News From 5 Marz 2016

This performance of the fiery Fantasy in G minor for violin and orchestra, Op. 24, of Josef Suk, with violinist Christan Tetzlaff catching the full impact of the irregular form with its dramatic opening giving out into a set of variations, is impressive. And Tetzlaff delivers pure warm melody in the popular Romance in F minor, Op. 11, of Dvorák. But the real reason to acquire this beautifully recorded Ondine release is the performance of the Dvorák Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 53, a work of which there are plenty of recordings, but that has always played second fiddle (if you will) to the Brahms concerto. Tetzlaff and the Helsinki Philharmonic under John Storgårds create a distinctive and absorbing version that can stand with the great Czech recordings of the work. Sample anywhere, but especially the slow movement, where Tetzlaff's precise yet rich sound, reminiscent for those of a certain age of Henryk Szeryng, forms a striking contrast with Storgårds' glassy Nordic strings. In both outer movements as well, Tetzlaff delivers a warm yet controlled performance that is made to stand out sharply.

Monomyth, unleashed from The Netherlands, is the journey . . . the five who explore and expand the boundaries of their own musical universe. Firmly rooted in Space, Trance and Krautrock, the band leans heavily on a solid foundation of drums and bass guitar, while adding guitar, keyboards and textures layer upon layer. Monomyth will drag you inside their cosmic playground. Enter an arena where there is no more time or space, simply the vacuum in which communication is operated on a higher level. You can enter in two ways . . . simply by closing your eyes and letting the instrumental music transport you, or with eyes wide open as you descend into the mind staggering light show.

After a period of inactivity since 2007's The Blue, which involved the departure of longstanding member Giuseppe Orlando, Novembre returns with URSA, a new set of potent and poignant tracks. The album effortlessly blends soothing, epic, melancholy and intense moods and represents a high point from one of the originators of the atmospheric Death/Doom Metal scene.
Headed by founding member and writer Carmelo Orlando (with a reinvigorated musical alliance with Massimiliano Pagliuso), the line-up is completed by Fabio Fraschini (previously bassist on the Materia album), and David Folchitto on drums. Anders Nystrom from Katatonia makes a special guest appearance, adding his own unique 'cold' touch to the album's single track Annoluce…

“Valkyrie” tells the story of a soldier trapped in an endless war, and of the girl he left behind. As with most GH albums, deeper meanings abound for those who take the time to digest the lyrics which are, according to the liner notes, “dedicated to those who battle the effects of trauma, and to those who love and support them.”
What may set this 2016 release apart from previous Glass Hammer albums is the way in which the band went about recording it. According to bassist / lyricist Steve Babb, the band “went for a more live approach this time. We rehearsed the material for several months before finally recording all of the rhythm tracks as if we were playing one very big concert, which is to say, that it was mostly live. We concentrated on vocals and overdubs at the studio, but the foundation of ‘Valkyrie’ was done together in a huge , amazing acoustic space”…

When guitarist Bill Frisell first began a more decided focus on roots music, bluegrass and country & western music with the release of 1996's Nashville (Nonesuch), despite being largely very well-received, jazz purists rankled when the largely bluegrass/folk-informed album began to garner awards like Downbeat Magazine's Best Jazz Album of the Year. While Frisell's oftentimes Americana-tinged work has, in the ensuing years, become more fully accepted for the wonderful music that it is, fellow six-stringer John Scofield is unlikely to find himself the subject of such purist criticism with Country for Old Men.