Category Archives: Reviews

Concert Review: Siavash and Kaveh Haghtalab…imagine a garden you’ve never been in before. This music will take your hand, and show you into this garden.

Venue: Cafe Nadery

Date: Saturday, January 4, 2014

Photo courtesy of Cafe Nadery

Photo courtesy of Cafe Nadery

Concert Review by Matt Cole

On Saturday, the 4th of January, I went down to Cafe Nadery in the West Village to hear some Persian classical music, played by the brothers Siavash and Kaveh Haghtalab. Cafe Nadery is named for an establishment in Tehran which, in the ’40s and ’50s, was one of the spots at which intellectuals gathered. The version in New York is a long, narrow room, with many pictures of notable Iranian writers and thinkers on the walls, and a bookshelf located behind where the musicians were to play, filled with a variety of titles, including books on Iran, chess, film noir, and a large selection in Farsi.

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Event Review: globalFEST 2014…a marvelous accomplishment, and service to the musical community

CollageCanvas14_unflat_8Date: January 12, 2014
Venue: Webster Hall (NY)

Review by Dawoud Kringle

I arrived early at the globalFEST 2014, held at NYC’s Webster Hall. Things were already livening up. People were pouring in and milling about in anticipation of a great musical event.

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CD Review: Richard Bennett…interpreting raga through American musical form; and creating a triptych as a framework

a1351448752_2Artist: Richard Bennet
Title: Raga & Blues
Label: Mystica Music (India)
Genre: Raga blues?

Review by Dawoud Kringle

The CD begins with a tambura and sparse notes on piano that introduce an alap in Raga Malkauns. This gradually opens up into a rolling swarm of notes somewhat reminiscent of Michael Harrison’s piano work. Above this thick tapestry, melodies would appear and disappear. Occasional suggestions of a teehai would rise.

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CD Review: Amy Denio’s solo album… her fearless exploration of music on her own terms!!

a3418242945_2Artist: Amy Denio
Title: Prodigal Light
Label: Spoot Music
Genre: nu singer-song writer

CD Review by Dawoud Kringle

“Amame” opens Amy Denio’s latest CD release Prodigal Light. An electric guitar figure lays down a foundation for Denio and the others to fill the air with lush vocal harmonies. The song has a very “old world folkish” feel that lures the listener into its peaceful and contemplative world. Flutes and a rubbery bass part work their way into the hypnotic song. It ends without warning.

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Concert Review: Mem Nahadr..there seems nothing she can’t sing. At times delicate and soft, and other times powerful and indomitable. And always beautiful.

Date: December 5, 2013
Venue: Silvana (NY)

Silvana, a new venue in Harlem owned by the same people who own The Shrine is becoming the new scene for fine music in Harlem.  One can hear some marvelous music every night. One such night happened when Mem Nahadr and her band performed.

Mem Nahadr – (also known as M. Nahadr, “Madwoman” and simply “M”. The name NAHADR meaning “Divine LIght’) – is an internationally acclaimed singer, songwriter, performance artist  film composer, author,  independent filmmaker and multidisciplinary video/sonic visionary. Some of her work includes the performance of Butterfly (by Yoko Kanno and Chris Mosdell) for the soundtrack to Cowboy Bebop , a musical compilation entitled: Eclectic Is M, her Off-Broadway performance art piece  Madwoman: A Contemporary Opera, and her new Modern Opera entitled: Femme Fractale: An Opera of Reflection.

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