solo Archive
Fred Hersch {Open Book} – Palmetto Records
Fred Hersch {Open Book} – Palmetto Records PM 2186 56:43****: Beyond Category ( Fred Hersch – piano) In a piece Margo Jefferson wrote for the New York Times on October 15,1993 discussing Duke Ellington, she used the following sentence: ”The highest praise Duke Ellington bestowed on people or music he loved ( not least his own) was the phrase beyond category.” If The Duke were still alive, conferring this accolade on Fred Hersch would be automatic. Fred Hersch’s latest release of solo piano music is entitled Open Book. It is a judicious amalgam of his own compositions, along with covers of some jazz and popular standards. In deciding how any composition is to be played, Hersch may be compared to a crafty baseball pitcher who paints the corners of the plate, never anything over the middle. His attack is generally filled with sharp possibilities, supported by his daunting command as an improvisor. The session opens with one of Hersch’s originals called “The Orb”. It is a ruminative piece filled with a mixture of calmness and fastidious harmony. Benny Golson’s famous composition “Whisper Not” has a Mozartian feel with sharply struct notes, a bold and complex attack that provides an inner […]
Jasmine Lovell-Smith’s Towering Poppies – Yellow Red Blue – Paint Box
A musical trip which comprises flowers to kings to family to mountains. Jasmine Lovell-Smith’s Towering Poppies – Yellow Red Blue [TrackList follows] – Paint Box, 53:18 [11/4/16] ****: (Jasmine Lovell-Smith – soprano sax, producer; Josh Sinton – bass clarinet; Cat Toren – p.; Adam Hopkins – bass; Kate Gentile – drums; Cuarteto la Matraca: Elena Makhnev – v., Raúl Moreno – v., Rolando Vidal – viola, Jesús Gutiérrez – cello (tracks 3, 5, 7)) Soprano saxophonist Jasmine Lovell-Smith continues her musical journey with her 53-minute sophomore album, Yellow Red Blue, the follow-up to her 2012 debut, Fortune Songs. There’s an underlying international shade to the eight tunes (seven originals and a Joni Mitchell song), although it’s not overtly apparent. The material was penned in Wellington, New Zealand (the country where Lovell-Smith was raised and got her Bachelor of Music degree at Massey University), Brooklyn, NY (New York is where she formed her quintet, Towering Poppies), Middletown, CT (she received a Master of Arts in composition from Wesleyan University) and Morelia, Mexico (she lived in Mexico for a brief time). The music also has some light Mexican influences due to the inclusion of Cuarteto la Matraca (a string quartet) on three […]
Oded TZUR – Like a Great River – Enja
Oded TZUR – Like a Great River – Enja 7754, 39:37 (9/4/16) ****: (Oded Tzur; alto saxophone/ Petros Klampanis; bass/ Shai Maestro; piano/ Ziv Ravitz; drums) An innovative Israeli saxophonist working on a concept inspired by the Indian Classical bansuri master Hariprasad Chaurasia. Israel has been profligate in its production and export of jazz musicians. The new generation tends to fall into two categories; either they have stupendous technical gifts (Gilad Hekselman, Avishai Cohen), or they have an original concept/stylistic affiliation (Oran Etkin with his Malian collaborators, Anat Cohen with her chorinho trio). Yet another Tel Aviv expat, alto saxophonist Oded Tzur, falls into the second category. In his liner notes, he cites just one influence, the supreme master of the classical Indian bansuri, Hariprasad Chaurasia. This is quite a name to conjure with, as it represents the acme of an improvisational art form, older and deeper than jazz. One wonders what kind of connection could be made, given that the Indian system of raga is based on melodic and rhythmic organization rather than harmony. As it turns out, Tzur has found a grand inspiration in this music and translated it persuasively into a fresh jazz style. First, what he […]
The Mark MASTERS Ensemble – Blue Skylight – Capri
