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Results for "Dan McClenaghan"
Ryan Slatko: First Impressions
by Dan McClenaghan
Pianist Ryan Slatko opens his debut disc, First Impressions, with a drum rumble that kicks into some two-sax harmony moving ahead on a slick momentum. It catches the ear with its concise polish. The tune: The Slako-penned “Green Ceiling." When Slatko slips into his solo--full of vitality and crisp new ideas--the flag goes up: an exciting ...
Stefano Travaglini: Ellipse
by Dan McClenaghan
Set up some studio time. Step into the studio. Sit down at the piano. Let your muse take you where she will. That's how pianist Stefano Travaglini rolled for the recording of Ellipse. Solo jazz piano, free improvisation especially, has proven itself over the years a difficult artist endeavor. Consider the modern masters: Keith ...
Vito Liturri: From Beyond
by Dan McClenaghan
Italian pianist Vito Liturri presents his sophomore CD release with From Beyond, a trio outing with a ten tune sequence that works almost as a suite. In fact, he tags the centerpiece, the four composition “From Beyond-Four Quadruple Suite." Part of the beauty and appeal of that suite, and the entire set, is the focus of ...
Gordon Hyland: NEVER DIE! by \\livingfossil//
by Dan McClenaghan
The debut disc Never Die, by the Toronto-based collective, \\living fossil//, opens with a reverberant industrial hum, a droning metallic guitar sound that announces a distinctive and compelling group aesthetic. Saxophonist Gordon Hyland is the ringleader, though that isn't not apparent from listening. He and his cohorts have created a distinctive approach of echoing saxophone--sometimes two ...
Hal Galper Quartet: Cubist
by Dan McClenaghan
Count pianist Hal Galper as another veteran rising like the brightest of stars into a compelling late career zenith. An alumni of saxophone great Phil Woods' 1980s group, Galper found his inspiration of late with an exploration of the Rubato Style of playing, with its flexible approach to tempo and the disassembling of melodies and putting ...
Kaze: Atody Man
by Dan McClenaghan
What was it drummer Art Blakey said about surviving in the tough, competitive business of being a jazz musician? Something along the lines of: “You're either busy appearing or you're busy disappearing." There might be something to this. Artists who release a recording every three or four years, or who tour sporadically, face the possibility of ...
Matteo Liberatore: Solos
by Dan McClenaghan
Matteo Liberatore presents, with Solos, an unorthodox exploration of the acoustic guitar. He brings to his artistry preparation modes that include alligator clips, metal springs, bass bow and a kick drum beater (and the bet here is a bunch more), constructing soundscapes architectures that are bold, metallic, industrial and almost always un-guitar-like. In the way of ...
Jamie Saft: Solo a Genova
by Dan McClenaghan
Pianist Jamie Saft's Solo A Genova is a revelation. It is, in an extensive discography, his only alone-in-the-piano-chair outing. Saft has made a wide-ranging mark in collaborations with Slobber Pup, Metallic Taste of Blood, The Spanish Donkey and Berserk! These group names don't say it all, but do probably say something (Brash? Unconventional? Loud?) about the ...
Satoko Fujii: Solo
by Dan McClenaghan
Any solo performance in any discipline--oration, gymnastics, stand-up comedy, music--walks a line between ho-hum and outstanding, between masterful and magnificent. For the pianist, the solo show offers a daunting challenge, and potentially the greatest reward. Japanese pianist Satoko Fujii takes the alone-at-the-keyboard challenge with the first disc in a proposed “one CD release ...
Justin Gray: New Horizons
by Dan McClenaghan
What's an artist to do if he can't find an established instrument to suit his musical needs. If you are bassist Justin Gray, you design and co-create one. It's called the Bass Veena, a a hybrid that combines the characteristics of the fretless bass and numerous Indian string instruments. New Horizons by Justin Gray ...
