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Karolina Strassmayer
WDR Big Band: Bluegrass
by Jack Bowers
Violinist Darol Anger literally had a dream, one in which he was performing his bluegrass music not with the David Grisman Quintet or another small group but in front of a full-fledged big band--and in Germany, of all places. Even though it was a dream he thought would never come true, it was so vivid and tantalizing that Anger shared it with his longtime friend and musical colleague, mandolinist Mike Marshall, who agreed that it was rather far-fetched but nonetheless ...
Continue ReadingKarolina Strassmayer, Drori Mondlak and David Friedman: Speak Your Truth
by Hrayr Attarian
The creative duo of saxophonist/flutist Karolina Strassmayer and drummer Drori Mondlak have been making exciting music together for over two decades. The pair seamlessly fuses the composed and the improvised on their engaging releases, that are usually, in intimate quartet settings. Speak Your Truth is a departure from their past work yet a logical evolution of it as it is an entirely improvised set. Joining Strassmayer and Mondlak on this stimulating journey is intrepid vibraphonist David Friedman. Together ...
Continue ReadingChuck Owen: Renderings
by Angelo Leonardi
Nato dalla collaborazione tra la WDR Big Band e Chuck Owen, Renderings conferma quest'ultimo ai vertici dell'orchestrazione mainstream contemporanea e l'orchestra tedesca l'autorevole e avvincente ensemble che sappiamo. L'idea del progetto nasce quando la splendida sassofonista della big band, Karolina Strassmayer, ha chiesto a Chuck di arrangiare una sua composizione, stimolando il bandleader a impegnarsi in un ampio lavoro con l'orchestra di Colonia. Impegni personali e circostanze varie (tra cui la pandemia) hanno ostacolato il progetto, che ...
Continue ReadingChuck Owen: Renderings
by Pierre Giroux
Renderings by Chuck Owen and The WDR Big Band is a remarkable jazz album that showcases the artist's mastery as a composer, arranger and bandleader. This release stands as a testament to Owen's innovative approach to jazz music blending traditional elements with modern influences to create a unique and captivating sonic experience. The album title is an apt description of the musical approach taken by Owen, as he focuses on the works by other composers along ...
Continue ReadingChuck Owen and the WDR Big Band: Renderings
by Jack Bowers
Anyone who uses YouTube to search for contemporary jazz must surely be familiar with Germany's blue-ribbon WDR Big Band, as it is abundantly represented at the site. Bearing that in mind, it may come as no surprise to those seekers (and others) that the WDR's latest recording, on which it is paired with the esteemed Florida-based composer and arranger Chuck Owen, offers another master class in big-band artistry, or how to make even the most arduous charts seem deceptively simple. ...
Continue ReadingDrori Mondlak and Karolina Strassmayer: Freescapes
by Hrayr Attarian
During twenty plus years of collaboration, drummer Drori Mondlak and saxophonist / flutist Karolina Strassmayer have perfected their creative chemistry. Their highly individual styles are, nevertheless, seamlessly complementary resulting in a unique sound that marks their superb releases. Their eighth, the haunting Freescapes, is an absorbing work with an undercurrent of subtle mysticism that showcases this synergy and splendid musicianship on nine interlinked tracks. Opening with “Sing To Me Of..,," a duet between the co-leaders, and closing with ...
Continue ReadingBob Mintzer: Soundscapes
by Richard J Salvucci
Well, what is your pleasure? Swinging charts? You have them. A tight big band? Yes, that certainly, and more. Terrific soloists? In abundance. A blend of genres that go from straight ahead to Latin to funk? That is all here too. The only thing absent, and all respect to Bob Mintzer, is excitement. To be honest, many contemporary big bands doing studio recordings have a similar issue. The level of musicianship is astronomical, but something is not there. You wonder ...
Continue Reading"Joining Forces" New Recording From Drori Mondlak & Karolina Strassmayer - Klaro!
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Drori Mondlak
Karolina Strassmayer & Drori Mondlak | Joining Forces Karolina's passion for the saxophone began in her native village in the heart of the Austrian Alps. A thirst for adventure brought her to New York City, where she garnered a stellar reputation as a jazz saxophonist performing with Duke Ellington Orchestra, Chico Hamilton and many others. In 2004, Karolina became the first woman to join the world-renowned Grammy award winning WDR Big Band Cologne. In the present she divides her time ...
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Lynn Lewandowski
saxophonePhotos
Music
Knife's Edge
From: RenderingsBy Karolina Strassmayer
Karolina Strassmayer
Instrument: Saxophone, alto