The Mark MASTERS Ensemble – Blue Skylight – Capri 74143-2, 48:33 (2/17/17) ****½: (Gary Foster; alto sax/ Jerry Pinter; tenor and soprano sax/ Gene Cipriano; tenor sax/ Adam Schroeder; baritone sax/ Ron Stout; trumpet/ Les Benedict; trombone/ Ed Czach; piano/ Putter Smith; doublebass/ Kendall Kay; drums ) Outstanding small concert-band arrangements of Monk and Mulligan compositions played by the American Jazz Institute house band. Mark Masters is the president of the American Jazz Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting jazz. The Pasadena-based group maintains an orchestra as well, featuring veteran West Coast players. Perhaps their most vital work, though, is related to archiving the rich lore of jazz composition and promoting new works for performance. What we have in this recording is a collection of tunes by Monk and Mulligan, arranged by Mark Masters himself, and performed by an ensemble under his name. In effect these tunes, are newly-realized pieces rather than gussied up standards. However, plenty of the musical character of the original composers comes through as well, even as the charts are reassembled. On the opening track, Monk, Bunk, and Vice Versa, a lesser known Mingus tune, the head is subjected to polyphonic elaboration. It stops just short […]
BRAHMS: Violin Con. & Con. for Violin & Cello – Julia Fischer & others – PentaTone
Classic Yakov Kreizberg performances of Brahms from 2007 feature the truly-gifted Julia Fischer. BRAHMS: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 77; Concerto in a minor for Violin, Cello and Orchestra, Op. 102 – Julia Fischer, violin/ Daniel Mueller-Schott, cello/ Netherlands Philharmonic Orch./ Yakov Kreizberg – PentaTone multichannel SACD PTC 5186 592, 72:59 (4/24/07) [Distr. by Naxos] ****: I am uncertain as to how this 2007 recording of the two great Brahms string concertos came my way at this late date, but the relatively young Julia Fischer (b. 1983) performs with a grand combination of velocity and lyric ardor. I had not known of cellist Daniel Mueller-Schott, but his playing on the “Ex Shapiro” Matteo Goffriller instrument from Venice, 1727 convinces me that he well suits the 1887 Double Concerto. So far as that late work is concerned, it made for a reconciliation piece between Brahms and Joseph Joachim, who had parted way in the course of Joachim’s divorce proceedings with mezzo-soprano Amalie Schneeweiss. The fact that Brahms incorporated motifs from Joachim’s favorite Viotti Concerto No. 22 in a minor, as well as Joachim’s patented F-A-E or F-E-A signature for “free but lonely” insured their renewed meeting of minds. Conductor Kreizberg […]
Kenny Burrell And The Los Angeles Jazz Orchestra Unlimited – Unlimited 1 – HighNote
Kenny Burrell And The Los Angeles Jazz Orchestra Unlimited – Unlimited 1 – (Live At Catalina’s) – HighNote HCD7298 ****: This is a big band that has a sense of swing and plays with a brawny professionalism. (Kenny Burrell – electric guitar, vocals; Los Angeles Jazz Orchestra Unlimited; Special guest: Barbara Morrison – vocal on track 16) The guitarists who were the natural successors to Charlie Christian, such as Wes Montgomery, Herb Ellis, Barney Kessel, Tal Farlow and Jimmy Raney are all now deceased. The lone “soul” survivor, is the 85 year old Kenny Burrell. However age has not dimmed his capacity for tasks that are devoted to expanding the appreciation of big band music, all the while continuing to perform at the highest level. This live recording from Catalina’s Jazz club in Hollywood California, took place over several dates in 2015 and 2016. The Los Angeles Jazz Orchestra Unlimited for which Kenny Burrell is the Artistic Director, is made up of top-shelf professional musicians, who work in the recording, movie, and TV industry based in LA. The band is devoted to performing compositions from jazz’s vast repertoire, and assisting in developing new ideas in jazz music. The program that […]
Azar Lawrence & Al McLean – Frontiers – CellarLive
