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Kinan Azmeh: Live in Berlin
by Frank Housh
Clarinetist and composer Kinan Azmeh occupies a unique space in the musical world. He is grew up with Western classical music and trained at the Higher Institute of Music in Damascus as well as Juilliard, where he began his studies one week before the 9/11 attacks. His expansive and eclectic body of work includes compositions for orchestra, chamber music, opera, theater, dance, film, and most recently, scoring 30 episodes of the Syrian-Lebanese TV series, “Nazret Hob" ("Look of ...
Continue ReadingBrad Shepik: Hard Believer
by Dan McClenaghan
The first burst of noise from a recording can be telling, predictive of what will come. The Believers' Hard Believer title tune says as much. A guitar, bass and drums group, the music comes to life with some resonant metallic chords. The drums and bass push their weight around. It is assertive music laid down with a gentle and intricate touch. This “Hard Believer" is an introspective entity. Guitarist Brad Shepik, bassist Sam Minaie and drummer John Hadfield ...
Continue ReadingBelievers: Hard Believer
by Dan Bilawsky
Belief--the cornerstone of conceptual development and the impetus for any pursuit, artistic or otherwise--is central to the shared mission binding guitarist Brad Shepik, bassist Sam Minaie and drummer/percussionist John Hadfield in this aptly titled trio. Through their eponymous 2020 debut--a strong album that flew under the radar due to its pandemic-era release timing--these three established an aesthetic reflective of global influences and wide-ranging interests. And with this sophomore date, they further that outlook by branching out in numerous directions and ...
Continue ReadingRachel Eckroth & John Hadfield: Speaking In Tongues
by Mike Jurkovic
There is something wistful and empowering about wanderlust pianist/composer/electronics Rachel Eckroth's acoustic sensibility that holds a lot of sway with many of her listeners. This falls into direct opposition to her electronic side which, as cool as it sounds, can lean a tad too easily into the blurry, pop-oriented tendencies of Vangelis, Kraftwerk, or Gary Newman. Sure Eckroth makes these endearing old genres sound exciting now, but it is her pure piano playing that truly does the trick.
Continue ReadingBrad Shepik: Human Activity: Dream of the Possible
by Richard J Salvucci
All About Jazz is not an academic journal, but once in a while, a little academic insight may not hurt. Two psychologists from McGill University have published an interesting piece in Impact: The Journal of the Center for Interdisciplinary Teaching & Learning produced by the College of General Studies at Boston University. In “Waking Up to No Sound: Music Psychology and Climate Action," Lindsey Fleming and Daniel Levitin write: “Music is a cultural universal and for ...
Continue ReadingBrad Shepik: Human Activity: Dream of the Possible
by Katchie Cartwright
Brad Shepik's Human Activity: Dream of the Possible, featuring Layale Chaker (violin), Amino Belyamani (piano), Sam Minaie (bass) and John Hadfield (drums), is the guitarist and multi-instrumentalist's second album to respond to climate change. Composed as a single 10-movement work, a “narrative of hope," it follows his Human Activity Suite: Sounding a Response to Climate Change (Songlines Recordings, 2007). Shepik's aim is broad: “to inspire people to take any action they can to preserve and adapt in a sustainable way ...
Continue Reading9 Horses: Strum
by Neil Duggan
There are no prizes for guessing that this album from 9 Horses is called Strum because every track features the sound of a strummed instrument. There are over 20 stringed instruments involved, with mandolins, violins, guitars, banjos, basses and pianos, in various combinations, forming the main components. They are strummed, plucked or otherwise coaxed into life by a core trio of mandolinist Joe Brent, violinist Sara Caswell and bassist Andrew Ryan. Although there are many stringed instruments, that does nothing ...
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