Category Archives: Reviews

CD Review: A puzzling and intriguing challenge from an Egyptian cab driver in New Orleans inspires an impulse purchase of an alluring album in a used CD store. The album inspires a search for a difficult to find instrument, which in turn takes a jazz player to a radically different approach…Nashaz

Prunka_slantArtist: Nashaz
Title: Nashaz
Label: Ziryab Records
Genre:  hard driving grooves in 10/8 and 7/8 combine with moments of contemplative beauty that sound at once Arabic, and yet distinctly American
Release date: September 17, 2013
CD release concert: at Drom (NY), September 17, 2013

Review by Dawoud Kringle

In the realm of Persian / Arabic maqam, people like Rabih Abou-Khalil and Simon Shaheen kicked open a door that once open, will never close. I speak, of course, of the introduction of elements of jazz into maqam. Nashaz has taken up the gauntlet on this and run with it.

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Concert Review: The Cambodian Space Project (Cambodia) takes us on a trip to the past, the now, and the future, and that is nothing short of 4th dimensional magic

IMG_1622Venue: Drom (NY)
Date: August 9. 2013

Review and photo by Ancelmo James

The other night I went down to the east village to check out The Cambodian Space Project (CSP), a band whose sound is so incredibly nostalgic and reminiscent of surfy, British 60’s rock one might think they traveled through time from the past, or that they record soundtracks for Quentin Tarantino on the side. Either way, CSP music takes you back. Continue reading →

Concert Review: The Quartet with No Name – Daniel Carter/On Davis/Dmitry Ishenko & Dalius Naujo making a name @ Nublu

photo (3)Date: August 15, 2013
Venue: Nublu (NY)
Review and photo by Dawoud Kringle

On a late cool August night, Daniel Carter on trumpet, sax, On Davis on guitar, violin, and electronics, Dmitry Ishenko on bass, and Dalius Naujo on drums began the time honored musician’s ritual. Electronic rumbling with indistinct loops and long tones on a muted trumpet tore away the curtain and opened the way for sparse notes from the guitar, drums, and bass. A groove vaguely reminiscent of Miles from the Bitches Brew phase began the guitar played Rhodes-like chords that made one wonder where the keyboardist was.

The drums and bass continued to explore ever changing grooves, the guitar commented on everything that was going on, while the trumpet went where it saw fit; flowing through the dense tapestry like incense smoke.

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Concert Review: TriBeCaStan – radically multicultural and poly-stylistic to the marrow…

Date: Friday, Augusr 2, 2013
Venue: the Rubin Museum (NY)

tribecastan-rooftop-press-photo-4000x3000-300dpi-rgb-1024x768Review by Dawoud Kringle

TriBeCaStan is John Kruth (mandolin, mandocello, banjo, sitar, flutes, harmonica, vocals); Jeff Green (yayli, tamboor, tarhu, morsing, dutar, flutes, rubab, aqua drum, halo); Matt Darriau (kaval, clarinet, alto sax, gaida); Kenny Margolis (accordion, harmonium); Ray Peterson (double bass); Boris Kinberg (percussion, timbales, gong); Rohin Khemani (tabla, percussion); John Turner (trumpet) and Chris Morrow (trombone). Continue reading →