34 Results for : improvisers

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    Literary Minstrelsy 1770-1830
    Literary Minstrelsy 1770-1830 - Minstrels and Improvisers in British Irish and American Literature: ab 69.49 €
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    The Practice of Musical Improvisation
    The Practice of Musical Improvisation - Dialogues with Contemporary Musical Improvisers: ab 32.49 €
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    The Practice of Musical Improvisation
    The Practice of Musical Improvisation - Dialogues with Contemporary Musical Improvisers: ab 32.49 €
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    • Price: 32.49 EUR excl. shipping
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    The Melodic Line
    Reverso is a transatlantic group of outstanding improvisers, equally at home in jazz and classical music. 'The Melodic Line', the group's second album, is set against the backdrop of Paris in the Années Folles and is inspired by the aesthetic of the composers of the Groupe des Six (Poulenc, Milhaud, Honegger, Auric, Tailleferre and Durey).
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    Schweben-Ay,But Can Ye?
    Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra
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    Aviary
    ABOUT AVIARY 'First albums shouldn't be this good.' - Bill Meyer (DownBeat) 'An auspicious debut. This saxophonist promises great things in the future.' - Mark Corroto (All About Jazz) 'Mazzarella's impressive debut album, Aviary, was cut by his nimble, briskly swinging working trio with bassist Anton Hatwich and drummer Frank Rosaly. I like that Aviary is a modest recording, concise and direct. The performances are shorter than this spunky group's usual live renditions of the same material, so that the album runs a satisfying 30 minutes - and throughout you can hear Mazzarella's burning drive to convey the essence of his music simply, with no bells or whistles.' - Peter Margasak (Chicago Reader) ABOUT NICK MAZZARELLA Alto saxophonist and composer Nick Mazzarella has been a participant in Chicago's jazz, free jazz, improvised music, and rock scenes as a bandleader, sideman, and presenter since 2002. After completing his formal music education at DePaul University (Bachelor of Music 2006, Master of Music 2009), he began performing regularly with his own groups and with projects led by his peers at venues throughout the city and the United States. His efforts have been especially concentrated around the activities of his primary working band, the Nick Mazzarella Trio, the musician and presenter collective Umbrella Music, the multi-disciplined Everypeople Workshop, and the grass roots effort to establish a new haven on the south side of Chicago for free jazz, the Ratchet Series. Equally at home in the worlds of the traditional and the avant-garde, Mazzarella maintains a continuous performance schedule encompassing a variety of musical contexts, but focuses the majority of his energies on the areas of composition-based free jazz and free form improvisation. Through his work in these stylistic mediums, Mazzarella has established himself as a distinct voice within the second post-Vandermark generation of Chicago improvisers, the so-called 'new blood' of that unique lineage. Mazzarella has performed as a sideman in bands led by Frank Rosaly (Green and Gold), Jaimie Branch (Bomb Shelter), Jake Vinsel (Horse-Fire), Jason Ajemian (Magic Bone), Joe Adamik (Joe Adamik Quartet), Keefe Jackson (Project Project), Mikel Avery (Everypeople Workshop), and Rob Mazurek (Exploding Star Orchestra). He has also worked on an individual basis with such musicians as Anton Hatwich, Cameron Pfiffner, Dave Rempis, Devin Davis, Devin Hoff, Dylan Ryan, Fredrik Ljungkvist, Guillermo Gregorio, James Falzone, Jason Adasiewicz, Jason Roebke, Jason Stein, Jeb Bishop, Jim Baker, Josh Berman, Joshua Abrams, Matt Schneider, Marc Riordan, Mars Williams, Mike Reed, Nate Lepine, Nick Broste, Nicole Mitchell, Quin Kirchner, Steve Hunt, Tim Daisy, and Tomeka Reid. Mazzarella is a curator of the Ratchet Series in residence at the Skylark in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood. The series was founded in 2007 by drummer Frank Rosaly, with whom Mazzarella has worked on the project since 2009, with the aim of providing musicians of diverse styles and approaches within the genres of free jazz and improvised and experimental music with a weekly performance opportunity. By organizing these concert events Mazzarella, Rosaly, and bassist Anton Hatwich, who joined the effort in 2011, strive to foster a community that supports musicians on Chicago's south side.
