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Norma Winstone, Glauco Venier and Klaus Gesing at Joe's Pub
by Budd Kopman
Norma Winstone at Joe's Pub, NYCJoe's PubNew York City, New YorkJune 26, 2008 Vocalist Norma Winstone came to Joe's Pub for two sets with her new trio composed of pianist Glauco Venier and reedman Klaus Gesing, supporting her release on ECM, Distances (2008). In front of a packed, enthusiastic, early-set house, the trio gave a mesmerizing performance that highlighted their strength as a unit, as well as each player's unique musical identity.
Continue ReadingNorma Winstone: Distances
by AAJ Italy Staff
Dopo Chamber Music, uscito alcuni anni fa per la Universal, Norma Winstone, Glauco Venier e Klaus Gesing tornano a registrare assieme, stavolta per ECM, un lavoro eclettico per scelta di brani, ma assai unitario per interpretazione. La “chamber music” è senz’altro il tratto caratteristico di questo Distances, che vede la voce certo poco jazzistica della Winstone affiancata dal piano post-classico di Venier e dalle ance liberamente espressive di Gesing. Affrontare in questo modo standard come “Every Time We Say Goodbye” ...
Continue ReadingNorma Winstone: Distances
by Martin Gladu
Nostalgia is a good thing. Who has not experienced some sort of catharsis through the unexpected surging of special, tender memories? Time stops. An emotive film starts rolling inside the mind. One wanders back to a time when life was good...Those fortunate to have witnessed the magic between trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, pianist John Taylor and vocalist Norma Winstone may still cherish fond memories of the music they made from 1977 to 1995 for ECM under the Azimuth sobriquet.
Continue ReadingNorma Winstone: Distances
by Budd Kopman
Listening to vocalist Norma Winstone's Distances is an entrancing experience. The concentration required to fully appreciate the music created by Winstone, Klaus Gesing (bass clarinet, soprano saxophone) and Glauco Venier (piano) is requested rather than demanded. The performances are intimate and delicate, while at the same time possessing a distilled strength, embracing both sound and words, neither taking precedence. The space of the recording is enveloping in its sparseness, and the trio's individual timbres, when blended with ...
Continue ReadingNorma Winstone: Distances
by Andrew Velez
"Distance" opens this set in classic Winstone style. With music by pianist Glauco Venier, the singer's lyrics go to the heart of separation and distance in a relationship. Winstone is an instrumentalist singer, so even before one begins to get what the lyrics are actually saying, it's the total sound which moodily envelops the listener. The release of this, Winstone's first recording since 1998, is a genuine event and when listeners aren't hitting the repeat button it ought to send ...
Continue ReadingNorma Winstone: Distances
by John Kelman
For some, the most intimate setting of choice is the duo. For Norma Winstone, while working in larger groups over the past five decades, her recorded history with ECM suggests that this British vocalist's preferred setting is the trio--specifically one with piano/keyboards and a wind or brass instrument. From the minimalism-meets- improvisation of Azimuth to the more overtly song-based Somewhere Called Home (ECM, 1987), Winstone has been the definition of subtlety. Capable of singing complex melodies that would challenge most ...
Continue ReadingNorma Winstone with the NDR Bigband: It's Later Than You Think
by Bev Stapleton
The world of the hardened jazz fan has had little room for the “jazz singer" in recent times. Resentment at the popular and commercial success of certain well-known names has resulted in many listeners turning their backs completely on vocal jazz--which is a pity, as they will miss out on enthralling musicians like Norma Winstone. Winstone has been a major figure on the British scene since the 1960s. She cut her teeth with the ensembles of Michael ...
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