The Ukrainian pianist Valentin Silvestrov released this home recording in 2020, and though it might lack slightly in recording quality, the beauty of his Chopin-esque playing shines through. Beautiful music for dark times.
Tag: Piano
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Midori Hirano – And I Am Here
According to Midori Hirano’s Bandcamp site, “this album was initially released on staaltape by Rinus Van Alebeek in 2015 as a very limited edition of cassette tape.”
It’s a gem of experimental music because Hirano’s background blends a classical music, a commercial music background, and what would end up being termed as “Japanoise,” the beautifully violent experimental music which exploded in Japan and worldwide throughout the late 80s and early 90s. Hirano crafts 24 sound vignettes on this album, and the end result is something akin to John Cage going mushroom hunting with Aki Takahashi while listening to Hijokaidan on headphones. Eclectic, but it works very well.
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Chris Conway – When Pianos Dream
Though his bio on Bandcamp calls him a superlative jazz pianist, I would have to add that Chris Conway handles modern classical music with as much aplomb. He has also worked with some stellar musicians, including Guy Barker, Andy Sheppard, Stan Sulzman, Martin Speake and the legendary Finnish sax player Sakari Kukko (leader of Piirpauke) amongst others.
This album, released today, I believe, is a collection of improvisations and ambient electronic music he gathered while working with the United Isolation Ensemble, of which he is a member. How ECM Records hasn’t signed such a prodigious talent is beyond me, but if you enjoy their sound, I have a feeling Chris’ music may be of great interest to you.
The album is absolutely sublime. Each track has a gentle touch, balancing violin and piano perfectly. The cornerstone of the album for me is this track, Nocturne No. 0:
It is a tango that would have made Ástor Piazzlla proud.
The whole album is engaging, and would have made for perfect music for a dramatic film (something Alexei has been making for several years now, with great success).
As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, if you want to hear the music (or purchase it) in high-definition sound, consider going to Qobuz, where you can hear it at the best possible level.
Our first review on returning to Brno is a burner, naturally. Our friend, man of the world, and experimental music composer Jeff Gburek comes by these pages again with a droning masterpiece.
This is not the ordinary drone you hear reviewed on these pages, though, truth be told, nothing I review is even remotely ordinary. The backstory is almost as impressive as these waves of hypnotic (in the best of senses) drones are.
To catch the whole story, read Jeff’s writeup on how this fine album came to be. When he advised me of the album the word Kaszubian brought back memories of a kind doctor who helped me out about 25 years ago when I was going through some digestive disorders. I’ve heard plenty of folk music from the region, but to hear of a relic from that area producing something so engaging kept my attention wrapt throughout.
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Gideon Nxumalo – Gideon Plays
Gideon Plays is apparently seen as a holy grail of South African jazz collectors. Judging by the performance of pianist and maribist Gideon Nxumalo, this should be seen for what it is – a spiritual jazz masterpiece. The album swings and grinds through eight tracks of bopping good music.
Matsuli Music continues to reissue some astoundingly good music.
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Roman Stolyar – Right Back from Bosnija
I’m delighted to share a piece from my old friend, the Siberian composer and multi-instrumentalist Roman Stolyar. This nearly 20-minute improvisation was recorded live on July 30, 2021 at the MMMESSS studio in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The piano-playing is quick, sharp, with each keystroke coming at you like waves of noise. A great example of Russian free jazz.
The word seems to be burning at the moment. All around, there is misery, anger and a sense of hopelessness. One can either be consumed by it (and it’s been a battle not to be), or you can relax, listen to something calming, and get on with life.
Corciolli is a pianist out of Brazil who also owns the record label Azul Music who specialize in releasing classical and world music.
Some words from the label regarding this release:
In a minimalist and stripped-down approach, VALSE D´ADIEU, new single from Brazilian film composer Corciolli, stands out for its simplicity and spontaneity.
VALSE D´ADIEU is the second single of Corciolli´s forthcoming album SILENT WORLDS (May 28, 2021). Bringing to light nine brand new songs, Brazilian film composer Corciolli is preparing to release his new album with inspired performances on the piano and a few synthesizers, recorded during the month of March 2021. The musician compares the album to a “photograph without filters ”, whose melodies, born from improvisations, were recorded in the instant moment of creation.“I´m always working or studying in my studio, everytime playing little improvisation pieces on the piano, something that has become a habit, almost a ritual of connecting with the music … So, I just decided to register some of these ‘flashes’, totally spontaneously, letting the interpretations flow. Because they were not previously planned, the themes bring certain ‘imperfections’, which, if on the one hand, could be worked on later, on the other, bring their own charm and authenticity ”- CorciolliIntrospective, nostalgic and delicate, the melodies of the new project – in special the current single VALSE D´ADIEU – reflect a necessary internalization of processes related to loss, melancholy and long periods of social isolation, that affected everyone during the pandemic, but which, for the author and his music, find their way in acceptance and especially in transmutation: Hope prevails and remains victorious… Very touched by the situation of his native country, Brazil, Corciolli, like so many artists, found on the piano, a way to vent and burn his anguish and sadness. In his own words: “The unique combination of factors and events, ended up pointing out certain paths, where I could find (or rediscover) songs that perhaps have always been in me. My heart will always overflow with hope. ”
I grew up listening to waltzes as my mother, grandmother and great-grandmother were fond of listening to them (and great-grandmother was an accomplished violinist who could play anything). Hearing this on piano brought back some rather pleasant memories for me. Bravo, Corciolli. Well done.
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Selen Gülün – TRE
I’ve been looking forward to hearing Selen Gülün’s latest release, and to say I’m not disappointed would be an understatement. I had spent the day listening to John Cage after lunching with my priest, and then this record came on. The first track, Ah, Tu Dici!, blended into Cage’s Three Easy Pieces as naturally as could be, though Selen’s track is both better recorded and slightly darker, which makes it that much more favorable to my ears.
The second track, Cicli E Punti, lets saxophonist Dario Fariello and cellist Stellan Veloce run wild. I’d expect this sort of improvisation on a label like FMP, but to hear it on this release was a very pleasant surprise.
The final track, Grazie! flows freer, with more instrumentation filling the sound out a bit. The fullness gives the piece a haunting aura to the music. It’s criminal that she doesn’t get the coverage of artists on the ECM label. She’s equally deserving, as are the accompanying musicians who blend with her so seamlessly.
This album continues a trend in her music that I noticed in her previous single, Daha Yavaş, which was released in December of 2020. This, too, is worth picking up or downloading.
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Manne Skafvenstedt – Archway
This was a happy surprise. Manne Skafvenstedt is a Swedish pianist, composer and producer who works in the fields of jazz, ambient, electronics and sound design. His latest album, Archway, is a calming experience. There is a sort of sweetness to this music, where the listener actually feels good enjoying these sounds. It’s not the sugary nonsense one hears in lower quality New Age or modern ambient music. This resonates, and it might be because he is also a professional sound designer while he’s not busy composing.
I have no doubt that those who enjoy the works of Robert Rich, Alio Die or even such progressive rock giants as Popol Vuh would enjoy this release a lot. This has been a really good listening experience. I’d file it under ‘thinking music’.