Azar Lawrence & Al McLean – Frontiers – CellarLive CL 073116, 72:22 ***: A gritty outing from two like-minded spirits. (Azar Lawrence – tenor saxophone; Al McLean – tenor saxophone; Adrian Vedady – acoustic bass; Paul Shrofel – piano; Greg Ritchie – drums) For a period in the ‘50s and ‘60s, groups led by two tenor saxophone players seemed to hold some caché. For example there was the group led by Al Cohn and Zoot Sims, another by Bill Perkins and Richie Kamuca and a further group with Gene Ammons and Eddie ‘Lockjaw’ Davis. This type of group iteration fell out of favour without much fanfare, as such things often do. The concept has been rejuvenated with the combination of Azar Lawrence and Al McLean for the album Frontiers issued by the Canadian label CellarLive. As for the music played on this session, in addition to several originals by the band’s front line, the majority of the tracks were penned by either John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk or Freddie Hubbard. Of equal import is the musicians themselves. Azar Lawrence is an American musician who has released a number of album under his own name, but may be best remembered as the […]
Eyolf Dale – Wolf Valley – Edition
Eyolf Dale – Wolf Valley – Edition 1073, 51:28 (6/10/16) ****½: (Eyolf Dale: piano/ Per Zanussi: bass & saw/ Gard Nilssen; drums/ Andre Roligheten: tenor sax, clarinet/ Hayden Powell: trumpet/ Kristoffer Kompen: trombone/ Rob Waring: vibraphone/ Adrian Loseth Waade: violin) Inspired chamber-jazz octet on a cohesive set of original compositions by leader Eyolf Dale. The number eight, so auspicious for the ancient Chinese, has pleasant association for me as well. There is the brainy pelagic mollusc of eight arms, the month of October, the stout pawns lined up on the second rank. There might be some redundancy involved, as we we see in Mendelssohn’s marvelous Octet, compounded of two string quartets. Yet the other chamber masterpiece by Schubert suggests the principle of ampleness and generosity, a perfect garden party of all available personality types. In a Jazz ensemble, the number is especially lucky for the front line. There are no hard choices between the instruments; all can play. Thus, I was especially happy to see an octet offering by Edition Records, a label that has recently scored a very big hit on this site. The recording under review, led by Norwegian pianist/composer Eyolf Dale, carries the bilingually eponymous title Wolf […]
GINASTERA: Harp Con.; DEBUSSY: Deux danses pour harpe et orch. a cordes; BOIELDIEU: Harp Con. in C Major – Anais Gaudemard, harp/ Orch. de L’Opera de Rouen Normandie/Leo Hussain – Claves
Harp virtuoso Anais Gaudemard shines in three concerted masterpieces for the instrument with various ensembles. GINASTERA: Harp Concerto, Op. 25 (1956); DEBUSSY: Deux danses pour harpe et orchestra a cordes; BOIELDIEU: Harp Concerto in C Major – Anais Gaudemard, harp/ Orch. de L’Opera de Rouen Normandie/Leo Hussain – Claves Label Bleu 50-1613 (11/4/16), 56:29 [Distr. by Albany] ****: Harp virtuoso Anais Gaudemard (b. 1991) loves the harp “because of all we ignore about it…a limitless instrument.” The three works Gaudemard has recorded are “among the most beautiful ever written for that instrument and…reveal its sound versatility.” The 1965 Harp Concerto of Alberto Ginastera enjoys that Argentine master’s colossal sense of color, combined with his rhythmic flair. The instrument achieves several characters in the course of the three movements, including a jarring, percussive quality and then its strumming, guitar effects. The opening Allegro giusto ripples with rhythmic energy, as does the last movement Liberamente capriccioso – Vivace, with its long, glossy, solo cadenza. The presence of the 6/8 malambo dance impulse adds to the kinetic fervor of the piece. In the second movement, Molto moderato, a moody haze settles over the music, not so distant from Bartok’s notion of “night music.” […]
Nate Lepine Quartet: Vortices – ears&eyes
