Lena Hovanesian

Lena Hovanesian: irwinorange

by Dan McClenaghan
July 27, 2015

In assigning colors to a musician's “sound," does alto saxophonist Lena Hovanesian blow orange? Maybe. On her debut CD, irwinorange, the title taken from the 2014 Franklin Evans' painting of the same name, Hovanesian's alto has a citrus-y tang, as she explores, sonically, her love of abstract art and natural beauty of Hawaii and her native California. Hovanesian employs some of New York City's finest forward-thinking jazz players in her ruminations--it's an all original set--on Hawaii's “Waimea Valley," ...