YOW Jazz, March 18: Claire Cope and Ensemble C - "Every Journey"
An interview with Claire Cope and an exploration of her new compositions inspired by women adventurers
Claire Cope is a British pianist and composer. The day before International Women’s Day she released her album with the 11-piece Ensemble C - “Every Journey”. On this show we will hear some of the album as well as my conversation with her about the theme of the album as well as the music that has helped to shape her compositions.
Cope was inspired by the books of Jacki Hill-Murphy, including Adventuresses, a collection of stories of 18th and and 19th-century female explorers, and The Extraordinary Tale of Kate Marsden, about a Victorian nurse who trekked across pre-Revolutionary Russia to find a possible cure for leprosy.
Cope describes the album as being about
courage, overcoming anxiety and finding inner peace. Everyone can relate in some way to that moment of taking a step forward in life. For me, it was about feeling comfortable in my choices as a musician and deciding to identify as a composer. Once you get past that first step, you’re on your way to where you want to go.
Musically, Cope was inspired by the compositions of Maria Schneider, Michael Brecker and Pat Metheny. We will listen to some of that music.
We will end the show with a composition from Tracy Yang from her recent release, “OR” - about her musical journey from Taiwan to New York City. Here is a video of the recording of “OR (Operating Room)”.
You can listen to the show live on Tuesday at 11 a.m. at 93.1 on the FM dial in Ottawa or via live streaming at CKCUFM.com. The show is also available for on demand streaming.