Jazz Articles about Ben McDonnell

About Ben McDonnell

Album Review

Guitarist Ben McDonnell's Aleph Trio takes its name from a story by Jorge Luis Borge involving a poet who “discovers a point in space which contains all other points." Aleph Trio, likewise, explores and exploits all points present within McDonnell's compositions on its self-titled debut EP. Cyclical thoughts, complex colors, light and airy textures, and dark and brooding pathways are all present during this brief and compelling production. Some of the music is episodic and kaleidoscopic in ...

Album Review

Ben McDonnell: Aleph Trio

Read "Aleph Trio" reviewed by Mark F. Turner

by Mark F. Turner
July 11, 2013

Featuring the building blocks of free improvisation and an earthy rock music persuasion, London based guitarist Ben McDonnell presents his engaging Aleph Trio, a bold set that's both aesthetically pure and melodically pleasing. Its in-the-moment vibe feels like a live studio recording that highlights the trio's vigor, inventiveness, and cohesiveness. The set maintains its intimacy and rawness found in the opener “A Walk In The Rain" where McDonnell's deft facility of combining complex chord structures, exploring runs, ...