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Adam Rudolph – Morphic Resonances – Meta

Adam Rudolph – Morphic Resonances – Meta

by | May 10, 2018 | Classical CD Reviews, Jazz CD Reviews

Emphasizing Adam Rudolph as composer. Adam Rudolph – Morphic Resonances [TrackList follows] – Meta/M.O.D. Technologies 021, 55:09 [10/6/17] ****: You won’t find percussionist Adam Rudolph on the hour-long Morphic Resonances. That’s because the seven tracks focus on Rudolph’s compositions, performed by other musicians, including two pieces by the Momenta String Quartet; one tune by the Odense Percussion Group; another composition with two groups working together (the Kammeratorkestret Ensemble and the Figura Ensemble); two duo pieces featuring flautist Kaura Watanabe and guitarist Marco Cappelli; and one tune for violinist Sana Nagano. Morphic Resonances is Rudolph’s 23rd as a leader and the final installment of a trilogy which includes 2015’s The Epic Botanical Beat Suite and 2017’s Glare of the Tiger. All three are connected by Rudolph’s application of the same intervallic and rhythmic materials. Rudolph explains, “Each sounds as different from the other because I used a different process to create the music on each.” The emphasis on Morphic Resonances is on Rudolph’s through-composed music. Some music was commissioned by the ensembles on the album. Others were written and offered to artists. Morphic Resonances was issued as high-resolution digital download and as compact disc with a booklet. This review refers to […]

Wadada Leo Smith – Najwa – TUM 

Wadada Leo Smith – Najwa – TUM 

by | Nov 27, 2017 | Jazz CD Reviews

Wadada Leo Smith – Najwa – TUM CD 049, 55:43 [10/20/17] ****: An electrifying tribute project. (Wadada Leo Smith – trumpet; Adam Rudolph – percussion; Pheeroan akLaff – drums; Bill Laswell – electric bass, mixing; Michael Gregory Jackson, Henry Kaiser, Brandon Ross, Lamar Smith – guitar) Trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith is no stranger to going electric. He used the power of being plugged in with his Miles Davis-centric Yo Miles! band (two CDs celebrating Davis’ music featuring guitarist Henry Kaiser), and the multi-guitar group Organic (with contributions from guitarists Michael Gregory Jackson, Brandon Ross and Lamar Smith, Smith’s grandson). Smith has returned to the amplified, guitar-inclined format with the hour-long, five-track album Najwa (an Arabic word translated as passionate, secret or whisper). Smith is joined by all of the above-listed guitarists plus percussionist Adam Rudolph, drummer Pheeroan akLaff (he had a longstanding association with Oliver Lake and was a member of Smith’s New Dalta Ahkri ensemble and Smith’s Golden Quartet), and electric bassist Bill Laswell (who also provides post-production expertise). Najwa is a many-layered conceptual work. Three of Smith’s four lengthy compositions (only one is under 10 minutes) are tributes to past artists of creative jazz and/or blues. The first […]