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    4/4 Tet
    4/4 Tet features original improvisational compositions by cellist Gil Selinger. Drawing heavily from romantic classical influences as well as a wide variety of other sources this CD features 7 new pieces for cello quartet and 2 for solo cello. 'classical improvisation' is a still relatively unknown style of music. There are very few involved in it, since it really requires all the knowledge and discipline of traditional classical performance practice, and also requires a fluidity with improv usually only associated with jazz and it's related styles. On this CD, cellist Gil Selinger's second as a leader, we enter into the composers private world of compositional improv as all parts are overdubs and there is only one musician crafting all 4 parts for the cello quartets. There are elements of Shostakovich, Ives, Prokofiev, Brahms, Mahler, Beethoven, Mozart as well as downtown improvisers - many which Gil has worked with such as Daniel Carter, Eric Eigner, Francois Grillot, Assif Tsahar, Marilyn Crispell, Walter Thompson, etc... This music is a fusion of all these styles and sounds funnelled back through a 19th century romantic vision. Some of the tracks can be thought of in terms of 'program' music - music which attempts to tell a story through the use of common devices which is still very popular in today's film music.
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    Naima
    "...chamber jazz has found it's queen in Meg Okura." - Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz "Okura has made a bold statement with Naima, ensuring her place among the top names playing chamber jazz."- Jon Neudorf, Sea of Tranquility "A confident collection of chamber jazz that is wide in scope and deep in feeling...features outstanding solos by Okura." "Meg Okura offers a clear sense of vision of her world of music. Okura's Naima goes to many places, speaks in many voices, and is often rich with surprises and admirable in it's aspirations." - Mark Hayes, EJazz News "...(Meg Okura ) is equally comfortable playing classical chamber music, rock and everything in between." - Stephen Holden, The New York Times "Ms. Okura's vibrant, Eastern-influenced, jazzy score and the playing of her musicians were the most sophisticated parts of the work" - Roslyn Sulcas, The New York Times "... (some of) the best jazz New York has to offer." - Elliot Simon, All About Jazz '... mixes a classically trained mastery of strings, piano and drums with quick-witted compositional twist performed with high energy.' - Jennifer Odell, Down Beat Magazine "The group delivers exactly what it's name promises... The group found a common ground in '60s-style modality, occasionally reminiscent of John Coltrane and McCoy Tyner's Eastern explorations." - Will Friedwald, The New York Sun "...elegantly intertwine(s) elements of classical, jazz and world folk into a new sound...by presenting precisely played ethnically inspired Playing everything from Paganini to Coltrane, violin virtuoso Meg Okura puts a certain sparkle into jazz. Formerly a classically trained concert violinist, the composer and jazz violinist has revolutionized the world of chamber jazz by artfully entwining her already colorful and moving pieces with inspirations from various cultures and countries to create a purely enchanting experience. Born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, the multi-faceted artist cultivated her musical talent at the Toho Gakuen School of Music at the age of five. Meg's artistic ability later led to her position as concertmaster and soloist of Asian Youth Orchestra, and eventually her United States debut with the late Alexander Schneider's New York String Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in her teenage years. She furthered her education at the Julliard School, earning both bachelors and masters degree in the study of classical violin. Soon, persuaded by her Juilliard professors' belief in her exceptional talent, Meg began to pursue a transition from the classical violin to something even more challenging-jazz. Studying jazz harmony and improvisation, Meg dedicated herself to mastering the tradition of jazz and soon, with her switch of genres and evolution into what she explains as "a more complete musician", Meg began to advance her career as a jazz violinist. Touring with artists such as 13-time Grammy winner Michael Brecker and Steve Swallow, and recording with jazz artists Dianne Reeves, Lee Konitz, and Sam Newsome, Meg has performed at prominent venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, the Lincoln Center, and London's Barbican Centre. In addition, she has collaborated and performed with Oscar nominee actor and Columbia recording artist Terrence Howard, as well as been featured in three Cirque du Soleil shows, exhibiting her remarkable talent as an improviser on the violin. In 2005, however, Meg embarked on a journey unlike one she had ever endured, challenging herself as both a violinist and composer, and starting her own group. Inspired by her experience in the various countries that comprise Asia, Meg composed and recorded a compilation of music that would soon lead to the birth of her latest project, the Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble. The works she composed comprised the seven-person ensemble's self-titled debut album, which won the group notoriety as a finalist for "Best Album" in the 2006 Independent Musicians Awards, and have made the Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble the rare gem of the jazz world. "Composing is the most natural thing for me to do-it's as though music just comes to me. Sometimes I can be composing complicated music in my dreams and thanks to my perfect pitch, I can hear music in my head and know exactly what notes I am hearing and can write them down," says