Category Archives: Concert And Event Reviews

Another concert review: Homayoun Shajarian and the Hesar Ensemble @ Town Hall

Date: February 18th, 2012
Venue: Town Hall (NY)

Reviewed by Aida Shahghasemi

The inspiring combination of the young talents in the Hesar Ensemble and that of Homayoun Shajarian lifted the spirits on a cold New York  night at Town Hall. Alireza Ghamsari’s compositions and Homayoun Shajarian’s  vocal capacity had shown their considerable compatibility over the past few years through the release of records such as Naghshe Khial (2005) and Aab,  Naan, Aavaz (2008), selections of both of which were a staple of this concert.

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Concert review: Homayoun Shajarian, a renowned Persian classical music vocalist, and his Hesar Ensemble back in NY!

Date: February 18th, 2012
Venue: Town Hall (New York)

Review by Piruz Partow

Music passed through family can be a very special thing. Like many Persian musical families, Homayoun Shajarian, son of Iran’s most famous vocalist Ostad Mohammad Reza Shajarian, carries with him a fantastic musical tradition and this was evident in his performance with the Hesar Ensemble. Obviously expectations are high when you are the great Shajarian’s son. Homayoun has definitely been under the watchful eyes of his father; performing in his fathers group as a vocalist and zarb player for decades now. Homayoun Sharijan had already had some wonderful performances away from his fathers shadow most notably with Ostad Hamid Motabassam’s Simroq project. So even with high expectations, this performance did not disappoint and in fact assured that this great vocal tradition will be carried on for another generation.

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Concert review: Jessica Lurie Ensemble…skillfully wove elements of jazz, soul, folk, rock, and world music into a constantly surprising musical tapestry

Date: February 18, 2012
Venue: 92nd Street Y Tribeca (NY)

Review by Jeremy Siskind

Jessica Lurie‘s set at the 92nd Street Y Tribeca, which previewed her upcoming CD, Megaphone Heart, skillfully wove elements of jazz, soul, folk, rock, and world music into a constantly surprising musical tapestry. Lurie, a virtuosic saxophonist, flautist, and vocalist, boasted an equally rich and personal tone on all three instruments. Her band, whose members’ backgrounds include both jazz and non-jazz experience, was anchored by a dynamic rhythm section of rising-star drummer Allison Miller and broad-toned bassist Todd Sickafoose, who also co-produced her album.

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Opera review: Why Has Bodhidharma Left for the South? Vidas Perfectas (Perfect Lives)

Date: December 15, 2011
Venue:  Brooklyn’s Irondale Center
Photos by Phillip Stearns
Review by Augusta Palmer

Alex Waterman’s production of Vidas Perfectas is a new Spanish translation of Robert Ashley’s 1979 opera, Perfect Lives. It’s a Buddhist soap opera, a series of visual and vocal images simultaneously held together and pulled apart by illusion.

In addition to the eloquence of the libretto, a recent performance at the Irondale Center in Fort Greene brought together an amazing cast of characters. Ned Sublette’s Raoul de Noget was an incredible creature, a lounge lizard dressed in black, never obscured by the brim of his Stetson but casting a large shadow with his physical presence and his voice. Elio Villafranca coaxed beautiful sounds out of the piano at center stage, embodying more than merely playing the role of Buddy, The World’s Greatest Piano Player. Ably supported by Elisa Santiago and Abraham Gomez-Delgado as a chorus of other roles, de Noget and Buddy propel us through a series of worlds.

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