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Toots Thielemans: European Quartet Live
by Raul d'Gama Rose
Miles Davis never liked the use of the term legend," to describe a living musician, but perhaps an exception ought to be made in the case of Toots Thielemans, who ranks with the great Larry Adler as one of the greatest harmonica players, one for whom music has specially been composed. On ˂em˃Live˂/em˃, together with his ...
John Burnett Orchestra: Down For Double
by Nic Jones
The John Burnett Orchestra is a formidable swing band because, while there's undoubted reverence in their evocations of the era, that reverence is tempered by sparks of originality. Indeed, the tight-but-loose thing which summarizes its collective sound is now pretty hard to come by, which makes this release a cause for celebration. When ...
Michiyo Yagi / Elliott Sharp: Reflexions
by Eyal Hareuveni
Tokyo-based koto player Michiyo Yagi and New York-based guitarist/composer Elliott Sharp have been collaborating since the mid-nineties. Yagi, during her tenure as visiting professor of music at Wesleyan University, was looking for role models who transform the conventions of their instruments, experimenting with sound and musical forms. Sharp was one of these mavericks that Yagi was ...
Trio Mediaeval: A Worcester Ladymass
by John Kelman
Aside from the detour of Folk Songs (ECM, 2007)--which looked to the traditional music of its own country, Norway--Trio Mediaeval has focused primarily on sacred music, dating as far back as the 12th century but, equally, as contemporary as the current millennium, using mass material from England, France, Italy...even modern-day Korea. Trio Mediaeval performs medieval music ...
Julia Wedman: Biber - Mystery Sonatas
by C. Michael Bailey
Before Perlman, Mutter and Mullova were Grumiaux, Heifetz and Stern. Preceding them were Berwald, Spohr and Paganini, and prior to them were Benda, Cannabich and Stamitz. Predating those composers were Vivaldi, Corelli and Bach. And, finally, before all of them was Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber (1644-1704). Biber was the foremost violinist and composer for the violin ...
Daniel Lanois: Black Dub
by Nenad Georgievski
Not even a heavy motorcycle crash accident can prevent Daniel Lanois from doing what he does best, and better than most--making music or helping other people make music. He is simply bulletproof to whatever circumstances slap his face, be they bad or good. During his recovery period, after the intensive care following the accident, he produced ...
Van der Graaf Generator: A Grounding in Numbers
by John Kelman
When, in 2005, Van Der Graaf Generator released its first album in over 25 years, the reunited group proved it was not only possible to go back, but that it could be done without sacrificing forward-thinking modernity. Inconsistent, perhaps, but Present (Charisma/Virgin) demonstrated, with Every Bloody Emperor," a group still capable of soaring majesty and nightmare-inducing ...
Vijay Iyer: Tirtha
by Mark F. Turner
A confluence of ideas is encountered in the kinetic and unusual Tirtha, featuring three South Asian luminaries: the critically acclaimed jazz pianist Vijay Iyer; and his equally accomplished trio-mates, guitarist/composer Prasanna, and tablaist Nitin Mitta. Iyer formed the band in 2007 when asked to put together a concert celebrating 60 years of Indian independence. The title ...
Sammy Nestico and the SWR Big Band: Fun Time and More Live
by C. Michael Bailey
Big band jazz has evolved into its own avant-garde art form, where the arrangements have become progressively more complex and cerebral. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but it does make for a different type of big band listening experience. Modern big band jazz, in some quarters, has veered off into a non-swinging, Stan ...
Hristo Vitchev Quintet: The Perperikon Suite
by Dan Bilawsky
While Bulgaria and the Monterey Peninsula are worlds apart, culturally and geographically speaking, guitarist Hristo Vitchev successfully reconciled these differences in September of 2010. Vitchev, a Bulgarian-born guitarist living in the San Francisco Bay area, premiered his seven-movement Perperikon Suite at the 53rd Monterey Jazz Festival, and presents this music in stunning fashion on this recording. ...