Meg. The ensemble, which "mixes a classically trained mastery of strings, piano and drums with (a) quick-witted compositional twist" (Down Beat Magazine, Jennifer Odell), played to sold-out concerts in Japan in 2008 and has also performed at the NYC Winter Jazz Festival, Knitting Factory, and the Kaplan Penthouse at Lincoln Center. Now, Meg's Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble presents their second album, "Naima", named as a tribute to jazz icon John Coltrane, highlighting Meg's unique new arrangement of the classic. "The first album was the music that came naturally to me without any objective. This album is...more Asian, more jazz, and more chamber music. Touring Asia as a teen was really a life-changing experience, making music with musicians representing nine different Asian countries, working closely together and traveling together. I draw upon my memories of Asia and try to access my feelings toward the people, the culture, and the nature and sceneries of Asia (for inspiration)," Meg says. Featuring rare instruments the shinobue (Japanese bamboo flute) and the erhu (a two-stringed Chinese violin), which Meg plays in addition to the violin, the album is a "collection of original works that represent and symbolize the name of (the) group." The ensemble "...elegantly intertwine(s) elements of classical, jazz and world folk into a new sound...by presenting precisely played ethnically inspired original compositions in an exciting modern jazz context" (All About Jazz, Elliot Simon). This unique approach to music has earned her numerous grants and awards as a composer, making her to be one of today's leading voices in the world chamber jazz. Yet, Meg also offers two familiar tunes including the title cut "Naima." "The modal quality of Coltrane's 'Naima' echoes with the music of French Impressionist period," she says. In this unique new version, she creates fluidity in texture and colors by writing arpeggios moving towards different directions while slowly shifting the chords to encompass stillness within movements. "It's an Impressionist violin concerto meets modern Jazz with a hint of Japanese mode", Meg says. The other familiar piece on the album "Carpice", on the other hand, is a Latin jazz piece based on a theme from the famous Caprice No. 24 by the Italian composer and violinist, Nicolo Paganini. It features virtuosic cadenzas by Meg Okura herself and pianist Mamiko Kitaura. The album ends with a 25-minute through-composed suite entitled "Lu Chai"--music inspired by a poem of the same title by Wang Wei, a great poet from the Chinese Tang Dynasty. "To play chamber jazz, most, if not all of the players in the group must be jazz improvisers," Meg says. The suite showcases variety of solos including one by the veteran jazz flutist, Anne Drummond, as well as solos on instruments not typically associated with jazz, such as the cello and even the erhu. Today, Meg resides in New York City with her husband, soprano saxophonist Sam Newsome, and says she is living her life, fulfilling her dreams and relishing every day in new understandings and identity. "I take to heart the new challenges of being a composer, jazz violinist, Asian American, artist and wife, while at the same time, constantly reminding myself of the responsibility to do my absolute best to achieve foremost excellence in the arts..." Meg Okura (violin, erhu), Anne Drummond (flute), Jun Kubo (flute, shinobue), Rubin Kodheli (cello), Mamiko Kitaura (piano), Jennifer Vincent (bass), Willard Dyson (drums), Satoshi Takeishi (percussion), Dave Eggar (cello)
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    Firefly
    'Firefly' is a daring album created by singer/songwriter Ashleigh Still and electric bassist Nick Salisbury. Abandoning conventional group formats, the duo recorded eight original songs and one cover with the unusual combination of only voice and electric bass. The minimalist approach is startlingly effective, allowing Still's intimate and mesmerizing vocals and sexy yet tender songwriting to take center stage. Without guitar, keys, percussion or programming, the arrangements are bare and yet complete, Salisbury's bass evoking everything from Fender Rhodes to a gentle blues guitar arrangement. "Firefly" is a debut album unlike any other. 'Firefly' CD Review, City Pages - Minneapolis/St. Paul: By Jeff Gage Wednesday, Apr 28 2010 Firefly, the debut album from local singer Ashleigh Still, is a work of subtle charms and private revelations. It's nine songs clock in at barely a half-hour, adding up to a collection of hushed ruminations delivered with such understatement that the music often feels as though it's about to wilt away. Within the fragility of Still's breathy performances, her friskiness reveals an inner strength and playfulness that belie the vulnerabilities she so openly puts on display. Still's soulful voice takes center stage on Firefly and she uses it to shade the songs' explorations of herself and her relationships. A single mother of two who was raised in a strict Presbyterian household, Still has a desperate desire for happiness and independence without the complication of commitment that leads to contradictory consequences. As demonstrated by songs like 'Good Time' and 'Just a Girl,' such hopes are tinged by the tendency to inadvertently grow attached to and be hurt by others, so the grace with which Still accepts these realities adds an almost tragic emotional heft to her convictions. The interplay between Still's vocals and Nick Salisbury's bass adds a sensual tension to Firefly. Salisbury's rippling textures blend intuitively with Still's vocals, the pair's warm, interlocking tones drawing the listener in closely as if to reveal a carefully guarded secret or make a romantic advance. At times the chemistry is such that Salisbury virtually finishes Still's sentences, and on 'Too Bad' the