Saxophonist Nate Lepine: helping put the new Chicago sound on the musical map. Nate Lepine Quartet: Vortices – ears&eyes ee:16-054, 44:48 [9/30/16] ****: (Clark Sommers – bass; Nick Mazzarella – alto saxophone; Nate Lepine – tenor saxophone; Quin Kirchner – drums) Jazz fans may not realize it, but Chicago is a city with a vibrant jazz scene with talented musicians who regularly move outside of the jazz norm. For instance, tenor saxophonist Nate Lepine often goes toward the edges where free improvisation meets composed jazz. He cultivates material which has one step in the past and one foot in the ever-changing present. A sense of shifting between straightforward and forward-thinking permeates Lepine’s 44-minute debut, titled Quartet: Vortices. Alongside Lepine are other Chicago jazz artists who appreciate Lepine’s musical vision: bassist Clark Sommers (who has performed with Brian Blade, Bennie Maupin, Jeff Parker, and others); alto saxophonist Nick Mazzarella (who has participated in other Chicago-based improv/jazz groups); and drummer Quin Kirchner (who has connections to Chicago bands such as Bill MacKay’s Darts & Arrows, the Rob Clearfield Trio and Old Door Phantoms). This foursome brings sympathetic perception to Lepine’s 11 originals, which range from whirlwind tunes to wafting cuts which have […]
GRANADOS: March of the Defeated; Torrijos; Suite on Galician Songs – Barcelona Sym. Orch. & Chorus/ Pablo Gonzalez – NaxosGRANADOS: Concerto in c “Patetico”; ALBENIZ: Concierto fantastico; Rapsodia espanola – Melani Mestre, p./ BBC Scottish Sym. Orch./ Martyn Brabbins – Hyperion
Two CDs involving Enrique Granados. GRANADOS: March of the Defeated (1899); Torrijos (1894); Suite on Galician Songs (1899) – Barcelona Sym. Orch. & Chorus/ Pablo Gonzalez – Naxos 8.573263, 54:47 (4/4/16) ****: GRANADOS: Concerto in c “Patetico”; ALBENIZ: Concierto fantastico in a, Op. 78; Rapsodia espanola – Melani Mestre, p./ BBC Scottish Sym. Orch./ Martyn Brabbins – Hyperion CDA67918, 76:58 (4/4/16) (Distr. by HM/PIAS) ****: All of these works are getting their first recording (partly in observance of the centenary of his death), and although Granados is known mainly for his solo piano music, these two CDs show off some of his orchestral music. The painful march of the defeated is not identified as to what battle this is from, and the composer’s talent for lyrical writing is shown in his incidental music for the play Torrijos. The suite on folk songs uses Galician melodies and dance rhythms in an effort to reflect the landscapes of this region. Barcelona is a wonderful city, and its symphony orchestra is excellent in these world premiere recordings. The Cor Madrigal choir is heard only in three of the five sections of the Torrijos incidental music. Sonics are fine for the standard CD format. […]
“Soaring Solo – Unaccompanied Works II” – Stephanie Sant’Ambrogio, violin & viola – MSR Classics
Don’t think twice about getting this wonderful recital. “Soaring Solo – Unaccompanied Works II” – Stephanie Sant’Ambrogio, violin & viola – MSR Classics MS 1627, 73:32 [Distr. by Albany] *****: This is Stephanie Sant’Ambrogio’s second solo disc, the first called “Going Solo” following this same sort of format. Here, the artist says “Soaring effortlessly high above the clouds. That is the sensation I enjoy when I am in the perfect performance zone. It is a feeling of tremendous freedom and peace. As if I am weightless, I am soaring on air currents looking passively down on the tumultuous world below as the music flows past my ears. When I decided to record a second CD of solo pieces for violin and viola, Soaring Solo was the title that came ‘out of the blue’ and drifted into my consciousness.” Interesting, and no doubt pertinent to this fine violinist/ violist when selecting this program, but I am not sure how much it matters to the listener or our appreciation of the music. What is important is the wonderful technical acumen she brings to each piece on this recital regardless of instrument played, and the superb tonal qualities she manages on each. The […]
Mike Murley Trio – Ship Without A Sail – Cornerstone
