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Bill Barner: Ten Tunes
by Hrayr Attarian
Variety is the theme of Bill Barner's plainly titled Ten Tunes. Although currently employed by a big band and small swing combos, Barner's career as reed man has spanned different genres, from free jazz and Indian raga and to bluegrass and klezmer, and the disc reflects that versatility, with the leader focusing exclusively on clarinet.
Patrick Battstone and Richard Poole: Mystic Nights
by Hrayr Attarian
Pianist Pat Battstone and vibraphonist Richard Poole's Mystic Nights follows a small but illustrious tradition duo recordings including Gary Burton and Chick Corea's Crystal Silence (ECM, 1972) and Visions (Steeplechase, 1979), from Sun Ra and Walt Dickerson. Also a pianist, Poole shows significant musical sympathy with Battstone who, having studied with Burton, also ...
Gianluigi Trovesi / Gianni Coscia: Frere Jacques - Round About Offenbach
by Hrayr Attarian
On their third duet album, the second dedicated to a single composer, clarinetist Gianluigi Trovesi and accordionist Gianni Coscia use original compositions as launching pads for their improvisational forays. Paying homage to Jacques Offenbach, Trovesi and Coscia preserve the often-overlooked German/French composer's humorous spirit, laced with satire in their interpretation of his work. ...
Hrayr Attarian's Best Releases of 2011
by Hrayr Attarian
Jazz is a distinctly American art form with a universal appeal. Rooted in African-American culture, its various branches cover almost every country on earth. For this year end list I have chosen nine albums by international jazz musicians that were released in 2011. Here they are, in alphabetical order. Amina Alaoui ...
Keith Jarrett: Rio
by Hrayr Attarian
Rio documents one of Keith Jarrett's improvised concerts for which the pianist is famous. Like most of his dozen or so such albums, the title refers to the location where it was recorded, but the similarity ends there, since the two-disc set is a very unique work. 36 years after his groundbreaking The ...
Larry Brown Jr.: There Can Only Be One
by Hrayr Attarian
Guitarist, composer and educator Larry Brown Jr's debut, There Can Only Be One, has both feet firmly planted in a rich musical past but remains a modern record in its delivery and execution. There are vague hints of Wes Montgomery and Kenny Burrell in his playing but his style is all his own, and these faint ...
Carol Morgan: Blue Glass Music
by Hrayr Attarian
Trumpeter Carol Morgan is an improviser par excellence, having literally written the book on it, and her style has matured fast over the course of five years and four albums. Blue Glass Music showcases the trumpeter's explorative solos, which are often edgy, like on “I Love You," complemented by Joel Frahm's bluesy tenor ...
Sophie Alour: Opus 3
by Hrayr Attarian
French saxophonist Sophie Alour's Opus 3 is not only her third album as a leader, it is also her first in a trio setting. The recipient of the French Django D'or award, Alour departs from the electric intensity of her previous release, Uncaged (Nocturne, 2007), to explore her voice as an instrumentalist. The 11 originals are ...
Ibrahim Maalouf: Diagnostic
by Hrayr Attarian
Much like his uncle, the celebrated author Amin Maalouf--who brought Levantine raconteur to the western novel--trumpeter/composer Ibrahim Maalouf infuses his jazz with Middle Eastern musicality. On Diagnostic--the last installment of a trilogy--Maalouf actually draws from many different sources to create a unique sound that remains definitely in the jazz tradition. The all-woman, Franco-Brazilian ...
New World Jazz Composers Octet: Breaking News
by Hrayr Attarian
Established in 2000, in the spirit of the Mingus Jazz Workshop, the New World Jazz Composer's Octet sounds more like an orchestra than a group of eight musicians. On its third release, Breaking News, the octet showcases six contemporary composers affiliated with the ensemble. The music is intricate and well-constructed, with hints of ...
