Home » Jazz Articles » Gordon Grdina
Jazz Articles about Gordon Grdina
Gordon Grdina: Prolific Versatility
by Doug Collette
Gordon Grdina's restless creativity furthers his prolific nature. As a result, in recent years he has issued new albums in twos and threes and this 2026 triad follows couplets of 2021 and 2024 including solo work and efforts with various ensembles he leads such The Marrow and Square Peg. Grdina reaffirms his willingness to experiment and extemporize with this triplicate, all the while demonstrating technique on par with his imagination: clearly he is inspired by his collaborators' sense of adventure ...
Continue ReadingGordon Grdina: The Axe Man Cutting Down Borders
by Lawrence Peryer
Today, the Spotlight shines On JUNO Award-winning oud player and guitarist Gordon Grdina.Gordon's work defies limitations, be they geographical, distance, time, or genre. His music incorporates avant-garde jazz, free improvisation, indie rock, and the Arabic tradition.So much music, so many collaborators, and so much ground to cover in our talk. We made the most of our time together, exploring projects, processes, the fusion of musical traditions, appropriation, authenticity, and more.If you are open to ...
Continue ReadingGordon Grdina & Christian Lillinger: Duo Work
by Glenn Astarita
This album features a collaboration between Gordon Grdina on guitar and MIDI-guitar, and Christian Lillinger on drums. The project highlights their combined efforts in composition and improvisation, with most pieces jointly composed by Grdina and Lillinger, except for tracks 1, 5, 8, and 12, credited to Grdina alone. This is an enthralling exploration of sound and collaboration. It opens with the cacophonous track “Song One" setting the tone for the entire recording. Grdina's use of MIDI guitar adds ...
Continue ReadingGrdina/Lillinger: Duo Work
by Troy Dostert
One would be hard-pressed to find a more versatile guitarist than Gordon Grdina, who somehow manages to try something different with each release. And he is no slouch in terms of productivity either; with at least a dozen releases since 2020, this is an artist who requires multiple palettes. His sensitivity on the oud is one of his most remarkable traits; witness his superb playing on the Persian-inspired The Marrow (Attaboygirl Records, 2024) with vocalist Fathieh Honari as proof. As ...
Continue ReadingNew Releases From Gordon Grdina, John Surman, Moppa Elliott , And More
by Bob Osborne
On the show we feature two tracks from the new album from John Surman . There are also dual releases from Moppa Elliott and Gordon Grdina. Other featured albums are from Diego Rivera, Albert Vila, Tim Berne's Sunny Five, Ada Rovatti, Cliff Korman, Guillaume Gargaud and Eero Savela, Mary Halvorson, and Brian Dickinson.Playlist Show Intro 00:00 John Surman, Rob Luft, Rob Waring, Thomas Strønen “Hawksmoor" from Words Unspoken (ECM) 00:58 Gordon Grdina & Christian Lillinger “Encounters" from Duo ...
Continue ReadingGordon Grdina: Everything Old Is New Again
by Doug Collette
Guitarist and oud master Gordon Grdina's imagination is as deep as it is broad. As a result, there are those titles in his rapidly expanding discography that, like this pair on Attaboygirl Records, bear some measure of resemblance to previously released titles. Such an impression is nonetheless deceptive, as is the reappearance of names like the Canadian's band, The Marrow, or his frequent collaborator, percussionist Christian Lillinger: such participation constitutes legitimate extension of previous works. But that observation may also ...
Continue ReadingGrdina Maneri Lillinger: Live at the Armoury
by Doug Collette
In recent years, Gordon Grdina has proved himself to be as passionate as he is prolific, not to mention versatile. Further affirmation aplenty of all those virtues, the forty-five minutes of Live At The Armoury stand as a showcase not only for the Canadian's adept management of shared moments of spontaneity, but also for that of his collaborators. During these kinetic interactions between Grdina and his two kindred spirits, viola player Mat Maneri and drummer Christian Lillinger, the ...
Continue Reading
