'Roads of Water' is the first soundtrack composed by Ken Vandermark, a recognized Chicago sax and clarinet player, composer and improviser.

A documentary movie directed by Augusto Contento tells a story of people living on the Amazon river, about the escape from civilization that increasingly determines our lives and our choices and about indigenous people who know no other life.

A very poetic tale on the one hand, it's also a very real story of many heroes, a story accompanied by very few sounds. It is filled with beautiful music by Vandermark, music that gives the story space and breath. Vandermark refers here both to what he knows best - traditional, yet forward-looking jazz, as well as contemporary music and folk - although the latter ones are very, very subtle.

The soundtrack is highly illustrative in nature, although the lyrical themes, that are sometimes interwoven, are reminiscent of the masters of the best jazz ballads. It is a new face of Ken Vandermark: beautiful, poetic and lyrical, but also crude, devoid of sentimental sweetness, presenting a very different, a very focused and pensive face of this acknowledged Chicago jazz improviser.

All About Jazz, 2011-06
"Prolific composer/saxophonist Ken Vandermark's first soundtrack Project, Strade d'Acqua / Roads of Water, brings together his multiple interests and sound designs, creating a work for the film by Augusto Contento. It can exists as a standalone album, separate from the film, without commentary.
Recorded in 2008, Vandermark's Predella Group reunites trombonist Jeb Bishop-an original member of the Vandermark 5-with the leader, as well as his replacement, cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm. For this work, Vandermark arranges the sound in a sparse manner, perhaps to leave plenty of space for the visuals.
Relying heavily on Vandermark's new favorite drummer Tim Daisy-who plays a bit of marimba on "Sieve of the Soul"-the atmosphere is one of slowed tempos and space. In the gaps, Vandermark allows his players to fill in with breathy slurs and the occasional electronic flashes. Bassist Nate McBride's heavy opening to "Blue Over Green" carpets the unison horn lines that give way to seemingly casual single-note from guitarist Jeff Parker, taking flight before the track abruptly ends mid-flight-as does "Signal," an open improvisation of horns, cast about and fuzzy electronics from Lonberg-Holm.
Highlights include Bishop and trumpeter Jaimie Branch's solos on "Dust Town." The moody walking piece first gets the blues treatment from the trombone, then Branch coaxes a very Milesian sound, before a slap-quick change into Vandermark's urgent solo over pounding drums and haunting guitar. The discovery here is Branch, her sound featuring minimalist breathing or tangy muted notes. Like the recent guest appearance of trumpeter Magnus Broo with V5, Branch's horn completes this project."
autor: Mark Corroto

Gazeta Wyborcza - Duży Format, 2011-05-19, ocena * * * * [wielki format]
'Oto debiut Vandermarka na polu muzyki filmowej.
Ilekroć sięgam po kolejną płytę chicagowskiego saksofonisty, zastanawiam się, czy jest jeszcze w stanie czymś zaskoczyć. Drapieżny styl gry i kompozycji, a także niepowtarzalnie gęste, mięsiste brzmienie są tak charakterystyczne, że trudno go pomylić z jakimkolwiek innym muzykiem. Ten Vandermark jest jednak inny.
'Strade d'Acqua' to filmowy dokument Augusto Contento opowiadający historie ludzi z dorzecza Amazonki (zarówno rdzennych mieszkańców, jak i nowych przybyszy). Poetycka opowieść jest niemal pozbawiona naturalnych dźwięków. Przestrzeń tę ma wypełnić muzyka Vandermarka, który z freejazzowego drapieżcy przeobraża się tu w poetycko-jazzowego liryka. Powolne i smętne melodie, a nawet improwizacje jakby trochę mniej wybuchowe kompletnie nie pasują do znanego image'u tego szalonego muzyka.
A jednak jego nowe oblicze jest fantastyczne. Bo choć na pierwszy rzut oka skupione, łagodne i ugłaskane, to kryje w sobie niesamowitą energię.'
autor: Tomasz Handzlik

Playboy, 03/2011, ocena: * * * * *
Gigant współczesnego jazzu po raz pierwszy stworzył muzykę do filmu i powstał jeden z najlepszych jego albumów. Energia i charyzmatyczne brzmienie sceny free znalazły precyzjnie określone miejsce we wdzięcznych, transowych tematach zahaczjących o jazzową tradycję i surowy chicagowski postrock.
autor: Rafał Księżyk