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Dom Minasi: The Vampire's Revenge
The Vampire's Revenge is the album Eric Dolphy might have come up with if he hadn't died prematurely. This double CD is one of those rare releases that, to quote one of our more eminent jazz writers, embody the past, present and future of jazz.
Minasi made The Vampire's Revenge as a celebration of musicianship. The crème de la crème of the downtown scene was invited, and those players' contributions are essential to making this such a vibrant and rich record. Minasi himself plays his guitar as good as ever, but the focus for this project rests on Minasi the composer and musical director. There is something very Charles Ives-like to the music on The Vampire's Revenge. Its charm lies in its revelation of a deeply romantic soul hidden under a pioneer's bravado, and great joy in a seamless combination of "low culture and "high art. From Ives to Dolphy, with strains of Mingus, and Edgar Varèse, this is America's classical music, if there ever was one.
Inspired by Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles, the material has a lighthearted, delightfully offbeat touch, as on Carol Mennie's superb vocal on "Just One More Bite," a specimen of that venerable American musical tradition which again found its origin with Charles Ives and has been defined by Frank Zappa as "Does Humor Belong In Music?
This is two hours of delightful music with a lust for life, rather than blood. It is Pulitzer Prize material, and most likely album of the year. That a CD of this scope and excellence was made as an independent projectwithout any backing whatsoever by a record companymakes The Vampire's Revenge an all the more triumphant and astonishing achievement, and an inspiration to musicians everywhere.
Track Listing
Disc 1: The Seduction, Who's Your Dentist, Just One More Bite, The Transformation, The Dark Side, The First Day. Disc 2: Blood Lust, the Hunt, Where You Gonna Go Where You Gonna Hide? The Vampire's Revenge.
Personnel
Dom Minasi
guitarDom Minasi: guitars; Ken Filiano: bass; Jackson Krall: drums. Guest Artists: Perry Robinson: clarinet; Joe Giardullo: soprano sax; Jason Kao Hwang: violin; Tomas Ulrich: cello; Carol Mennie: voice; John Gunther: reeds; Herb Robertson: trumpet; Steve Swell: trombone; Francois Grillot: bass; Ras Moshe: reeds; Matthew Shipp: piano; Mark Whitecage: alto sax; Borah Bergman: piano; Joe McPhee: tenor sax; Paul Smoker: flugelhorn; Sabir Mateen: tenor sax; Blaise Siwuta: alto sax; Peter Ratray: recitative; Barry Olson: conductor.
Album information
Title: The Vampire's Revenge | Year Released: 2006 | Record Label: BCA Records
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