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Results for "Hrayr Attarian"
Daniel Smith: Smokin' Hot Bassoon Blues
by Hrayr Attarian
It is rare that a jazz album comes with laugh out loud moments but bassoonist Daniel Smith's Smokin' Hot Bassoon Blues is full of them. Unfortunately these do not appear to be intentional humorous attempts merely risibly poor performances. This is a shame as Smith is both an accomplished musician and a jazz connoisseur ...
Marcos Pin: Duology Session 1
by Hrayr Attarian
Galician guitarist Marcos Pin is no stranger to ambitious projects. His Barbanza (Free Code Jazz Records, 2012) was a cinematic, expansive large ensemble work that fused modal jazz orchestration with his native musical heritage. His Duology is much more intimate yet no less challenging an undertaking. It will consist of ten separate sessions, each a duet ...
Shirazette Tinnin: Humility: Purity of My Soul
by Hrayr Attarian
Drummer Shirazette Tinnin's debut album Humility: Purity of My Soul is a solid and inventive soul-jazz date that showcases several facets of her talent. In addition to Tinnin's passionate yet subtle and sophisticated handling of her kit the disc demonstrates her compositional creativity and her deft leadership. Tinnin's boldly visceral beats create the stimulating ...
The Healing Power of Music: Can Jazz Repair a Damaged Brain? The case of trumpeter Louis Smith
by Hrayr Attarian
The title above is not an abstract statement or a philosophical question. Hence, what follows is not a speculative or metaphysical piece. It is an evaluation of the concrete, experimental data on the merits of music therapy in the treatment of brain injury, particularly one due to a stroke. A stroke or a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) ...
Ari Brown: Groove Awakening
by Hrayr Attarian
It is easy to think of saxophonist Ari Brown as the heir to the late, great Chicago tenorists Von Freeman and Fred Anderson but that would not be a fair assessment. Far more than a successor, Brown is the youngest and remaining member of a powerfully unique musical triumvirate. His idiosyncratic style is equally appropriate to ...
Camille Thurman: Origins
by Hrayr Attarian
Vocalist, multi-instrumentalist Camille Thurman is not just another girl singer accessorizing with a horn. She is a first class saxophonist that blows the proverbial roof off the place and an accomplished stylist who uses her vocal cords like she does her various woodwinds, with agility and sophistication. Her sophomore effort Origins is a testament ...
Mimi Jones: Balance
by Hrayr Attarian
Virtuoso bassist and superlative bandleader Mimi Jones' (AKA Miriam Sullivan) Balance is a delightful album filled with 79 minutes of engaging music. Despite the title, however, it is an unevenly structured work. The edgy, dramatic “The Incy Wincy Spider" for instance completely deconstructs the children's rhyme into an intriguing, darkly hued and haunting piece. ...
The Acoustic and the Electric: Hristo Vitchev and Joe DeRose
by Hrayr Attarian
Bay area guitarist Hristo Vitchev is a prolific and consummate musician. Capable of both deeply introspective lyricism and electrifyingly gregarious fervor, Vitchev, nevertheless, maintains his individuality and hi, easily recognizable, impressionistic style in all of his diverse engagements. Two records released in 2013 superbly showcase his adroitness in and adaptability to various musical situations.
Brian McCarthy: This Just In
by Hrayr Attarian
Jazz is not the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of Vermont but the state, despite its size, has had a long involvement with improvised music. Trumpeters Alan Shorter and Bill Dixon taught at Bennington College and guitarist Attila Zoller founded the Vermont Jazz Center in Brattleboro. In addition to having a small yet ...
Laurenzi-Ernst-Green: Sightline
by Hrayr Attarian
Chicago based trio Laurenzi-Ernst-Green's debut Sightline is an atmospheric album filled with intriguing patterns and exuberant and elegant spontaneity. An intimate mysticism imbues this collaborative effort of seven original compositions with a modal bent. Bassist Katie Ernst's wordless vocals hauntingly echo saxophonist Dustin Laurenzi's big toned tenor on the mesmerizing “Skoops," while her resonant ...
