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Lefteris Kordis: Mediterrana
by Franz A. Matzner
Jazz's ability to absorb new musical traditions and take advantage of novel instrumentation is one of its most notable features. Fans of this form of experimentation will appreciate pianist Lefteris Kordis' forays into merging jazz with traditional Greek and other Mediterranean lineages. Delivered as a series of piano trio plus guest artist compositions, Mediterrana's strength is the subtle blending of timbers Kordis deftly guides from behind the piano, and a consistently restrained approach which results in a refined ...
Continue ReadingBrian Landrus Trio: The Deep Below
by Angelo Leonardi
Sax baritono tra i più interessanti emersi nel decennio, Brian Landrus svela in questo disco alte doti liriche e timbriche, in undici brani di sua composizione e tre standard. La relazione con Lonnie Plaxico e Billy Hart ha mostrato le sue potenzialità nel quartetto documentato dall'album Traverse (BlueLand, 2011) ma qui l'organico senza pianoforte dà al polistrumentista ampia libertà d'esplorazione, con risultati di grande spessore. Landrus s'alterna anche al clarinetto basso, al sax basso e ...
Continue ReadingBrian Landrus Trio: The Deep Below
by Hrayr Attarian
With his sixth release as a leader The Deep Below, low reedman Brian Landrus continues to explore the bottom octaves of woodwind registers with his characteristic elegance and captivating charm. What sets this album apart from its predecessors is the sparseness of its setting. Backed only by bass and drums, Landrus places his various instruments at the core and center stage of all the tracks. The result is a raw yet sophisticated showcase of these infrequently heard horns ...
Continue ReadingBrian Landrus Trio: The Deep Below
by Dan Bilawsky
If this recording can't kindle a love of the low end in your cochlea then nothing can. For The Deep Below, Brian Landrus--perhaps the most significant baritone saxophonist/low reed man to emerge in recent times--put together a trio with bassist Lonnie Plaxico and drumming icon Billy Hart. Together, they explore eleven Landrus originals and three classics, most of which manage to mask weighty sounds with lithe movements and, more importantly, lyrical thoughts. Part of the charm surrounding ...
Continue ReadingBrian Landrus: The Low End Theory
by Daniel Lehner
Specialists don't usually have the luxury of controlling much of their destiny. For a low woodwind expert like Brian Landrus, it would be of little surprise to anyone to find that, though he'd have the freedom to experiment with sounds and timbres for his own records, he would be little more than a hired gun for his sideperson work. Fortunately, Landrus's conviction as an artist, as well as technical skill as a multi-reedist, has given him the leeway to put ...
Continue ReadingBrian Landrus Kaleidoscope: Mirage
by Hrayr Attarian
Multi-instrumentalist and composer Brian Landrus' Mirage is his most accomplished, and thematically unified recording to date. The music shimmers like the phenomenon of the title as pastel colored harmonies of a string quartet bleed into the deep, earthy tones of low reeds and the fusion-like sounds of the band, Kaleidoscope.On “Don't Close Your Eyes" the evocative romanticism of the chordophones and soulful swagger of the rhythm section seamlessly blend enhancing its emotional reach. The crystalline ring of pianist ...
Continue ReadingBrian Landrus' Kaleidoscope: Mirage
by Dave Wayne
Thus far, every recording by low-end multi-reed artist Brian Landrus has been refreshingly different. The NEC grad burst on to the scene a few years back with Forward (Cadence Jazz Records, 2008) a richly textured free-leaning acoustic jazz album created with a large ensemble of seasoned jazz veterans such as pianist Michael Cain and drummer Bob Moses. His subsequent release, Everlasting (CIMP Records, 2009), a quartet date with Moses and bassist John Lockwood also had free-bop tendencies.Traverse (Blue ...
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