Elina Duni, Rob Luft, Fred Thomas, Matthieu Michel – A Time to Remember (2023) [Official Digital Download 24bit/88,2kHz]

Elina Duni, Rob Luft, Fred Thomas, Matthieu Michel – A Time to Remember (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/88,2 kHz | Time – 53:31 minutes | 911 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © ECM

A Time To Remember is a continuation of the special synergy that inhabited Elina Duni’s acclaimed Lost Ships and finds her regrouping with that album’s quartet of guitarist Rob Luft, Matthieu Michel on flugelhorn and Fred Thomas on percussion and piano. As the title suggests, the notion of ‘time’ pulls through the programme like a theme, connecting music from different parts of the world – traditionals, popular songs and original compositions – in performances of deep lyricism but also fleet-footed folklore. The repertory spans Albanian and Kosovan traditionals, American songs like the Broadway classic “I’ll Be Seeing You” and Stephen Sondheim’s musical ballad “Send In The Clowns” as well as originals by Rob and Elina. Commenting on the group’s last effort, Jazzwise said that “the sum of Duni and Luft’s work together seems greater than their individual achievements, where concept and conceptualisation have combined to produce a classic.” A Time To Remember should confirm that proposition and further expands on the qualities explored previously.

(more…)

Read more

Fred Thomas – J.S. Bach: Three Or One – Transcriptions by Fred Thomas (2021) [Official Digital Download 24bit/44,1kHz]

Fred Thomas – J.S. Bach: Three Or One – Transcriptions by Fred Thomas (2021)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 01:01:17 minutes | 522 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © ECM New Series

On “Three Or One”, Bach appears in transfigured light. Fred Thomas’ ECM New Series debut presents organ chorale preludes, vocal cantata movements and orchestral sinfonias – 24 pieces in all – transcribed for trio and solo piano by the British pianist himself. Throughout, Bach’s idiom is thoughtfully explored by three innovative players – a process Thomas describes as “quietly joyful” – and the trio pieces, primarily drawn from Bach’s Orgelbüchlein, acquire a fresh character in the hands of Thomas, violinist Aisha Orazbayeva and cellist Lucy Railton.

(more…)

Read more
%d bloggers like this: