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Jamie Ruben: Groove-O-Ly-O-Scene
by Hrayr Attarian
Canadian composer/guitarist Jamie Ruben's debut, Groove-O-Ly-O-Scene, is a very atmospheric affair, but its stylistic intricacies are not at the expense of substance. Although the opener, “AQ Giraffe," is short on improvisation, its almost Hawaiian-sounding heavy groove serves as a good introduction that sets the theme for the rest of the record. The lazy nocturnesque “Pennapa," on ...
Ken Silverman Septet: From Emptiness
by Hrayr Attarian
Guitarist/oudist/composer Ken Silverman's From Emptiness is an overtly theatrical and intensely spiritual work. From the abstract, Zen-like, black and white cover art to the chanting of the Buddhist Monk and Sanshin player Kossan that opens and closes the record, the profound spirituality of the music is quite apparent. The titles of the tunes ...
On Blind Tom, Essence of Creativity, Autism and Jazz
by Hrayr Attarian
It is safe to assume, that today, Blind Tom Wiggins (AKA Bethune) is not a household name. In the mid to late 19th century, and into the first decade of the 20th, however, Blind Tom was a phenomenon who some named the Eighth Wonder. Although no contemporary physician made the actual diagnosis of autism, it is ...
Brian Landrus: Traverse
by Hrayr Attarian
Saxophonist/composer Brian Landrus' Traverse is a mature, cohesive and intensely personal musical opus that reflects his various influences. Although adept at playing multiple reed instruments. Landrus is best-known for being a baritone saxophonist, an instrument he mostly sticks, along with some bass clarinet, with on this, his third CD. His creative and personal ...
Wayne Wallace: To Hear From There
by Hrayr Attarian
San Francisco-area trombonist Wayne Wallace is known for his Grammy-nominated forays into Afro-Cuban music, and on the surface, To Hear From There is another Latin jazz album. But mixed with the danceable, percussion-heavy rhythms and exuberant melodies, with a touch of melancholy, are complex, improvised solos that would delight even a jazz purist. ...
Marbin: Breaking the Cycle
by Hrayr Attarian
Marbin's sophomore album Breaking the Cycle is very different than its eponymous debut. Gone is the Zen-like, expansive but quiet sound, in favor of a cinematic quality with intensely complex tunes full of color and texture. The lineup has also expanded from the duo of guitarist Dani Rabin and saxophonist Danny Markovitch to include bassist Steve ...
All Jazzed Up: Looking for a Jazz Center Within the Folds of the Brain
by Hrayr Attarian
Music is a universal phenomenon across all human cultures both past and present. In that respect it is much like language, and as the understanding of language comes naturally to humans, so, too, does appreciation of music. Language has been mapped to distinct areas of the brain for well over a century, and relatively recently there ...
Hrayr Attarian's Best Releases of 2010: Female Instrumentalists
by Hrayr Attarian
More experienced editors before me have already posted their best choices for this past year. Instead of adding yet another list of some of the same, I would like to take a slightly different approach. Here are my top 10 picks for 2010, by female jazz instrumentalists: Mary Halvorson QuintetSaturn Sings
DeBrunner / Silverman / Carter / Zlabinger: Macroscopia
by Hrayr Attarian
The theme of Macroscopia is the universality of music, expressed as group improvisation by four superlative musicians. The quartet includes classically trained bassoonist Claire DeBrunner, an alumna of the Lennie Tristano school of free jazz via her mentors Lee Konitz and Connie Crothers}}; guitarist/percussionist Ken Silverman, who is heavily influenced by world music; reedman and trumpeter ...
Sebastian Liedke: To Walk In The Past
by Hrayr Attarian
One of the enduring allures of the piano trio is the intimacy it creates, something that German bassist/composer Sebastian Liedke does superbly on his debut, To Walk in the Past. The record consists of 10 modal sonatas with rich texture, painted in dark sounds and lush tones. Eight are composed by Liedke, and ...
