Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Renee Rosnes: Life On Earth

Renee Rosnes: Life On Earth

By Jim Santella
February 1, 2002
View read count

With chants and drumbeats from around the world, Renee Rosnes has applied a theme to her latest album by integrating mainstream jazz with creative international elements. Regional characteristics from specific areas of Asia, Africa, North and South America are clearly distinguishable, while the unifying thread of her original piano counterpoint ties them together. Seven of the nine compositions are originals. Medieval Spain colors the landscape through Manuel de Falla's "Nana," while Fran Landesman's "Ballad of the Sad Young Men" serves several masters. What kind of world would we have without the ballad? Rosnes' "Hanuman," featuring Chris Potter on tenor, pays homage to Joe Henderson. Life On Earth combines universal elements: things familiar the world over. The pianist's use of a small, contemporary string ensemble, a clarion trombone choir, marimba, and a wide array of percussion instruments serves her multi-cultural audience. As one of the top jazz pianists on today's scene, Rosnes delivers a double-whammy: her swinging piano magic and her creative compositions.

Track Listing

Empress Afternoon, Senegal Son, Ballad of the Sad Young Men, Icelight, Gabriola Passage, The Quiet Earth, Hanuman, Nana, The Call of Triton

Personnel

Renee Rosnes

piano

Renee Rosnes (piano), Walt Weiskopf (soprano & tenor sax), Chris Potter (tenor sax & bass clarinet), Shelly Brown (flutes), Conrad Herwig (trombone), Douglas Purviance (bass trombone), Steve Turre (trombone & shells), David Gilmore (guitar), Steve Nelson (marimba), Christian McBride & John Patitucci (bass), Billy Drummond & Jeff "Tain" Watts (drums), Duduka Da Fonseca (drums, cameroon shells, ganza, Mica's bells, surdo, tamborim, agogo bell, cuica, repenique, triangle, cowbell), Zakir Hussain (tabla), Mor Thiam (djembe & vocals), Laura Seaton & Laura Oatts (violin), Ralph Farris (viola), Erik Friedlander & Sachi Patitucci (cello), Kevin Tarrant (vocals)

Album information

Title: Life on Earth | Year Released: 2002 | Record Label: Blue Note Records

About Renee Rosnes

Follow

Profile | Articles | Concerts | Albums | Photos | Similar To | Orbit

Tags

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Renee Rosnes Concerts

Oct 7 Wed

Monk Festival: Renee Rosnes Quartet "Monk's...

Smoke Jazz Club
New York, NY

Oct 7 Wed

Monk Festival: Renee Rosnes Quartet "monk's...

Smoke Jazz Club
New York, NY

Oct 8 Thu

Monk Festival: Renee Rosnes Quartet "Monk's...

Smoke Jazz Club
New York, NY

Become a Sustaining Member

Since 1995, All About Jazz has championed jazz as an art form and supported the musicians who create it. Over three decades, it has grown into one of the world's leading jazz resources, serving hundreds of thousands of readers, musicians, presenters and industry professionals each month.

Help Build the Future of All About Jazz

Your support helps us continue building All About Jazz for the next generation—expanding our editorial coverage, preserving jazz history, developing new community features and creating better ways to discover the music and the people behind it.

Become a sustaining member for as little as $20 per year and you'll immediately enjoy an ad-free experience along with access to subscriber features and future articles for a full year.

Together, we're not simply sustaining All About Jazz—we're building its future. Thank you for being part of the journey.