Evelyn Petrova

Evelyn Petrova / Alexander Balanescu: Upside Down

by Glenn Astarita
August 13, 2007

Accordionist Evelyn Petrova's inaugural CD for this record label, Year's Cycle (2004), opened quite a few doors via invitations to numerous music festivals and more. With her Russian counterpart, violinist Alexander Balanescu, it would be going out on a very small limb to suggest that this duo's interplay signifies a genre-busting tour de force.

The album title intimates a musical approach that defies the norm. In effect, they effortlessly merge Russian-folk with jazz improvisation and the classical element, ...