Drummer on the hunt: five albums of drummers-leaders according to professionals
Most of the musicians ‘ jokes are about drummers and bassists. The rhythm section is an eternal source for exercises in homegrown humor. Themselves they-guys, typically, silent and calm (although very powerful physically). They don’t go anywhere. They are content with brief solos. But when the bass player or drummer is the leader, something out of the ordinary happens.
How to start getting acquainted with the projects of drummers-leaders? I asked famous Moscow drummers-professionals to name their favorite albums, and everyone, by the way, made a reservation: I don’t listen to drums, I listen to music. I also listened to their professional recommendations. Continue reading
Ides of March: 6 new classical music albums
Classics don’t die because they are played all the time. And they play it because it is a classic. Iron logic. But in fact, each generation finds something of its own in the works known to the last note. At the same time, interpretations may differ radically even for one performer. At the beginning of winter, a number of interesting recordings appeared, both of young musicians and luminaries, who throughout their lives comprehended a certain work.
Seiji Ozawa, The Tokyo Opera Singers, Mito Chamber Orchestra “Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 ” the Last sentence is, of course, about Seiji Ozawa, an outstanding Japanese conductor who made another recording of Beethoven’s textbook Ninth Symphony. Continue reading
All sorts of art: five new jazz albums with interesting themes
Jazz recording met the spring with a regrouping of forces. Projects come out with unexpected concepts that don’t seem to have anything to do with music. New interesting supergroups appear, while the old ones shake up the line-UPS, revise their views, and simply do not stand still. Like March snow.
Jeremy Pelt “Jeremy Pelt the Artist”Portrait of a musician as an artist is a concept album by trumpeter Jeremy Pelt. Who was also a lover of all sorts of plastic arts-wrote “Rodin Suite”, in honor of, of course, Auguste Rodin. Continue reading
In dark alleys: five new jazz albums
April is full of the intoxicating spirit of renewal. And it happens every year. And, thank God, for more than a hundred years, new jazz albums have been released at this time. April 19 of the XXI century is the return from oblivion of legendary figures, a bold experiment in a difficult duet format and something almost impossible-a solo album on a non-isolating instrument. As well as a lot of interesting author’s compositions. A hundred years ago, probably none of this collection would have been labeled “jazz” (or “jass” as the word was then spelled), but so what?
Larry Grenadier “the Gleaners” double bass Solo albums are not released every day. Here is in direct sense — solo, without other instruments at all! Even solo double bass pieces are rare, let alone entire programs. Continue reading
Music video: five new recordings of the classics
There is, perhaps, nothing more depressing than a textbook work played stupidly on the notes with only one concern — not to mess up. As there is nothing more dreary than a modern work whose purpose is to shock the stupid public. But this, fortunately, in the modern classical record industry is not so much. All labels and artists want to come up with something new, familiar, smart, entertaining, soothing and driving at the same time. It is simply amazing how often you manage to complete this impossible task, and-with brilliance! We present an overview of those who particularly impressed us in the middle of this spring. Continue reading