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Jazz Articles about Donny McCaslin
Maria Schneider Orchestra: Data Lords
by Karl Ackermann
The skillfully designed cover art tells part of the story; a leaf--half as nature intended--the remainder, a circuit board doppelganger. The pastoral soundscapes associated with the music of Grammy-winning composer/bandleader Maria Schneider belie her activist alter-ego. An outspoken critic of copyright protections, prejudicial revenue schemes and the abuses of “big data," Schneider has authored op-eds and testified before the US Congress. She ventures onto unfamiliar terrain, coalescing her passions on a masterwork double album, Data Lords. The two ...
Continue ReadingMichelle Lordi: Break Up With the Sound
by C. Michael Bailey
Vocalist Michelle Lordi's house burned down at the end of 2017. That is a bracing life event from which one may find oneself at a brutally curious fork in the road. Lordi's Break Up With the Sound makes it seem that she blazed through Kubler Ross's five stages of loss and got to work on something so new, it smelled of white-hot creation. Lordi's modus operandi has been addressing the Great American Songbook, as evidenced by her densely competent Dream ...
Continue ReadingDonny McCaslin Live at BIMHUIS, Amsterdam
by BIMHUIS
As the bandleader on David Bowie's final album Blackstar, saxophonist Donny McCaslin witnessed first-hand the musician's penchant for reinvention. McCaslin applied that mindset to his new album Blow, which combines his propulsive saxophone playing with vibrant electronica and bombastic alternative rock, and which contains influences of jazz as well as from the likes of Radiohead and Bon Iver. “Before working with Bowie, things like this didn't seem possible to me," McCaslin said about his new songs, were performed ...
Continue ReadingDonny McCaslin: Blow
by Roger Farbey
At first listen, Blow sounds more like a rock album than a jazz one. The catchy “What About The Body" could arguably be mistaken for one of King Crimson's more vituperative numbers featuring Adrian Belew. Ryan Dahle's emotionally-charged vocals are equally at the forefront of the explosive “Club Kidd." But the selection also includes three instrumental tracks too, such as the grungy, anthemic “Break The Bond," the polyrhythmic “Beast," and “Exactlyfourminutesofimprovisedmusic" (which speaks for itself) all underpinned by Tim Lefebvre's ...
Continue ReadingDonny McCaslin Group / Ensemble LPR: Symphonic Bowie at Central Park SummerStage
by Kurt Gottschalk
Donny McCaslin Group / Ensemble LPRCentral Park SummerStage Symphonic Bowie New York, NY June 9, 2018 New York City can't stop saying goodbye to David Bowie. And with good reason. The rock legend lived in Manhattan for more than 20 years and often spoke fondly of his adopted city. On June 9, another tribute was staged, this one at Central Park's SummerStage featuring Donny McCaslin, whose band backed Bowie on his final album, followed ...
Continue ReadingPreferential Treatment
by Jeff Fitzgerald, Genius
If you know anything at all about Your Own Personal Genius, you know that I like my steaks Pittsburgh rare (which has nothing to do with the article, but if you ever have me over for dinner). And, you know that I have a major thing for Canadian actress Tatiana Maslany, from the show Orphan Black. You also know that I'm not one to play favorites, and I also have a crush on actress Heather Lind from the show Turn: ...
Continue ReadingDonny McCaslin al JazzMi di Milano
by Luca Muchetti
Donny McCaslin Teatro dell'Arte -Triennale JazzMi Milano 7.11.2017 Fast Future e Beyond Now sono i titoli degli ultimi album del sassofonista statunitense Donny McCaslin, fra gli ospiti di JazzMi 2017. Due titoli che è utile ricordare se si cercasse di sintetizzare in sole due espressioni l'esperienza del pubblico presente al concerto tenuto da McCaslin al Teatro dell'Arte della Triennale di Milano. La musica che McCaslin firma da titolare, infatti, non sembra avere punti ...
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