Edge releases, the CD was mastered for CD by Bob Katz who always creates top-notch digital sound. Although Volare have been categorically lumped into the Canterbury vein of Prog, to my ears they sound jazz influenced first, Prog influenced second. "Vespers" is just one number of several that is quite a bit jazzier than most Canterbury bands, including Soft Machine. On occasion, the Moog work sounds more influenced by Keith Emerson that by Mike Ratledge or Alan Gowen. One example is a Moog line in "Caught in a Combine," the albums opener. Another is the wickedly cool synth work near the end of "Blitz," a real delight in headphones or filling the room at full volume! Conversely, the liquid line in "Abcircus" that would fit very comfortably on a Gilgamesh album. Other key passages distinguish Volare. The complex sections of "...In Two Seconds Time..." and "Abcircus" have an almost Muffinish/RIO bent. "Abcircus" is a study in contrasts. Dissonant guitar is juxtaposed against sweetly melodic Fender Rhodes. Angular guitar punctuates the above mentioned mellow Moog lines. Hatch's guitar work in sections of "...(Incomplete, Broken, and Abstract)" and "Blitz" has a sort of early Brand X feel to it. "Black and White" is quite a heavy number with crunchy rhythm guitar, chunky organ and searing synth, a sort of "pull no punches" closing track. Yet, regardless of which song is emanating from the jukebox, a jazz vibe permeates strongly throughout all tracks. Some fine sax blows from Kesler helps to ensure some degree of validity to the Canterbury comparisons. Suffice
it to say that "The Uncertainty Principle" has many deep layers waiting to be penetrated by the inquisitive listener. One of the best releases I've heard for 1997 and very highly recommended.

http://prog.ari.net/prog/gibraltar/issues/Vol7.Iss33

- Patrick Strawser / keyboards, synths
- Steve Hatch / guitars, mandolin
- Richard M. Kesler / bass, saxophone
- Brian Donohoe / drums, percussion