outburst of his dissonant, unhinged bass line contrasts perfectly with her outward cool. Firefly's intimacy is eventually suspended on the closing track, 'Creep.' Recorded live at the Dakota, the song finds Still laying her insecurities bare as she laments her physical and spiritual imperfections and longs to feel worthy of others. The audience's inclusion contrasts the song wonderfully from the rest of the album, not only in making her feelings public but also, thanks to the ovation she receives, offering the hope that Still knows better than to ever fall victim to her fears. CD review: Bass wraps vocals with musicality (Published May 27 2010) By: John Ziegler, Duluth News Tribune I've long admired outstanding bassists who can play the pivotal roles of both a solid foundation to whatever is layered over the top and a brilliant and melodic soloist who can match the frontline improvisers. From Victor Wooten to Ron Carter, from Les Claypool to Richard Davis, from John Pettitucci to Charles Mingus, these artists play a role not unlike a catcher in baseball: essential, often unsung, and not as glamorous as the singers and guitarists they back up. The most recent bassist I've come across in this category is Nick Salisbury who, with vocalist Ashleigh Still, demonstrates radar-like ears and superb technique on a brand-new disc called "Firefly." Fresh, innovative and entirely melodic, "Firefly" is just voice and bass. No additional instruments. Nothing to hide behind. Nothing to pad tunes with lengthy solos. No overly complex arrangements. It's just voice and bass. That takes courage and musicality. Still wrote virtually all the material (there's a bonus cover of Thom "Radiohead" Yorke's "Creep" as a hidden track), and it is very creative. Topics center on love (or the lack of it) and people (both real and imagined) and what they've meant to her through her life. She delivers her text with a tantalizingly expressive voice and good range. But even a quick listen will give evidence to Salisbury's quixotic bass figures and liquid lines under vocals that wrap around those words like a braided chain. Salisbury has taken the tunes and single-handedly created little bass symphonies distinct from one another that complement the voice and propel the tunes from beginning to end. On "Hey There," Still sounds like she's paying tribute to the late Hank Williams: "Hey there, good looking, whatcha doin' later? How's about a little somethin' somethin' with me." Salisbury's use of double-stops cunningly navigates the changes and his ride echoes the melody inscrutably. The title track begins with bass figures that remind me of Michael Mannring's fretless sound. Sleek legato lines elliptically create a mood before Still enters with a quietness that accentuates her look through lovesick eyes at a shining little creature that lights up the night. "She's A Good Time" shows that this duo can rock, even if in an understated style. "Too Bad" is a strutty little gem with some bass distortion giving the tune it's atmosphere. "I Remember You Well" is a clip-cloppy tale with reminiscences of someone Still wants to "run away (from) before I fall completely over the edge." Yorke's "Creep" is so different than Still's own writing - with it's references to being a "weirdo" and "I don't belong here" - that it's at odds with the rest of the disc but helps present a slightly fuller picture of this duo's possibilities. They met at an open-mic night at a club called Plums in St. Paul. Still was playing guitar as a solo and Salisbury sat in on a tune that was in the works. They've been a duo ever since. "Firefly" is deceptively well-crafted. The stripped-down arrangements are it's strength. Supple vocals, engaging lyrics and magically dexterous bass lines coalesce into something much greater than the sum of the individual parts. They come to town Friday night, check out the disc and the gig if you can. John Ziegler has worked in the music industry for 36 years as a radio host, interviewer, record producer and professional musician. Minneapolis Music Journalist Jim Walsh has this to say about Ashleigh Still: 'I've taken to introducing Ashleigh Still as "the Eva Cassidy of Woodbury," because her soul - even more so than her stunning voice - recalls the late great D.C.-area thrush's depth of feeling. Which is to say that Ashleigh sings from a deep place informed by her hardscrabble experience as a gospel-trained, church-raised single mother of two whose fashion photos could grace the cover of either "Bust" or "Glamour." (When asked how she knows so much about men, she recently said, "I don't! It's all imagination...") But beyond her outer beauty and the wisdom that comes from the day-to-day struggle of making a living for her and her kids, there is an inner flame that burns brightly and has something to say, something about what it's like to be a woman trying to dig out from the conformity of society, religion, and family. In that sense, Ashleigh also reminds me of Anne Sexton and Billie Holiday. Like those two express-myself-or-die classic talents, she manages to stop time when she opens her mouth/heart, and we're all the richer for it.' --Jim Walsh '....like the marriage of Ani di Franco and Carole King.' --A Stranger (who should've been kissed on the mouth)
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    Discordia Concors
    Quasimodal is a trio featuring Sweeney Schragg on guitar, Pete Novembre on upright and hand-held basses, and Chris Haskett on drums, all intrepid improvisers. The group's tunes, all composed by Sweeney Schragg, range in style from Count Basie swing to '60s modal jazz to modern jazz rock, and the trio incorporate straight-ahead, shuffle, second-line, and Latin rhythms.
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    • Price: 24.46 EUR excl. shipping

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