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Results for "Hrayr Attarian"
Monome: Monome
by Hrayr Attarian
The Italian innovative jazz group Monome (not the be confused with Spanish rock band The Monomes) makes a reserved yet vigorous statement with its eponymous debut. The session comprises of seven, modal and atmospheric tracks that have strong, western classical influences. The collaborative trio opens the disc with “Scales"; an almost theatrical piece ...
Slumgum / Hugh Ragin: The Sky His Own
by Hrayr Attarian
Slumgum exhibits a sophisticated voice and thematic cohesiveness on this, its third release, The Sky His Own. These characteristics are a testament to this innovative Los Angeles-based quartet's camaraderie and shared ideology, as all members of the group, including guest cornetist Hugh Ragin, contribute unique compositions. Ragin's expansive “Silver Cornet News" starts off ...
Torben Waldorff: Wah-Wah
by Hrayr Attarian
Danish guitarist Torben Waldorff's sixth album as a leader is a collection of elegant, subtle and intensely melodic compositions that simultaneously sound innovative and accessible. Wah-Wah is also his first without a saxophonist, leaving him alone in the frontline. His, long and satisfying solos are often tinted in muted colors as his intricate improvisations remain within ...
Samo Salamon: Eleven Stories
by Hrayr Attarian
Slovenian guitarist Samo Šalamon has earned many accolades throughout his decade-long recording career; listening to Eleven Stories it is quite clear why. A fearless explorer of sonic landscapes, Šalamon and his trio of the past six years presents an exhilarating program of eleven elegiac tracks, each one a gem in its own right. ...
Michael Formanek: Small Places
by Hrayr Attarian
Bassist Michael Formanek's second release on ECM, Small Places, is an impassioned and gratifying album. Working with the same quartet as his first, The Rub and Spare Change (ECM, 2010), the music here has crystallized and matured further as the familiarity and camaraderie among the artists has grown. Although The Rub was freer ...
The Year of the Trio: Fred Hersch and Masabumi Kikuchi
by Hrayr Attarian
The grouping of piano, bass and drums is perhaps the most popular combo in jazz and hence 2012, like most years, has seen its share of sessions in that format. It is, however, not because of the quantity of the output but because of the issuance of two exceptional albums that it should be known as ...
The New Standard Quintet: The Many Faces
by Hrayr Attarian
There are certain features that are common among all types of jazz, not the least of which is creative spontaneity. The New Standard Quintet's The Many Faces demonstrates this unifying theme on the nine original that comprise the album. Saxophonist Ken Partyka and guitarist Pat Fleming, who also composed the tunes, co-lead the ...
Glawdys N’Dee: Lyannaj
by Hrayr Attarian
The term “world music" takes a new meaning with singer Glawdys N'Dee's debut, Lyannaj, which means to connect or unite in solidarity--and unite, she does. The Guadeloupean-born, Parisian-educated and Chicago-based N'Dee brings together, in three languages--Creole, French and English--various musical styles of the African Diaspora, from Caribbean rhythms to jazz, and from gospel to the blues. ...
Lou Marini: Starmaker
by Hrayr Attarian
Lou Marini's Starmaker is a reflection of the veteran reedman's professional life, with eight originals ranging from jazz, to blues and other related genres. Known by the moniker “Blue Lou," Marini has starred in the classic “The Blues Brothers" and has played with such diverse ensembles as Woody Herman's orchestra, Blood, Sweat and Tears, guitarist/composer Frank ...
Paul Kogut: Turn of Phrase
by Hrayr Attarian
What makes Paul Kogut's album Turn of Phrase unique is not his virtuosity or talent, of which he has plenty, but the singular mix of tight thematic cohesiveness and expansive aesthetic language. Kogut exhibits versatility without losing his own voice. On “Especially When It Rains," his cool, muscular jazzy guitar evolves into a ...