Mike Murley Trio – Ship Without A Sail – Cornerstone CRST CD 145, 52:15 ****: A sprightly and imaginative trio session. (Mike Murley – tenor saxophone; Reg Schwager – guitar; Steve Wallace – bass) The Mike Murley Trio is the complete opposite to the title of their most recent release Ship Without A Sail. They are a musical vessel sailing to a destination with which they are very familiar, thus avoiding the shoals and rocks of uncharted waters. The result is a voyage worth the journey. The musical interdependence that this group has created in their approach to the material, has resulted in an instrumental harmony that’s evident from the first bars of “In Love In Vain”. Murley’s tenor sax takes command as he runs through the melody in full-throated form. The comping by guitarist Schwager and bassist Wallace push him along in lightly swinging mode. In 1929 Rodgers and Hart wrote “A Ship Without A Sail” for the musical Heads Up. The number was not considered one of this duo’s most popular tunes and is an interesting choice of the band for the title track, which for some unexplained reason they decided to forgo the letter A in the […]
SCHULHOFF: Works for Violin & Piano – MSR Classics
ERWIN SCHULHOFF: Works for Violin & Piano – E.Gogichavili, v./K. Hosoda-Ayer, p. – MSR Classics ****: Another Entartete composer of major importance. Schulhoff (1894-1942) was a Czech composer who ended up a victim of the Nazis, dying in a detention camp in Prague after failing to emigrate in time after receiving his Soviet citizenship. A magnificent pianist and prodigy composer, his first works were assured and brilliant, technically fluent and marvelously structured. Though a late romantic at heart, and reared in that environment, he was astute enough to absorb the influence of jazz, and appreciated Schoenberg as one of the great composers. Embracing the anti-establishment Dada movement early on, he saw no contradictions in the various movements that found respite in his mind. The violin pieces on this disc make for a sparking presentation, and the music is astoundingly engrossing. The earliest, the Suite, is an engaging and highly literate escapade through the traditional German form that is all the more interesting because of its succession of the last three movements as minuet, waltz, and scherzo. By the time the solo Sonata rolled around sixteen years later, we see what a consummate master he had become of the instrument; every […]
Dave Miller – Old Door Phantoms – ears & eyes
Multi-genre instrumental album of the year. Dave Miller – Old Door Phantoms [TrackList follows] ears & eyes ee:16-046, 44:59 [4/1/16] ****: (Dave Miller – guitar, Mellotron; Ben Boye – pianet, Wurlitzer electric piano, Mellotron; Matt Ulery – Fender bass; Quin Kirchner – drums, percussion) You can’t peg guitarist Dave Miller. He’s juxtaposes jazz, rock and pop influences on his first solo outing, the 45-minute Old Door Phantoms. Miller is experienced at genre-jumping, having performed with John Hollenbeck, Theo Bleckmann, Dan Tepfer, Colin Stranahan, Jeff Parker and many more from the improvisation/jazz scene. Miller taped his new album at Steve Albini’s Electrical Audio studio located in Chicago, which is renowned for the many rock acts that have spent time there. Listening to these eight tracks is like being in a single room with Miller and his band: it has the impression and purity of a live recording, where the sound is analog-warm and the instruments seem to blend rather than be isolated. Miller’s quartet was well chosen. Keyboardist Ben Boye has worked alongside roots singer Bonnie “Prince” Billy and outsider jazz group Darts & Arrows. Bassist Matt Ulery has released several records replete with beauty, depth and imagination. And drummer Quin […]
ELGAR: Cello Concerto in e minor; WALTON: Cello Concerto; G. HOLST: Invocation; I. HOLST: The Fall of the Leaf – Steven Isserlis, cello/ Philharmonia Orch./ Paavo Jarvi – Hyperion
Steven Isserlis asserts his supremacy in British cello artistry with two major concertos and two unfamiliar works dear to his heart. ELGAR: Cello Concerto in e minor, Op. 85; WALTON: Cello Concerto; G. HOLST: Invocation, Op. 19, No. 2; I. HOLST: The Fall of the Leaf for Solo Cello – Steven Isserlis, cello/ Philharmonia Orch./ Paavo Jarvi – Hyperion CDA68077, 73:01 (3/4/16) [Distr. by Harmonia mundi/PIAS] ****: By general consensus, Steven Isserlis (b. 1958) currently reigns as Britain’s finest cellist, and his latest recording of the two major cello concertos – by Elgar (1919) and Walton (1956), respectively – bear witness to a talent that has earned meaningful comparison with the likes of the late Jacqueline du Pre. Recorded between November 2014 and April 2015, the Hyperion production also provides two relatively unknown pieces, by father Gustav Holst and daughter Imogen, the booklet’s testifying to the latter in Isserlis’ life with a photo of his reviewing the score of the solo The Fall of the Leaf with the composer in 1977. A colossal energy suffuses the first movement of the Elgar Concerto, marked with a devout melancholy which often rises up in rebellion to the elegiac sensibility of loss. Beyond […]
