WRUV Reviews

Lovely popular Bach works performed by a popular violinist, Anne Akiko Meyer.

File: Classical composer: Bach

Mats and Johannes Moller make up Duo 2 X M. Interesting modern and contemporary works for flute and guitar. Complete track listing on last page of liner notes. Play all!

File: Classical collections: Duo 2 X M

Nikolain Kapustin was known as a jazz pianist in the 1950’s and 60’s, but wanted to compose classical music with jazz elements. Variable mix, some pieces highly lyrical, others less so, but all interesting.

File: Classical composer: Kapustin

Interesting mix of works for tuba and piano, both classical and contemporary. Timothy Buzbee’s own piece is a satirical narrative with tuba (trk 18). Try trks 3-7, 11,17, and 18.

File: Classical collections: Buzbee

Fresh & energetic jazz-inflected arrangements of Balkan, Turkish & Gypsy tunes with many delightful ethnic surprises. A superb collaboration among top NYC musicians that include immigrants from Macedonia (the frontman, on clarinet), Greece (on bass), & Turkey (on Kanun -like a zither), a Turkish drummer, & a pianist from NJ. Every track is worthy.

Here is a live performance @ Berklee College of Music

Debut CD from a band led by drummer Sunny Jain that explores a lively fusion of North Indian bhangra with progressive rock & jazz stylings, with lots of Balkan-sounding brass & clarinet. Gives cause to recall that the Gypsies originated in India. Fresh & original! Performed at the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival in 2011.

Watch them perform “Chaal Baby” live

The son of immigrants from the Punjab region of India that became Pakistan, Jain is a remarkable percussionist, composer, & pioneer in the captivating sub-genre of Indian-Jazz fusion. Jain was recognized as a rising star percussionist in the 2011 Downbeat magazine critics poll, has recorded with the Pakistani rock group Junoon (along with Peter Gabriel), and also has a Gypsy/Bhangra band called Red Baraat that played at the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival in 2011.

In this recording, which was commissioned by the Aaron Copland Fund, nine Indian ragas are realized with modern jazz stylings, and with lyrics inspired by Indian ghazals (love poems) that address social justice issues that currently are especially timely in the South Asian community. Gorgeous!!

Listen to the whole CD on Bandcamp here

Sunny Jain - drums, dhol (track 4)
Marc Cary - piano
Nir Felder - guitar
Gary Wang - acoustic bass
Achyut Joshi - vocals (tracks 1, 4)
Sheetal Karhade - vocals (tracks 2, 4)
Samita Sinha - vocals (track 6)
Shayna Steele - vocals (track 3)
Sachal Vasandani - vocals (track 5)
YaliniDream - spoken word (track 1)

New to the station, a 2006 release from the collective led by Sunny Jain, a pioneer of Indian-Jazz fusion, lauded percussionist, talented composer, & son of immigrants displaced by the partition of India that created Pakistan. This CD bridges a transition as the group began to build on their foundations in jazz by bringing their South Asian musical heritage into the forefront. Much talent! Every instrument shines.

Listen to the whole CD here on Bandcamp

Sunny Jain : Drumset/Dhol/Laptop sounds
Rez Abbasi : Guitar/Sitar-guitar
Steve Welsh : Tenor & Soprano Saxophones/Effects
Gary Wang : Acoustic Bass
Samita Sinha : Vocals (tracks 1, 2, 5, 7, 9)

The Life and Times’ album, “No One Loves You Like I Do” consists of dark indie space rock with vocals.  It could also be described as moody shoegazing.  Interesting music with unfortunate track names.

RIYL: The Appleseed Cast, Nirvana

PLAY: 1,3,5,8,9

FCC: 2

The Knocks’ Magic EP is manufactured for the sole purpose of making people dance.  It seems perfect for the after-party with just you and your (attractive, young, and well-dressed) best friends.  And if it does come off a little shallow, it makes up for that by the pure catchiness and dance floor suitability of all 6 tracks.  Also, check out some of the remixes of the second track, Brightside, that are out there.

RIYL: Calvin Harris, Flight Facilities

PLAY: all good

FCC: n/a