Kevin Garcia

Biography
Articles

9 Horses: Strum

by Neil Duggan
June 26, 2024

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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Album Review

Bartosz Hadala Group: The Runner Up

Read "The Runner Up" reviewed by Paul J. Youngman

by Paul J. Youngman
October 22, 2010

Bartosz Hadala is a name of which more people should be made aware. Based in Poland, he is a world-class pianist and a contemporary composer with serious jazz chops. His debut, The Runner Up--a winner in every way--finds him in superb company, with some top names in jazz. Ten solid, fresh compositions--all original tunes, with the exception of Dizzy Gillespie's “A Night In Tunisia"--feature excellent performances by all parties, most of the songs performed by a septet. Up front, the ...