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Results for "Glenn Astarita"
Mary Halvorson - Michael Formanek - Tomas Fujiwara: Thumbscrew
by Glenn Astarita
Kindred musical spirits unite on this composers' cooperative, featuring three musicians who have been forerunners and antagonists of new-fangled directions in the avant-garde jazz spectrum, other than ripping into customary modern jazz fare with a vengeance. The artists' divergent discographies offer a worldly testament to these aspects, besides their work as first-call session aces. With Michael ...
Cakewalk: Transfixed
by Glenn Astarita
The Scandinavian band ignites memories of early, unconventional space rock explorers Can and Faust, but integrate a neo-psychedelic imprint with their second album for Norway-based, Hubro Records. Here, the musicians navigate through murky passages and flights of fancy via Stephan Meidell's steely electric guitar permutations and Oystein Skar's poignant electronic effects textures atop drummer Ivar Loe ...
Portnoy - Sheehan - Macalpine - Sherinian: Live In Tokyo
by Glenn Astarita
This 2-CD set highlights the progressive rock super-group's performance at a Tokyo venue in 2012. The material is culled from the respective artists' songbooks, yet their prior collaborations in various ensembles also signify a nucleus for modern prog-rock fare. As one would anticipate, sparks are flying all over the place via a high-velocity and impacting program ...
The Ocular Concern: Sister Cities
by Glenn Astarita
Sister Cities is entrancingly concocted by this Portland, OR. band led by keyboardist Andrew Oliver and guitarist Dan Duval. The primary focal point is the five-part Sister Cities Suite," abetted by a three-piece strings section, where the musicians frame the inspiring factors of a globalized 21st century, somehow affiliated with, or corresponding to the names of ...
2° ‘etage: Grey Matter
by Glenn Astarita
The album liners disclose that 2° 'etage improvises with the panache of storytellers, painters and poets. Starkly expressive, the program is sculpted with a mindset that parlays the old adage, let the chips fall where they may," largely framed on airy dialogues, minimalism and unorthodox soundscapes. They work from a platform, consisting of fractured passages and ...
Agusti Fernandez - Barry Guy - Ramon Lopez: A Moment's Liberty
by Glenn Astarita
The powerhouse international trio's third effort radiates an uncanny, or perhaps uncommon framework combining beauty--due to Agusti Fernandez's lyrically rich and gorgeous statements--coupled with power and free-form elaborations. For instance, on the 18-minute opener A Moment's Liberty," Fernandez opens with solitary phrasings via lush balladry while transmitting a sense of loneliness until the band embarks on ...
David Krakauer: The Big Picture Featuring David Krakauer
by Glenn Astarita
It should come as no surprise that jazz musicians often spin some newfangled slants on compositions culled from Broadway theatrics and film. Other than renowned clarinetist David Krakauer's solo excursions for various record labels, his longtime affiliation with composer, saxophonist John Zorn, for a host of jazz- klezmer, and outside-the-box undertakings, bring quite a bit to ...
Jeremy Pelt: Face Forward, Jeremy
by Glenn Astarita
Venerable trumpeter Jeremy Pelt takes another step out of the modern jazz schema, expanding upon Water and Earth (HighNote Records, 2013) with his young band by forging an acoustic- electric jazz wonderland, swarming with colorful fabrications and capacious sonic environs. Featuring works abetted with strings, electronics, vocals and free-flight jazz-based improvisations, the program is heightened by ...
Dhafer Youssef: Birds Requiem
by Glenn Astarita
Tunisian oud maestro Dhafer Youssef imparts a holistic world music vista, encompassing jazz, rock and spiritual inclinations while retaining the core Arabic modalities on the aurally picturesque Birds Requiem. And his chant-like, resonating vocals entwine mystical attributes with near-flawless control amid passages that induce an impression of sacred exchanges with a higher entity. Blending ...
Anton Schwartz: Flash Mob
by Glenn Astarita
While attending Harvard University, Anton Schwartz held down the first tenor saxophone chair in its jazz band, yet relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he became a significant jazz force, also serving as an educator and mentor. Flash Mob--which is perhaps his most robust album to date--denotes his fifth venture as a leader and ...


