Jazz Articles

Matt Turner: Crushed Smoke

by AAJ Staff
August 1, 2001

Crushed Smoke is difficult but rewarding. Matt Turner speaks with his own language on the cello, and it's comprised of an elaborate vocabulary, grammar and syntax. He's asking us to listen to a handful of meditations in that private language on Crushed Smoke. This recording (an addition to his solo discography) sets the cellist free, and he takes an extended voyage through a series of unpredictable, often mystifying explorations. The titles help with a couple: “Koto Caress," for example, is ...

Matt Turner: Crushed Smoke

by Glenn Astarita
July 1, 2001

Wisconsin-based cellist Matt Turner is apt to stretch his instrument of choice to the far-reaching limits of time, space, and practicality, whether performing in rock, jazz, or contemporary classical frameworks. With Crushed Smoke, the artist opts for the solo route via his acoustic and Yamaha electric cellos. Essentially, Turner serves up a series of mind-bending improvisations amid a cornucopia of variegated motifs throughout these fifteen cleverly articulated performances.

The cellist mimics what appear to be animal sounds or perhaps a ...

Eric Rosenthal-Bhob Rainey: Crawlspace/Universal Noir

by Glenn Astarita
December 1, 1999

New England area drummer/percussionist Eric Rosenthal continues his collaborations with up and coming stars from the New England improv scene with an interesting set titled, Crawlspace/Universal Noir.

Crawlspace represents seven tracks featuring Rosenthal and soprano saxophonist Bhob Rainey performing as a twosome. On pieces such as “Whereby the Village Seeks Repose & “Certain Debts Are Painstakingly Collected”, Rosenthal and Rainey slice and dice themes, engage in abstracts while performing in a somewhat emotional vein. At times, Rainey’s phrasing and conceptual ...