Jack DeJohnette, piano – Return – Newvelle – vinyl
Jack DeJohnette opens his heart and soul… Jack DeJohnette – Return – Newvelle Records NV002LP – vinyl ****: (Jack DeJohnette – solo piano) As the second release in the Newvelle Records bi-monthly subscription series, the label is issuing the first solo piano recording from drummer Jack DeJohnette. This is not a vanity release, as Jack had extensive piano training prior to concentrating on his illustrious career as an iconic jazz drummer. Newvelle’s mission is to present an artist’s vision in high end packaging, both providing state of the art sonic reproduction as well as a gate fold presentation with archival photography. Their integrity motivated DeJohnette to record both new tracks as well as piano interpretations of some of his favorite compositions. Recorded on a magnificent nine foot Fazioli grand piano, the ten recorded tunes are on gorgeous clear 180 gm vinyl, make an audiophile listening pleasure. [Lampblack has long been known to reduce vinyl surface noise, and that is why it is used in most pressings…Ed.] The crystalline acoustics feature crisp pedal sustain, and the high register notes are almost piercing in their clarity. This is contemplative music, highly percussive, rhythmic, with deeply felt emotion. Jack expresses his musical talents […]
Julian Lage, guitar – Arclight – Mack Ave.
Guitarist Julian Lage plugs in. Julian Lage – Arclight [TrackList follows] – Mack Ave. MAC1107, 36:45 [3/11/16] ****: (Julian Lage – guitar; Kenny Wollesen – drums, percussion; Scott Colley – bass) In the rock music community, going unplugged (or primarily concentrating on acoustic instruments) is enough of an unusual turn it becomes a special event. In the jazz realm, it’s the opposite for some artists. Young guitarist Julian Lage (who isn’t yet 30) is as an example of plugging in and adding amplification and electricity. Lage’s 37-minute outing, Arclight, is the first time he’s employed electric guitar—specifically a Fender Telecaster, which Lage considers “the most refined embodiment of the modern guitar.” Arclight also marks other firsts for Lage. This is his debut on the Mack Avenue label (home to Herlin Riley, Christian McBride and Cyrille Aimée); and the first time Lage has recorded in a trio format: he’s superbly supported by double bassist Scott Colley (Herbie Hancock, Jim Hall, Brian Blade and more) and drummer Kenny Wollesen (a busy rock and jazz percussionist who has collaborated with David Byrne and has worked extensively with both Bill Frisell and John Zorn). Arclight follows Lage’s first completely solo record, World’s Fair (2015) […]
Randy Brecker – Randy Pop – Piloo
Randy Brecker – Randy Pop – Piloo PR009, 77:54 ****: (Randy Brecker – trumpet, effects, voice; Kenny Werner – piano, keyboards, arrangements; David Sanchez – tenor saxophone; Amanda Brecker – vocals; Adam Rogers – guitar; John Patitucci – bass; Nate Smith – drums) Elite session musician revisits his pop career in a jazzy way! Randy Brecker has been among the elite of session musicians for nearly fifty years. More importantly, his contributions involve a wide array of music. Brecker has played with Horace Silver, Bruce Springsteen, Charles Mingus, Frank Zappa, Stanley Turrentine, Lou Reed, Spyro Gyra, Dire Straits, Larry Coryell and Blood Sweat & Tears, to name a few. He was a successful band leader, most notably with the Brecker Brothers Band, that included his sibling Michael. That group earned several Grammy nominations and two wins. Brecker also garnered two Grammy awards as a solo artist. Music fans are familiar with a lot of his work by sound, if not by name. Brecker has assembled a top-notch band to revisit and invigorate his jazzy pop legacy. Randy Pop recreates nine songs that Brecker played on in his vaunted studio career. Arranged (or “deranged” as described by Brecker in the liner […]
