Jazz Articles

The Kandinsky Effect: Somnambulist

by Glenn Astarita
June 15, 2015

An active touring unit, the musicians shred musical perimeters to smithereens on their third album. Rooted in modern jazz, the trio morphs funk, rock and electronica into the big picture amid pulsating grooves, shimmering accents and otherworldly treatments, as if a UFO transported them from a distant planet. But saxophonist Warren Walker leads the charge with his up-tempo phrasings and melodically tinted extended notes, aligned with drummer Caleb Dolister's snappy backbeats and Gael Petrina's deep bass lines. They ...

Kandinsky Trio: On Light Wings

by Glenn Astarita
December 31, 2013

Twenty-five years running, the Kandinsky Trio bridges many gaps and overlays numerous musical perimeters via a thoroughly hip stance. Here, the trio records two suite-like compositions by John D'Earth who is the University of Virginia's Director of Jazz Studies, and a contributor to 50 recordings, including stints with Buddy Rich, Tito Puente and the Kronos Quartet. They also perform one extended piece by fabled composer and New England Conservatory luminary, Gunther Schuller. Of particular note is the inclusion of jazz ...

The Kandinsky Effect: Synesthesia

by Bruce Lindsay
March 5, 2013

A band whose members hail from the USA and France, a band name taken from that of a Russian painter, a recording studio in Iceland and tune titles that reference an English town ("Brighton"), a Mexican souvenir retailer ("Mexican Gift Shop") and a Danish film director ("Lars Von Trier"). They all give the Kandinsky Effect's second album, Synesthesia, a distinctly international flavor. The music continues this global theme, drawing its inspiration from contemporary dance and electronic musics, as well as ...

The Kandinsky Effect

by David Miller
January 30, 2010

The Kandinsky EffectThe Kandinsky EffectSNP Records 2010

What do you get when you combine an American saxophonist, a self-proclaimed “total gringo" bassist and a French drummer, playing progressive jazz in Europe? There's no one-size-fits-all answer. But The Kandinsky Effect, composed of Warren Walker (saxophone), Gael Petrina (acoustic and electric bass) and Gautier Garrigue (drums), sure as heck blow the roof off the joint trying to figure it out for themselves.