Tony Malaby Cello Trio: Anemone

Beginning with a lone cello floating beneath a series of glockenspiel arpeggios, "Anemone" builds tension as the ear wants to hear that next transition. When it comes, the instrumental inversion with the cello replacing glockenspiel and saxophone replacing cello is quite a surprise. This second section gets a little edgier, thanks to some spooky colorations provided by the melodica. (Gee, it's usually such a happy little instrument.) The release, if you can call it that, comes when the glockenspiel reenters midway through the composition, completing this temporary "family of sounds." Resolution, though, is never fully achieved, as the tune returns to its original lineup, navigating a final pass through the stark fog before sax, melodica and cello make one last forlorn statement.