“Mezzotints” = STALE KLEIBERG: String Quartet No. 2; Ruf und Nachklang (piano); Ashes (violin solo); Piano Trio No 2; Violin and Cello Sonata; Sonanze e cadenza – Soloists – 2L Blu-ray & SACD
Hard to describe, but once you listen, easy to understand. “Mezzotints” = STALE KLEIBERG: String Quartet No. 2; Ruf und Nachklang (piano); Ashes (violin solo); Piano Trio No 2; Violin and Cello Sonata; Sonanze e cadenza (violin and piano) – Marianne Thorsen, violin/ Oyvind Gimse, cello/ Bard Monsen, violin/ Ole Wuttudal, viola/ Jorgen Larsen, piano – 2L multichannel Pure Audio Blu-ray + multichannel SACD + downloads 115 (2 discs), 70:08 [Distr. by Naxos] *****: Stale Kleiberg is an extraordinary composer from any angle you care to look at. He is not a slave to the high modernists — far from it as his music is tonally secure, though not beholden to any traditional systems—yet one hears echoes of the most advanced of modern musings in his work, but bent to his advantage and definitely subservient to it. His style is indebted to the past in its sense of thematic sharing and dependency among each instrument. But the intimacy that comes from the quietest of linkages shines in each of these pieces, personal statements that make no waste of any note. I wish I could be more definitive in terms of describing Kleiberg’s overall stylistic tendencies, but I’m afraid that would […]
Elvis Costello – Detour – Live At Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, Blu-ray (2016)
Elvis Costello – Detour – Live At Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, Blu-ray (2016) New wave auteur goes solo with forty years of worthwhile material. Cast: Elvis Costello with Larkin Poe (Rebecca and Megan Lovell) Studio: Eagle Vision EVB335309 Director: Joss Crowley Audio: DTS-HD MA 5.1; PCM 2.0 Stereo Video: 1.78:1 for 16:9, 1080i HD Color Length: 121 minutes TrackList: Red Shoes; Watch Your Step; Accidents Will Happen; Church Underground; As; Shipbuilding; I Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down; Walkin’ My Baby Back Home; Ghost Train; When I Was Cruel No. 2; Watching The Detectives; If I Had A Hammer; Pads, Paws And Claws; That’s Not Part Of Him You’re Leaving; Down On The Bottom; Blame It On Cain; Alison; A Good Year For The Roses; Side By Side; Jimmie Standing In The Rain; Peace Love And Understanding; Golden Tom/Silver Judas Bonus Tracks: Love Field; Either Side Of The Same Town; Brilliant Mistake; Ascension Day Ratings: Audio: **** Video: **** Elvis Costello got his start in the pub musical scene in England. He rose to some prominence as part of the New Wave vanguard in the […]
Ken Peplowski – Enrapture – Capri
Ken Peplowski – Enrapture – Capri 74141-2, 53:27 ****: The band has tons of experience and each of the players knows how to connect with each other for a harmonic musical experience. (Ken Peplowski – clarinet, tenor saxophone; Ehud Asherie – piano; Martin Wind – bass; Matt Wilson – drums, percussion) Finding a musical “hook” in today’s crowded CD releases is no easy matter. However it appears that Ken Peplowski has done so with his release Enrapture. By bringing together a set-list of mostly lesser-known numbers, from a diverse group of composers, he and his cohorts have found a musical story worthy of telling. Opening with a 1940s composition from Duke Ellington entitled “The Flaming Sword” the Latin-flavoured number is done in an up-tempo fashion with Peplowski featured on clarinet that is perfectly suited to the theme of the tune. Drummer Wilson lays down the intricate rhythm necessary to move the song along, and pianist Ahud Asherie acquits himself with style. In 1957, Leo McCarey directed An Affair To Remember , a love story starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. The title tune was sung over the opening credits by Vic Damone. Here it is done as mid-tempo ballad with […]
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
