Articles by Mackenzie Horne
Ruslan Sirota: A Journey Away
by Mackenzie Horne
Ruslan Sirota would bristle against the classification of “pianist," “multi-instrumentalist," or “composer." He is, of course, all of these things... which is precisely the point. Raised on the songs of the Soviet and nurtured by the fusion alumni of the 1960s, Sirota has thus far navigated his professional career with an acute sense of sound, unencumbered by futile terminology. This disregard for straitjacketing semantics extends from his musical tastes to his job description. He casts such inhibitors aside in the ...
read moreRuslan Sirota: A Lifetime Away
by Mackenzie Horne
The Ruslan Sirota who engineered A Lifetime Away (Ruslan Sirota, 2019) has been years in the making. Sirota, who tends to view growth in terms of saying the most with the least, has developed an objective sophistication since the release of his self-titled debut record in 2011. More unified in mind and spirit, he has manifested an internal transformation into his work. Sirota displays athleticism at the piano, quickly pivoting between influences with robust musical stamina. Equal parts ...
read moreMaria Schafer - Shane Savala: No Broken Hearts
by Mackenzie Horne
No Broken Hearts is special because while it could function on its own as a fond nod to tradition or a forward-thinking allusion to the modern songbook, it truly functions as a series of love letters--love letters to collaboration, the living history of strong women songwriters, and deeply personal experiences within music. Vocalist Maria Schafer and Los Angeles-based guitarist Shane Savala have collaborated on a number of projects over the course of Schafer's residence in California. An incredibly versatile musician, ...
read moreRavi Coltrane Quartet at the New Hazlett Theater
by Mackenzie Horne
Ravi Coltrane Quartet New Hazlett Theater Pittsburgh, PA October 5, 2019 Since 2007, the Kente Arts Alliance (KAA) has worked diligently to underscore the relationship between the arts and community by providing accessible cultural programming within the city of Pittsburgh. KAA has hosted a number of elder jazz statesmen, including Hugh Masakela, Billy Harper, and Geri Allen, and next-generation voices such as James Carter, Antonio Hart, and Charenée Wade. Mensah Wali, a member of Kente's ...
read moreNorihiro Kikuta: Vegetable Soup
by Mackenzie Horne
In the age of sprawling epics masquerading as jazz records, stumbling onto a concise, minimalist narrative can be a delightful stray from the norm. In the case of Vegetable Soup, a three-composition EP by guitarist Norihiro Kikuta, the music functions as a snapshot, a thunderclap accompanied by a flash of light that illuminates a solitary transformation. Taken together, the tracks weave a short, accessible story of individual growth. The adjective 'simple' often carries unspoken negative connotations, though it ...
read moreAbdullah Ibrahim: The Sound of the Universe
by Mackenzie Horne
Abdullah Ibrahim's cosmology informs his art. While some might look upon him as an overseer at the crossroads between new and old, the tempered pianist stands as a sage, painting swirling rhythms that resemble the spheres of the universe with his compositions. He continues to combine ancient wisdom with the tones of the future; formation and reformation are one and the same for him. He roots his musical practice within tradition, composing with an ethos based on cycles.
read moreJD Allen: Barracoon
by Mackenzie Horne
To describe JD Allen's Barracoon as a great record would give a false impression--though it is in fact a fantastic record. It would be demeaning to only refer to the piece as a great exemplar of post-bop production. This record is more important than that; not only is it significant in terms of Allen's artistic development, but the project also contributes to a larger historical framework. Barracoon frames Allen as a leader, a storyteller, and a historian. ...
read moreKarlton E Hester: Quantum Elders Ballet
by Mackenzie Horne
Scholar and multi-instrumentalist Karlton Hester returns to follow up 2015's Trans-Cultural Music (Hesteria Records & Publishing) with Quantum Elders Ball, an artistic commentary on the interconnected relationship between the dimensions, the self and art. Not only does the album serve as a fresh approach to concepts established in Trans-Cultural Musicism but for those who have followed Hester's career, it is an elaboration on his original concept of “musicism," the idea that innovative forms of art can be created and executed ...
read moreKarlton E Hester: Trans-Cultural Musicism
by Mackenzie Horne
Multi-instrumentalist Karlton Hester creates an exploratory spacescape with his 2015 release Trans-Cultural Musicism. Alternating between dark and light, angst and release, ancient and modern, earthbound and extra-terrestrial, Hester transports listeners to a Stanley Kubrick-esque world molded by Hesterian Musicism, a talented ensemble of high-caliber musicians from around the globe. Trans-Cultural Musiciam is a creation that designed to take on new meaning as listeners mature in their relationships with the physical and spiritual worlds around them. By Hester's own ...
read more2019 Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival
by Mackenzie Horne
Gary Bartz Liberty Avenue Stage Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival Pittsburgh, PA June 23, 2010 The 2019 Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival featured a heavyweight lineup of world-renowned saxophone players, including Charles Lloyd, Nubya Garcia, and Gary Bartz. Bartz was scheduled to perform selections from Bitches Brew and In a Silent Way on Sunday June 23 alongside Sean Jones on trumpet, Orrin Evans on acoustic piano and Fender Rhodes, Walter Barnes on bass, and Pittsburgh's own ...
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