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Jazz Articles about Adam O'Farrill
Kevin Sun: The Sustain of Memory
by Dan McClenaghan
Ambition is good. Saxophonist Kevin Sun has it. He proves it by releasing--before attaining his thirtieth birthday--The Sustain of Memory, a cinematic two-disc set of atmospheric avant-garde music in trio, quartet and quintet settings, which maintains a start-to-finish focus of an expansive artistic vision. “I've always been drawn to sprawling, encyclopedic or maximalist works of art," Sun says. And he has produced an excellent and beautiful example of the genre. The music is divided into three “suites": the ...
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by Jerome Wilson
This is an ambitious set of compositions by saxophonist Kevin Sun, 2 CDs which contain three suites for various-sized small groups, each with its own distinct identity. “The Middle Of Tensions" is in six sections played by a quartet of Sun, pianist Dana Saul, bassist Walter Stinson and drummer Matt Honor. Most of this work explores the contrasts between Sun's blasts of singing tenor and Saul's stumbling keyboard progressions, as the bass and drums keep a bumpy rhythm ...
Continue ReadingAdam O'Farrill: El Maquech
by Angelo Leonardi
A due anni di distanza da Stranger Days, suo prodigioso debutto da leader con la Sunnyside, il 24enne Adam O'Farrill cambia l'etichetta ma non l'organico, confermando il quartetto col fratello Zack alla batteria, il sassofonista Chad Lewkowitz-Brown e il bassista Walter Stinson. Nipote del leggendario bandleader cubano Chico O'Farrill e figlio del pianista Arturo, Adam s'è imposto appena ventenne nell'album Bird Calls di Rudresh Mahanthappa e poi in Rhombal di Stephan Crump in un quartetto con Ellery Eskelin ...
Continue ReadingStephan Crump: Stephan Crump's Rhombal
by Stefano Merighi
Il nome di Stephan Crump viene in genere associato al jazz della scena recente, specie per la sua militanza nel trio del pianista Vijay Iyer. In realtà il bassista di Memphis vive a Brooklyn da oltre vent'anni e può vantare il curriculum di un veterano. Ha firmato da leader una decina di dischi, ha studiato ad Amherst sia strumento che composizione, ha ricevuto diversi risconoscimenti, ha composto musiche per il cinema. Attualmente guida il trio di corde Rosetta, suona con ...
Continue ReadingStephan Crump: Stephan Crump's Rhombal
by Mark Corroto
Often times, a jazz performance without a chordal instrument, a guitar or piano, is considered to be flying without a net. Exciting, but often without aim. It routinely relies on just one powerful figure to command the proceedings. That is, unless the ensemble is configured under egalitarian principles. Equal contribution and respect for the differing voices removes that fear of flying without the safety of a chordal net. If I can paraphrase Abraham Lincoln for you now, “a jazz quartet ...
Continue ReadingStephan Crump: Stephan Crump's Rhombal
by Glenn Astarita
During the advent of bop and the hot n' heavy mainstream swing years, a session with a stellar lineup of critically acclaimed musicians would often be referred to as the [insert magazine name] Critics' Poll All-Stars or something like John Doe and his Jazz All-Stars. However, venerable bassist Stephan Crump underscores the premise of this album as a “commemoration" that is not about sadness but the “spiritual revolution I witnessed in my brother during our last days together." But the ...
Continue ReadingStranger Days: Stranger Days
by Budd Kopman
Trumpeter Adam O'Farrill is still very young, but that is not keeping him from making waves with his debut album Stranger Days and band of the same name, comprised of O'Farrill, tenor saxophonist Chad Lefkowitz- Brown, bassist Walter Stinson and his older brother, drummer Zack O'Farrill. Of course, it does not hurt to have Chico O'Farrill as your grandfather and Arturo O'Farrill as your father either, and neither does his recent work with Rudresh Mahanthappa and his Bird ...
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