Artist: Kosi
Title: One More Cup of Coffee
Label: self-released
Genre: blues/jazz/soul
You can download or purchase the album on Amazon, BandCamp and kosi-sings.com.
CD Review by Dawoud Kringle
Artist: Meg Okura & the Pan Asian Jazz Ensemble
Title: Music of Ryuichi Sakamoto
Label: self released
Genre: chamber jazz
CD Review by Matt Cole
As I’m not very familiar with the music of Ryuichi Sakamoto, I would seem to be an odd choice to review a CD of his compositions. However, given that Meg Okura & the Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble have created a jazzy re-imagining of Sakamoto’s synth pop creations that is apparently quite different from the original, I may be more able to hear and then review the album without preconceptions (perhaps like sending someone unfamiliar with Ayler to review New Grass, which, curiously enough, was my own introduction to Ayler). The selections on the CD cover a near-20 year span, from his 1978 debut “Thousand Knives” to 1997’s “Untitled #01″ (on this album as “Grief”). Violinist/arranger Meg Okura, in the liner notes, writes that a number of arranging techniques and approaches were used, with some pieces remade anew (e.g. “The End of Asia,” “Thousand Knives”), while others hew close to the original (“The Last Emperor Theme”).
Artist: Arifa
Title: Anatolian Alchemy
Label: Mundus
Genre: oriental jazz
Review by Matt Cole
Anatolian Alchemy is a new CD from multinational band Arifa, which consists of Alex Simu (Romania) on clarinets and laptop, Mehmet Polat (Turkey) on oud, Franz von Chossy (Germany) on piano, and Sjahin During (Turkey/Holland) on Afro Anatolian percussion. It is a gentle group effort which relies mainly on subtlety, space, and communication to make its points.
Artist: Michael Harrison & Maya Beiser
Title: Time Loops
Label: Cantaloupe Music
Genre: modern-ambient-minimal-indian music
CD Review by Dawoud Kringle
One day, out of the blue, a package arrived in the mail. It was a CD: Time Loops by Michael Harrison & Maya Beiser. I imagine being a music writer has such perks. I’m no stranger to the work of Michael Harrison (and have even had the pleasure of studying with him). So, I waited for the right moment to properly listen to and savor this latest musical offering from the maestro.
Artist: Uri Sharlin and the DogCat Ensemble
Title: Back in the Woods
Label: Folk Dune Records
Genre: fusing jazz and classical influences with Balkan rhythms, Arabic modes and Brazilian harmonies
CD Review by Dawoud Kringle
Uri Sharlin (accordion, piano, and wurli) and his group the DogCat Ensemble (Gili Sharett; bassoon, Matt Darriau; bass clarinet, Kyle Sanna; guitar, Jordan Scannella; bass, Rich Stein; percussion, John Hadfield; percussion, and special guests, Ital Kriss; flute and alto flute, Ze Mauricio; Pandeiro, and Michael Lavalle; zabumba) have presented a nicely composed and executed musical offering.
