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Yelena Eckemoff: Desert
by Mark Sullivan
Pianist/composer Yelena Eckemoff was born in Russia and in 2018 lives in North Carolina--neither location suggests a desert theme. But Eckemoff became fascinated by the Arabian Desert, producing not only music but also prose stories connecting the compositions to each other, as well as poetry and paintings (including the album's cover image). Her albums are usually organized around a theme. This one is unusual in having a musical style directly associated with it: so much of this program combines Arabic ...
Continue ReadingPeter Erskine & The Dr.Um Band al Soresina Jazz Fest 2018
by Vincenzo Roggero
Peter Erskine & The Dr.Um Band Teatro Sociale Soresina 04.05.2018 Anticipato di circa un mese rispetto alle precedenti edizioni, ricollocato nella cornice otttocentesca del Teatro Sociale, il Soresina Jazz Festival è partito con il botto. Ad infiammare il numeroso pubblico accorso ci pensa la Dr.Um Band di Peter Erskine quartetto di gran classe con il quale il batterista di Somers Point, New Jersey, esprime al meglio il suo lato più intimamente fusion. ...
Continue ReadingYelena Eckemoff: Desert
by Dan McClenaghan
Pianist Yelena Eckemoff's backstory doesn't suggest the potential for a rise to the category of top level jazz pianist. But here she is, after emigrating to the U.S. from Russia with her husband--leaving her children (temporarily) and everything else (permanently) behind in 1991 to escape repression and to start a new life. Classically trained in her homeland, Eckemoff came to jazz relatively late. With persistence, talent, ambition, audacity and a seemingly unshakable optimism, she has navigated her way to the ...
Continue ReadingPeter Erskine Group at the 2017 Ospedaletti Jazz Festival
by Carlo Mogavero
The Peter Erskine Group was the highlight of the 2017 Ospedaletti Jazz Festival on August 4th in the Liguria region of Italy. Held at an amphitheater of a local park, the sold out show was attended by jazz fans from as far away as neighboring France. The band was comprised of Peter Erskine (drums), John Beasley (keyboards), Bob Sheppard (saxophone), and Benjamin Shepherd (bass). Erskine's remarkable resume includes time with the Stan Kenton Orchestra, Weather Report, Chick Corea, Gary Burton, ...
Continue ReadingPeter Erskine New Trio: In Praise of Shadows
by Dave Wayne
Expecting the delicately brooding pastel hues of his piano trio recordings for ECM Records, my socks were pleasantly knocked off from the git-go by Peter Erskine's New Trio. In Praise of Shadows opens with a slyly sweet, reggae-infused rendition of “Sukiyaki," a Japanese folk tune that became a surprise novelty hit for Kyu Sakamoto back in 1963. Erskine's version, featuring guest Judd Miller on electronic whistling, hints at the deeper meaning of the song, whose title--literally translated--means “I Look Up ...
Continue ReadingA Mixed Bag - Joonsam, Petros Klampanis, O.R.K., Peter Erskine, David Ambrosio/Russ Meissner
by C. Michael Bailey
Joonsam A Door Origin Records 2016 South Korean bassist Joonsam Lee moved to New York City in 2007 and began composing...composing and meeting other like-minded musicians with whom to share ideas. For his debut recording, Lee has assembled these compositions, choosing those which reflect his many musical interests and experiences. With his sturdy rhythm featuring pianist Aaron Parks and drummer Nate Wood--Joonsam (who goes by this single name) adds trumpeter Ralph Alessi on trumpet on ...
Continue ReadingPeter Erskine Trio: John Taylor/Palle Danielsson: As it Was
by Karl Ackermann
Over the course of five years in the 1990s, drummer Peter Erskine, pianist John Taylor and bassist Palle Danielsson came very close to perfecting the contemporary piano trio presentation. Across four ECM releases, You Never Know (1993), Time Being (1994), As It Is (1996) and Juni (1999), the international group, all with prior ECM history, came together under the uncustomary leadership of a drummer. The body of their work as a collective reflected their individual aspirations toward sharing the complimentary ...
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