Category Archives: Reviews

Recommended CD: Yom’s “The Silence of the Exodus”…a hypnotic journey across a mystical desert

16712-860255Artist: Yom
Title: The Silence of the Exodus
Label: Buda Musique
Genre: Eastern European/Klezmer/Sufi music

Recommended by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

The French virtuoso clarinettist Yom takes you on a journey through the history of the Jewish exodus. The Silence of the Exodus tells the story of their departure from Egypt to begin long years of wandering through the Sinai Desert… This is a hypnotic journey across a mystical desert, one where oriental cellos converse with Iranian percussion, the double bass and the clarinet.

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CD Review: Underground Horns – a groove that seems to flow throughout its entirety contributing to the musical coffee vibe and making it the kind of music you can joyfully clean your house to

Underground Horns ALMOST BLUE CD coverArtist: Underground Horns
Title: Almost Blue
Label: selfproduced
Genre: brass band playing Afro-Funk/Bhangra/New Orleans grooves and beyond.

CD review by Dante Mann

There is something different about Brooklyn based brass band the Underground Horns and their new album, Almost Blue. It has a pleasing freshness, and part of that is down to the way they have blended New Orleans Jazz, Ethio Jazz, Afro Funk, and obscure hints of Balkan music. Their smooth blend of these genres brought together in a subtle, textured way, makes for a good listen all of the way through. The album features Welf Dorr (alto sax, bass clarinet), Patriq Moody (coronet), Kevin Moehringer (trombone), Andrew McGovern (trumpet), Channel Crichlow (tuba), Kevin Raczka (drums), and Okai Fleurimont (djembe, vocals, whistle).

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Concert Review: Mathias Kunzli CD Release Show…dreamy soundscapes and heavy hitting beats

Date: October 26, 2011
Venue: Joe’s Pub (NY)
Concert review by Dante Mann

Photo by Dante Mann

Since Photo by Dante Mann

Since 1998 Swiss drummer and percussionist Mathias Kunzli has been all over the place in the New York music scene.  He has been performing with artists and bands of many genres, such as Moby, Lauryn Hill, Yo-Yo Ma Silk Road Project, Vieux Farka Toure, Marc Ribot, John Zorn’s Electric Masada, The Paul Winter Consort, Keyhan Kalhor, Azam Ali, and many others.

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Concert Review: Secret Chiefs 3 exposing people to new and different combinations of sound from around the world

Date: October 21, 2014
Venue: Le Poisson Rouge (NY)
Concert review by Dante Mann

Photo by Dante Mann

Photo by Dante Mann

Secret Chiefs 3 (SC3), an instrumental rock band formed by Trey Spruance played a show for an enthusiastic crowd in the round at Le Poisson Rouge, October 21. SC3 is the name for seven different groups of musicians and has a rotating roster of members, each representing different facet of Spruance’s musical eccentricities. While I consider SC3 firmly in the rock genre, there are many other facets to their music (Cuban, Motown, Indian, Arab, death metal, and in particular Persian), Spruance’s interest in Iranian music, culture, and philosophy has given SC3 a distinctly Persian flavor.

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