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Shapes: The Big Picture
by AAJ Staff
By Ted Kane
The Big Picture is the second album from pianist/vibraphonist Roger Burn's protean Shapes ensemble. Like their debut, 2003's The Last Farewell, this set features original compositions from not only Burn but also other members, including harmonica player Tollak Ollestad and guitarists Mike Higgins and Matthew Von Doran. This release is a two-CD affair, and Shapes use the additional time to include their arrangements of several standards. The resultant experience is similar to that of seeing the band ...
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by Michael P. Gladstone
From its debut recording in 2002, this sextet has morphed into a much larger ensemble, in varied configurations, for this two-disc offering. Although two of its original members, Airto Moreira and Flora Purim, were not present for the making of this album, The Big Picture includes performances by Russell Ferrante and Jimmy Haslip (associated with Yellowjackets), Robben Ford, Roy McCurdy, Mike Fahn, Matt Catingub, and Andy Suzuki.
In keeping with the cinematic concept, the album is structured into ...
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by Jim Santella
Combining smooth jazz originals with classic standards, Shapes weave a collective web of familiar sounds that could easily describe your most recent nostalgic trip to the DVD rental store. Let by vibraphonist/pianist Roger Burn and harmonica player Tollak Ollestad, Shapes form their double CD into a program that easily recalls relaxed movie scenes in general.
“The Big Picture" strolls leisurely with a Brazilian bossa nova flavor. Ollestad and Burn team with flutist Andy Suzuki for a light sensation ...
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by John Kelman
As with the auspicious debut of The Last Farewell , Shapes continue to explore a breadth of styles on their sophomore effort, The Big Picture , still retaining a distinctive complexion that lends cohesiveness to the entire proceeding. That the group, led by Roger Burn, has shifted from being a six-person collective to a one-man operation with a large group of guest contributors makes this sense of focus all the more remarkable. “Cast of Thousands'" affairs often contain strong individual ...
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by Woodrow Wilkins
It's only February, and already the hot jazz CDs are in circulation. Typically, it's August or September before I hear an album that just blows me away. Within the first week of this month, I got a pair of two-disc sets that set a high standard that will be tough to beat. The first was the Caribbean Jazz Project's Here and Now - Live in Concert. However, the topic now is Shapes' The Big Picture. Produced by Yellowjackets ...
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by Dan McClenaghan
The Big Picture listening experience had me thinking of the different styles of jazz sounds, from the wild and free end of the spectrum to the more structured funk/groove world. This offering, by Shapes--a vehicle for keyboardist/vibraphone man Roger Burn--has a definite Yellowjackets feel. Produced by bassist Jimmy Haslip of that esteemed ensemble, the sound here is groove-oriented, very well-crafted, with polished arrangements of music mapped out down to the lightposts on the street corners, very little left to chance. ...
Continue ReadingNew Shapes: A Wide Variety Of Styles By The Trendsetter In Today’s Fusion Scene
Source:
Scott Yanow
A powerful guitarist who has led more than ten albums so far, Roman Miroshnichenko can be considered one of the pacesetters in today’s fusion scene. He has performed with such greats as Larry Coryell, Steve Vai, Paul Wertico, Bunny Brunel and Al DiMeola. Born and raised in the Ukraine, he started out exploring blues and rock before deciding to become a jazz guitarist, one who is always looking for a new challenge. New Shapes is just that for it shows ...
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'New Shapes' Joint Album By Guitar Virtuosos Roman Miroshnichenko & Henrik Andersen Featuring Percussionist Trilok Gurtu
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Roman Miroshnichenko
Prominent guitar virtuosos Roman Miroshnichenko and Henrik Andersen to release new joint album «New Shapes» they recorded latest February-July in duo and joined by special guests: World’s most Influential percussionists Trilok Gurtu (John McLaughlin), Bickram Ghosh (George Harrison), Frank Colon (Manhattan Transfer), Gumbi Ortiz (Al Di Meola) and Grammy-winning violinist Charlie Bisharat (Shadowfax). New Shapes is a unique mix of nylon and steel string guitars, Indian tablas and konnakol, Brazilian samba, Russian folk, Cuban and Mediterranean rhythms. “As Henrik was ...
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Guitarist/Composer Nils Weinhold Releases New CD "Shapes" Featuring Fabian Almazan and Luques Curtis.
