Category Archives: CD Reviews

CD recommendation: Kmang Kmang “Drifting” – Chicago’s post-rock collective debut!

Artist: Kmang Kmang
Title: Drifting
Label: self release
Genre:  classical guitar music with a good dose of jazz and instrumental fusion

“The most important thing is that it’s viscerally powerful,” states Barmey Ung, the classically trained guitarist and composer behind Chicago’s avant acoustic rock collective, Kmang Kmang.“I don’t like to intellectualize things too much, and don’t like to attach meanings where there doesn’t have to be meanings. I just want the music to be aesthetically powerful.”

Let the man himself speak about his CD release!

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CD Review: Amir ElSaffar and The Two Rivers Ensemble “bring maqami air to Jazz.”

Artist: Amir ElSaffer and the Two Rivers Ensemble
Title: Inana
Label: PI Recordings
Genre: Oriental Jazz/Jazz

Review by Matt Cole

Inana is a new release from Iraqi-American musician Amir ElSaffar and the Two Rivers Ensemble. ElSaffar is one of a number of musicians, notably including Vijay Iyer and Rudresh Mahanthappa, who are finding new and creative ways to combine modern jazz with the music of their respective cultural backgrounds. In ElSaffar’s case, the background is Iraqi Maqam, a rich tradition which is considered the most perfect form of maqam. Maqam is highly modal, and mainly melody-oriented; rhythm is fluid and harmony, like in Indian music, is secondary at best.

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CD review: The Mast “Wild Poppies”…How did profit trump well-being?

Artist: The Mast
Title: Wild Poppies
Label: Channel A Records (self released)
Genre: psychedelic indie rock

Review by Dawoud Kringle

Every now and again, a CD comes my way that ends up dominating my CD player for a time. Every now and again, a body of music crosses my path that insinuates itself into my psyche, and speaks to me.

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CD review: a special woman’s work – woodwind artist Clare Daly’s concept album

Artist: Claire Daly Quintet
Title: Mary Joyce Project: Nothing To Lose
Label: Daly Bread Rec
Genre: Jazz
Reviewed by Jeremy Siskind

Woodwind artist Clare Daly’s concept album, The Mary Joyce Project: Nothing To Lose, based on the inspiring arctic-exploring biography of Daly’s father’s first cousin, is conceived and performed with palpable sincerity and warmth. The music consists mainly of vamp and riff-based tunes for jazz quartet augmented by beat-boxer Napoleon Maddox, whose breathy sounds somehow recall the arctic vastness of Joyce’s journeying; in addition, many of the pieces utilize an American Indian-style pentatonicism to set the mood, even including some chanting and sled-dog yipping. The record is highlighted by the purring warmth of Daly’s baritone saxophone sound (she also plays some flute), readings of some of Joyce’s journal entries over vamps, and very solid rhythm section work by Mary Ann McSweeney and drummer Peter Grant.

CD Review: Kiosk – a pioneer of Iran’s underground music movement, presents a compilation of new songs and old favorites, recorded live at the legendary jazz club, Yoshi’s of San Francisco in 2010

Triple-DistilledArtist: Kiosk
Title: Triple Distilled – Live at Yoshi’s “Seh Taghtireh”
Label: 9821 Productions
Genre: World/Persian contemporary

Review by Piruz Partow

Kiosk‘s live recording at the world famous Yoshi’s Jazz Club in Oakland is a fun listen with upbeat   energy and spirit. For the non-Farsi speaker, a lot can be lost with this recording, so it is recommended to refer to the Kiosk website that conveniently gives translations of the song. This record has a lot of gypsy spirit to it compared to other recordings by Kiosk that are more rock and funk oriented. With heavy violin and accordion this album really shows a heavy influence in the Jazz Manouche or Gypsy Jazz that was created by the great Django Reinhardt in Europe in the mid 20th century. A real highlight on the record is a guest appearance by Bruno Pelletier who plays in a very gitan/gypsy style on several tracks. Where some live albums tend to hold a band back and show their limitations, this record shows how versatile and diverse Kiosk is. The sound quality and arrangements are top notch with quality musicianship filled with both intensity and control. This record is a must for any farsi speaking music lover.

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