Record companies, artists and publicists are invited to submit CDs to be considered for review. Send to: Jerry Bowles, Editor, Sequenza 21, 340 W. 57th Street, 12B, New York, NY 10019

Latest Posts

Aires de Sefarad: : 46 Spanish Songs for Violin and Guitar
Concerted Effort From Elliott Carter
A Surge of Percussion from Houston
New music from Daniel Lentz, Payton Macdonald and Melissa Hui
Carol Lian, Carol Lian Plays
George Crumb
Evan Johnson On the Record: The Man You Love to Hate
morton feldman: complete violin/viola and piano works
Davidovsky: People and Machines
Orchestral Potpourri

Record companies, artists and publicists are invited to submit CDs to be considered for our Editor's Pick's of the month. Send to: Jerry Bowles, Editor, Sequenza 21, 340 W. 57th Street, 12B, New York, NY 10019


Archives
Saturday, December 18, 2004 Saturday, December 25, 2004 Friday, December 31, 2004 Wednesday, January 05, 2005 Monday, January 10, 2005 Thursday, January 13, 2005 Thursday, January 20, 2005 Sunday, January 23, 2005 Monday, January 24, 2005 Saturday, January 29, 2005 Wednesday, February 02, 2005 Thursday, February 03, 2005 Monday, February 07, 2005 Tuesday, February 08, 2005 Friday, February 11, 2005 Monday, February 14, 2005 Wednesday, February 16, 2005 Tuesday, February 22, 2005 Monday, February 28, 2005 Sunday, March 06, 2005 Monday, March 07, 2005 Wednesday, March 09, 2005 Sunday, March 13, 2005 Friday, March 18, 2005 Monday, March 28, 2005 Saturday, April 02, 2005 Monday, April 11, 2005 Sunday, April 17, 2005 Tuesday, April 19, 2005 Monday, April 25, 2005 Monday, May 02, 2005 Monday, May 09, 2005 Tuesday, May 17, 2005 Tuesday, May 31, 2005 Monday, June 06, 2005 Thursday, June 16, 2005 Sunday, June 19, 2005 Sunday, July 10, 2005 Wednesday, July 13, 2005 Sunday, July 24, 2005 Friday, July 29, 2005 Monday, August 08, 2005 Monday, August 22, 2005 Wednesday, August 24, 2005 Friday, September 16, 2005 Sunday, September 25, 2005 Tuesday, October 04, 2005 Tuesday, October 18, 2005 Monday, October 24, 2005 Tuesday, November 01, 2005 Monday, November 07, 2005 Saturday, November 12, 2005 Wednesday, November 16, 2005 Tuesday, November 29, 2005 Friday, December 16, 2005 Monday, January 09, 2006 Thursday, January 12, 2006 Thursday, January 19, 2006 Tuesday, January 24, 2006 Thursday, February 02, 2006 Monday, February 13, 2006 Wednesday, February 15, 2006 Wednesday, March 01, 2006 Sunday, March 19, 2006 Sunday, March 26, 2006 Friday, March 31, 2006 Sunday, April 09, 2006 Monday, April 10, 2006 Thursday, April 20, 2006 Friday, April 21, 2006 Thursday, May 11, 2006 Thursday, May 18, 2006 Saturday, May 20, 2006 Friday, June 02, 2006 Tuesday, June 06, 2006 Friday, June 16, 2006 Monday, June 19, 2006 Sunday, June 25, 2006 Monday, June 26, 2006 Monday, July 10, 2006 Thursday, July 13, 2006 Thursday, July 20, 2006 Friday, July 21, 2006 Sunday, July 23, 2006 Thursday, August 03, 2006 Wednesday, August 09, 2006


Powered by Blogger

Monday, April 10, 2006
Extended and Out There
The Sound According to John
John Belcher
Abdul Mateen, Alioune Cissoko, Bolu Fatunmise, Dorothy Jungels, Phil Stalworth and instruments/sounds
Innova Records

This CD is not for everyone. At the same time, it is diverse enough to appeal to a wide range of people. There are elements of Reich's early voice phase pieces (Come Out, It's Gonna Rain that grabbed someone with my fondness of minimalism. There are elements of Meredith Monk's innovative vocal writing, which also grabbed me since I like many of her works. Some things sounded like a gamelan, even resembling Cage's early prepared piano pieces (and yes, I like these as well). Finally, the album closes with a tape recorded sound collage, not quite to the level of some of Charlemagne Palestine's more recent work, but still something different.

It's hard to summarize what this album consists of, except that a unifying element is that of rhythm and spontaneity. Is it original? Probably not. But who cares? It is certainly a breath of fresh air, and an album that many people will find something to really listen to over and over.


Duos
Ellen Burr
Ellen Burr, Sara Schoenbeck, Andrew Pask, Jeanette Kangas, Steuart Liebig
pfMENTUM

If you really like extended wind techniques (multiphonics, growling, etc.), then this album would appeal to you. Each work on this CD is for either one or two wind instruments, at times combined with percussion. There is a good deal of improvisation involved, and the performers are clearly dedicated and talented. Burr is a flautist and has worked with both John Cage and Jean-Pierre Rampal in the past.

I found it challenging to listen to this album. A lot of it reminded me of many other works involving extended wind techniques that have come and gone over the decades (e.g. Riding the Wind by Harvey Sollberger). The strongest moments on this CD, to my ears, come when the winds are used melodically (as with the third piece on the CD, Permutations '62), rather than combined with a host of effects. I wish I could have gotten into the album more than I did, even after repeated listening. But it didn't grab me, although it almost certainly will find people who do "get it." It just wasn't my taste, and that isn't a reflection on the composer and her fellow performers.

 



Search WWWSearch www.sequenza21.com