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Erica Seguine/Shon Baker Orchestra: The New Day Bends Light
by Jack Bowers
The New Day Bends Light, the debut recording by the twelve-year-old Erica Seguine/Shon Baker Orchestra, is interesting on a number of levels, not the least of which is emotional. The leaders and their twenty-one piece ensemble are clearly committed to the music and do their best to breathe life into each of the album's seven numbers, three of which were written by Seguine, three by Baker and the other ("Ose Shalom") by Nurit Hirsh. Aside from that, there is the ...
Continue ReadingAllison Miller, Carmen Staaf: Nearness
by Stefano Merighi
Una leggerezza inquieta attraversa le tracce di questo bel disco realizzato in coppia da Allison Miller (batteria e percussoni) e Carmen Staaf (pianoforte). La strumentazione è particolarmente adatta alla formula del duo, basti pensare a quanti esempi possono tornare alla mente nella storia del jazz moderno. In questo caso, invece di stupire con le rispettive qualità di virtuosismo—che comunque non mancano -, Miller e Staaf si affidano alla naturalezza della conversazione, senza porsi chissà quale obiettivo, tranne quello ...
Continue ReadingAllegra Levy: Lose My Number
by Angelo Leonardi
Dopo aver esplorato nell'ultimo Looking at the Moon tredici song ispirati alla luna (dai classici standard “Blue Moon" e “Moon River" ai più recenti “Harvest Moon" di Neil Young e “Pink Moon" di Nick Drake) la cantante Allegra Levy sviluppa nel quarto disco un percorso più impegnativo. Ha scritto delle liriche per nove composizioni di John McNeil, che è stato suo insegnante e mentore al New England Conservatory e l'ha supportata anche in altre incisioni. Il trombettista californiano è ...
Continue ReadingPat Donaher: Occasionally
by Jerome Wilson
Occasionally sees saxophonist Pat Donaher reflecting on a few milestones in his life to date. He does this by writing and performing compositions which are all dedicated to occasions and people that have been special to him. Donaher's varied set of tunes is played here by an excellent group with Jason Palmer on trumpet, Tim Watson on guitar, Carmen Staaf on piano, Tony Scherr on bass and Allison Miller on drums. Two selections celebrate family weddings. “Wedding Day," ...
Continue ReadingDan Blake: Da Fé
by Jerome Wilson
A lot of personal factors go into saxophonist Dan Blake's music on this CD, such as his concerns about the environment, his Buddhist teachings and his social activism. What comes out of this is a style of electro-acoustic jazz which is alternately meditative and fiery. The basic music here was performed in the studio by a quartet of Blake on saxophone, Carmen Staaf on piano, Dmitry Ishenko on bass and Jeff Williams on drums. The tunes were then ...
Continue ReadingDan Blake: Da Fé
by Mike Jurkovic
It's comforting to know that saxophonist Dan Blake hasn't taken Thoreau's inconvenient truth that “most men lead lives of quiet desperation" to heart. Instead, as his Da Fé (translated: of faith) and his apprenticeships with Anthony Braxton} and {{Julian Lage prove succinctly, Blake intends to bring the music, and the consciousness of our fragility within it, to the fore, in hopes the listener can shake the malaise too and pick up the call for action. Blake escorts his ...
Continue ReadingThana Alexa: ONA
by Angelo Leonardi
Ci giunge con un po' di ritardo questo secondo disco della talentuosa vocalist e compositrice Thana Alexa, ma va assolutamente considerato. Anche questo, come già il debutto Ode to Heroes, è un tributo: dalle figure musicali che l'hanno influenzata siamo passati a una celebrazione del genere femminile e al ruolo—spesso sottovalutato—che svolgono nel mondo. Nata a New York da famiglia croata, Thana è tornata nell'infanzia in Croazia dov'è rimasta per completare i suoi studi. Successivamente si è ...
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