Turtle Island String Quartet Archive

Turtle Island Quartet – Bird’s Eye View – Azica Records 

by Audiophile Audition | May 10, 2018 | Jazz CD Reviews

An interesting and intricate take on jazz compositions linked to Charlie Parker.  Turtle Island Quartet – Bird’s Eye View – Azica Records ACD71318 61:55**** (Alex Hargreaves – violin; David Balakrishnan – violin; Benjamin von Gutzeit – viola; Malcolm Parson – cello) Crossover albums often end up to be less than advertised for a variety of reasons, including the performers’ lack of understanding or appreciation of the intended musical form. However the Turtle Island Quartet’s newest release Bird’s Eye View delivers the goods with an interesting and intricate take on jazz compositions associated as least in name, to Charlie Parker. The disc opens with the group exploring a composition by violinist David Balakrishnan which is a lengthy four part story under the rubric “Aeroelasticity: Harmonies Of Impermanence”. The four sections are “Backlash” “Lonesome George” “Pralaya” and “Flutter Point”. While there does not appear to be a musical theme that bolts all these compositions together, there are some commonalities that can be discerned by a reading of the liner notes. For example, sections I and IV bring the issue of the effects of air currents on planes into their definition. Hence the associated music is driven by re-arranged instrumental textures, and energetic […]