Articles by Hrayr Attarian
Steve Tintweiss and the Purple Why: Live at Tompkins Square Park
by Hrayr Attarian
Bassist Steve Tintweiss forged a career as a sideman to such avant-garde luminaries as tenor saxophonists Albert Ayler and Frank Wright and pianist Burton Greene. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, he also led a few bands of rotating memberships. Several of these were recorded live at various venues. In the 2020s, Tintweiss started releasing these sessions on vinyl and CD on his own Inky Dot imprint. The captivating Live in Tompkins Square Park documents a 1967 set from ...
Continue ReadingLaura Altman: Holy Trinity
by Hrayr Attarian
The Australian clarinetist Laura Altman is an innovative artist. Her third solo release is also her first, full-length, thematically unified one. It was recorded at the Holy Trinity Church in York. and is named after the venue. On it, Altman weaves haunting improvisations that resonate against a serene ambiance that she peppers with the sparse clutter of small objects. The “Opening Out" starts the disc in an introspective musing with reverberating lines. Made up of repeating motifs, the ...
Continue ReadingAdia Vanheerentals: Taking Place
by Hrayr Attarian
Belgian saxophonist Adia Vanheerentals is a prodigious talent, having started performing at age 9 and graduating from the Antwerp Conservatory in her early 20s. She is also an imaginative improviser and virtuoso performer. At 27, she already has five releases under her belt and has been impressing critics and audiences alike with her singular approach to creative music. Her fifth release, Taking Place, is a set of enchanting solos cushioned by ambient sounds. The album opens with ...
Continue ReadingIvo Perelman and Wadada Leo Smith: Duologues 5
by Hrayr Attarian
Tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman thrives in the company of like-minded artists. The number of superb duo releases in his prolific body of work is proof of that. On the fifth volume of the Duologues series, he has found a uniquely synergistic match in the trumpeter and composer Wadada Leo Smith. Smith, a founding member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), much like Perelman, is an ingenious improviser. The pair crafts seven provocative pieces that together make ...
Continue ReadingRobbie Lynn Hunsinger, Tatsu Aoki: Robbie Lynn Hunsinger and Tatsu Aoki Vol 1
by Hrayr Attarian
Chicago-based artist and educator Robbie Lynn Hunsinger is a restless experimenter. Trained as a classical oboeist, she is equally at home improvising on both the oboe and other woodwinds and strings. Some of these instruments originate from South and East Asian folk traditions and are rarely heard in jazz. Bassist Tatsu Aoki is equally innovative and brings a unique approach to creative music that is a perfect amalgam of east and west. Hunsinger and Aoki have long collaborated, and their ...
Continue ReadingRay Anderson / Ivo Perelman: 12 Stages of Spritual Alchemy
by Hrayr Attarian
Saxophonist Ivo Perelman is a restlessly innovative artist who has released several superb duets. Versatile trombonist Ray Anderson feels equally at home in traditional blues settings, New Orleans-style early jazz, and free improvisation. Together, they make provocative music as demonstrated on the intriguing 12 Stages of Spiritual Alchemy. Rooted in ancient cultures worldwide, the concept of spiritual alchemy entered modern psychology and spiritual practices through the work of Carl Jung. Jung used seven stages of the occult science ...
Continue ReadingIan Torres: Comprovisation
by Hrayr Attarian
Chicago-based trumpeter Ian Torres is an accomplished composer, arranger, and educator. From 2008 to 2014, he was the leader of one of the most exciting big bands in the city's history. After a hiatus of over a decade, Torres returns with his second release, Comprovisation, a portmanteau term meaning the merging of composition and improvisation. The title perfectly illustrates Torres' musical vision. Out of the nine tracks on the record, six feature Torres unaccompanied by others, playing his ...
Continue ReadingSifters: Sifters
by Hrayr Attarian
Drummer Kate Gentile is a restlessly innovative improviser and composer who does not shy away from pushing boundaries. In the equally adventurous guitarist Marc Ducret and experimenting saxophonist Jeremy Viner, she has found kindred spirits. Together, they make up the collaborative Sifters. Their eponymous release consists of seven stimulating originals delivered with seamless camaraderie, as the group often functions as a single dynamic unit. For instance, Gentile's “Flail Maneuvers" is a provocative piece built around a thrillingly riotous ...
Continue ReadingLaura Ann Singh: Mean Reds
by Hrayr Attarian
Vocalist Laura Ann Singh has an adventurous spirit and a unique style. Whether interpreting Brazilian music, standards, or modern classical compositions, Singh puts her indelible mark on everything she tackles. Her ambitious debut, Mean Reds, draws inspiration from vocalist Asha Puthl and saxophonist Ornette Coleman's 1970s collaboration. The eight elegant originals eloquently express a range of sentiments from anger to tenderness, from grief to whimsy. Thus, they showcase Singh's prowess as a versatile songwriter and performer.For instance, the ...
Continue ReadingSofia Borges: The Unseen Pact
by Hrayr Attarian
German percussionist Sofia Borges explores unique time signatures in her work, drawing on an eclectic range of influences. Meanwhile, Argentinian saxophonist Ada Rave is a dynamic improviser. A deep sensitivity beautifully balances her bold, striking style. The stimulating The Unseen Pact is the result of Borges and Rave's poignant collaboration. It showcases a deep camaraderie and a shared artistic vision. “What the Earth Remembers" sets the spiritual mood for this release. Borges' sparse, thundering beats create an expectant ...
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