Conceptualizing Music

Flica is an electro-acoustic outfit produced by Euseng Seto from the evolving music scene of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Born in 1982, he begun his exquisite journey in conceptualizing and producing delicate home-brew music since 2005 with his first electronica duo project muxu with member Huat Liang. Having realized the need to explore further and experiment with his own music style, Euseng Seto started Flica in early 2007, solely crafting and producing music on his own. As a result, the subtle sounds that Flica creates are exceptionally melodic and uncomplicated, which perfectly mirroring his perceptions towards daily personal feelings on life and nature…

In this provocative study, Michael R. Trimble, M.D., tackles the interrelationship between brain function, language, art – especially music and poetry – and religion. By examining the breakdown of language in several neuropsychiatric disorders, neuroscientists have identified brain circuits that are involved with metaphor, poetry, music, and religious experiences. Drawing on this body of evidence, Trimble argues that religious experiences and beliefs are explicable biologically and relate to brain function, especially of the nondominant hemisphere.

Saxophonist WAYNE ESCOFFERY reflects on love, loss, and solitude on his stunning new album, the atmospheric and haunting, ALONE, featuring a remarkable all-star quartet with Gerald Clayton, Ron Carter & Carl Allen.

The majority of trumpeter Joe Magnarelli's leader dates have been no-nonsense, straight ahead quintet outings, so on the surface, it might appear that he's settled into something of a rut. But appearances can be deceiving. Only those who haven't heard Magnarelli's albums would think such a thing. For with each one, he's managed to peel back another layer, revealing new aspects of his artistic persona while also building on his previous work. Magnarelli is living proof that you don't need to chase trends or get caught up in haughty conceptualizing in order to prove your worth in the jazz universe…

Saxophonist WAYNE ESCOFFERY reflects on love, loss, and solitude on his stunning new album, the atmospheric and haunting, ALONE, featuring a remarkable all-star quartet with Gerald Clayton, Ron Carter & Carl Allen.

From his swaying and suggestive onstage body movement to conceptualizing the electro-psychedelic cover art for his latest album Pleasure Seeker (Countdown/Unity), saxman Paul Taylor seems determined to captivate us visually. For his breakthrough hit On the Horn, Taylor gathered some of his existing tunes and sought the production direction of Kazu Matsui; on Pleasure Seeker, Taylor chose a more collaborative approach. For the most part, he started composing the tunes from scratch with the new production team of Dino Esposito (an old college chum of Taylor's) and Scot Rammer…