Source:
Two for the Show Media
Nils Weinhold grew up in Bad Sachsa, a small village in the Harz mountains of Germany and started playing the guitar at the age of nine. In Germany he took lessons with Andreas Jäger and German jazz guitar legend Prof. Michael Sagmeister, before attending the Conservatory of Amsterdam in 2004, where he studied Jazz Guitar with Maarten van der Grinten, Martijn van Iterson and Jesse van Ruller. In addition to his jazz studies he studied Classical guitar, under the instruction ...
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George Lernis Jazz Quartet - Shapes of Nature (2011)
Source:
Something Else!
An ambitious debut featuring seven original titles, George Lernis' Shapes of Nature is a great new example of how Tony Williams' legacy continues to play out in jazz. The former Miles Davis band prodigy spent his career exploring the rhythmic complexities first hinted at by bebop, and that journey continues here. Lernis, a Cyprus-born and Boston-based percussionist and composer, is joined by bassist Mark Zaleski, pianist Lefteris Kordis and saxophonist Scott Boni. Together, they begin—appropriately—with a stunning, form-shifting rewrite of ...
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Exploding Star Orchestra - Stars Have Shapes (Delmark, 2010)
Source:
Music and More by Tim Niland
Led by cornet player and musical visionary Rob Mazurek, the Exploding Star Orchestra is a post modern big band that draws on great instrumentalists, found sound and electronics to create a soundscape like no other. Echoes of John Coltrane's Ascension and Sun Ra's long form experimental works like Atlantis and The Magic City are here, but the group creates a sound that is unique to their vision. The album opens with the extraordinary “Ascension Ghost Impression #2" with a jaunty ...
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Exploding Star Orchestra - Stars Have Shapes (2010)
Source:
Something Else!
By Pico Cornet player Rob Mazurek has got to be one of the busiest guys on the robust Chicago fringe jazz scene. We loved Sound Is when it came out last year, which introduced his new quintet, but Mazurek has by then helmed or co-helmed so many other projects that starts with jazz and ends up who knows where: Isotope 217, Tigersmilk, Exploding Star Orchestra, and the Chicago Underground Orchestra, with its splinter groups Chicago Underground Duo, Chicago Underground Trio ...
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Bending Melodies into Unorthodox Shapes
Source:
Michael Ricci
Heading into her encore at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola on Tuesday night, Nnenna Freelon gave her audience the illusion of a choice. “Are you guys feeling frisky or sentimental?" she asked. Frisky, came the reply. Well, all right, then: the band struck up a light-funk groove, and Ms. Freelon plunged into one last song, parsing lyrics with syncopation. “Dreeeaam," she sang, “beside me. In-the-mid-night-glow. The lamp. Is low." She was working with “The Lamp Is Low," a songbook standard of murmuring ...
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Shapes of Jazz Featuring Joe Lovano, Tom Harrell, Cameron Brown, Cindy Blackman (Fri-Sun) at the Iridium Jazz Club
Source:
Jim Eigo, Jazz Promo Services
IRIDIUM JAZZ CLUB 1650 BROADWAY (Corner of 51st) NEW YORK, NY 10023 RESERVATIONS: 212-582-2121 Sets At 8:30 & 10:30PM Les Paul Sets Remain at 8:00 & 10:00PM Effective immediately, minimums are $10/person/set for all show except Les Paul - $15 mins. Dec. 7-9 SHAPES OF JAZZ JOE LOVANO, TOM HARRELL, CAMERON BROWN, CINDY BLACKMAN, ERIC ALEXANDER (Sunday Only) ...
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Les Paul (Mon) Mingus Legacy (Tues) Shapes of Jazz Feat. Joe Lovano, Tom Harrell, Cameron Brown, Cindy Blackman (Wed-Sun) at the Iridium Jazz Club
Source:
Jim Eigo, Jazz Promo Services
IRIDIUM JAZZ CLUB 1650 BROADWAY (Corner of 51st) NEW YORK, NY 10023 RESERVATIONS: 212-582-2121 Sets At 8:30 & 10:30PM Les Paul Sets Remain at 8:00 & 10:00PM Effective immediately, minimums are $10/person/set for all show except Les Paul - $15 mins.
EVERY MONDAY LES PAUL AND HIS TRIO JOHN COLIANNI - PIANO - LOU PALLO - GUITAR, NICKI PARROTT - BASS
EVERY TUESDAY MINGUS ...
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Shapes from the USA in "De Regentenkamer" in The Hague, Netherlands
Source:
All About Jazz
Music
Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson
