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Melissa Pipe Sextet: Of What Remains
by Hrayr Attarian
On the enchanting Of What Remains, her debut as a leader, Canadian saxophonist and bassoonist Melissa Pipe delightfully blurs the boundaries between jazz and western classical music. Pipe leads a cohesive sextet on seven of her haunting originals, on the theme of time, and an arrangement of Estonian composer Tõnu Kõrvits' Puudutus." For instance, La Part Des Anges" opens with Pipe playing the main motif on her airy bassoon, with support from drummer Mili Hong's effervescent beats. After ...
read moreMelissa Pipe Sextet: Of What Remains
by Dan McClenaghan
Montreal-based multi-reedist Melissa Pipe's artistic vision is fully formed. Her debut recording, Of What Remains, features a sextet which explores darkness with deep tones--Pipe plays baritone sax and bassoon here--by delving into temporality, the shifting of time and being, via chamber music reveries and jazz grooves. Noir is a word which comes immediately to mind on the disc's opener, Complainte du vent," and its follow-up, La part des anges." a pair of somber tunes which may evoke a ...
read moreSebastian Bailey: Ensemble de Magnac
by Jim Olin
Quebec-based composer-saxophonist Sebastian Bailey is primarily focused on chamber jazz on his latest EP, and his innovative ear guides each track. Ensemble de Magnac summarizes Bailey's creative vision quite well, especially his ability to create a diverse and engaging soundscape. The music on this release has a classic sound and the production aesthetics are solid, highlighting the natural chemistry between these talented musicians. The record's spotlight on chamber jazz allows the line-up to create a thick sonic fabric ...
read moreSolon McDade: Murals
by Glenn Astarita
This is the debut release by ace Canadian bassist and Juno Award winner, Solon McDade. And it's a welcome surprise, to say the least. Think of classic small ensemble Prestige or Blue Note recordings with a modern uplift and state-of-the-art recording processes to conjure a good idea of the quintet's deportment and stylization. McDade is an impressive composer, demonstrated via these effervescent, buoyant and melodic works, to complement the quintet's first-rate musicianship and inimitable synergy. With bop phraseology, ...
read moreSolon McDade: Murals
by Anya Wassenberg
An inventive sense of composition characterizes Murals by Toronto-based jazz bassist and composer Solon McDade. As a composer, McDade possesses a dramatic sense of structure that is always multi-layered, and constantly shifting in mood and tone. He's A Problem In The Locker Room" intertwines tenor and alto sax over a driving drum and busy bass line. It's alternately dissonant and melodic, always rhythmic. The piano dances in, then bass and drums take their turn in an interesting and ...
read moreSolon McDade: Murals
by Dan McClenaghan
This all started with the washtub bass for Solon McDade, slipping into the switch to the more refined upright bass, and years of performance with the McDade Family Band, Canada's contribution to roots music. His career branched out and resulted in his playing bass on several recordings that won the coveted Juno Award, perhaps most notably with the Suzie Arioli Swing Band and The McDades. But roots music isn't his only game. Murals finds the composer/bassist embracing mainstream ...
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