Author Archives: Mel Minter

Coherent Freedom

Carol Liebowitz. Adam Lane; photo by Rodrigo Amado. Andrew Drury; photo by Reuben Radding.

For many people, music that is “freely improvised” is about as welcome as a root canal procedure. Not surprising really, since much of what has been labeled that way is self-indulgent and often cacophonous bloviation. In hands of disciplined and connected musicians, however, freely improvised—or as Carol Tristano likes to call it, intuitively improvised—music has the coherence of anything written on paper, with an extra frisson of unpredictability. Exhibit 1: Blue Shift, from the trio In Real Time (Carol Liebowitz, piano; Adam Lane, bass; and Andrew Drury, drums).

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Lindal and Dzurinko Present the Romantic/Modern Music of Sofia G.

Eva Lindal and Virg Dzurinko.

In the pamphlet that accompanies the album The Hidden Music of Sofia G., from violinist Eva Lindal and pianist Virg Dzurinko, the account of the unusual provenance of this remarkable music begins like a short story from Thomas Mann: “In 2021, by sheer chance, Eva stumbled across two hand-written music scores for violin and piano hidden in an old violin case. Signed ‘Sofia G. 1935,’ the manuscripts included some unusual graphic symbols interspersed among conventional notation. The violin case also contained a leather identification tag that read ‘Sofia Ganeshian, Locarno, Switzerland.’” So began a multiyear project to fill out the biographical details of this previously unknown avant-garde composer and discover what other music of hers might be in hiding. The result is an album of mesmerizing music as soulful, fluid, and free as any you are likely to encounter.

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Philippe Coté Blends the Lyrical with the Abstract

Philippe Coté

Two new releases from saxophonist, composer, and arranger Philippe CotéBell Tolls Variations and Fleur Revisited—offer reimagined compositions that straddle the line between jazz and classical and deliver thoughtful, lyrical commentary on weighty subjects.

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Steven Bernstein Grooves

Steven Bernstein. Photo by Jacob Blickenstaff.

Funky, jazzed, and trippy, Tinctures in Time is the first of four albums scheduled for release over a year’s time from trumpeter, composer, arranger, and band leader Steven Bernstein. Featuring his Millennial Territory Orchestra, a nonet comprising some of New York’s finest musicians, the album’s groove-based tinctures blend jazz, funk, rock, minimalism, and African influences to deliver a welcome lift to the spirit.

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CD Release Party for Baracutanga’s Stunning New Album, ‘Volver atrás’

Baracutanga: Nick Baker, Carlos “Kalin” Noboa, David Flores, Jackie Zamora, Kilko Paz-Rivera, Micah Hood, Casey Mraz. Photo by Q.Q. Jade.

Can the world dance itself into a more compassionate social conscience? I would like to think so, but the jury is still out on that. One thing is certain: if it is possible, then Baracutanga will be the band that dances us there. Their new album, Volver atrás, is, quite simply, the band’s masterwork, and they will be celebrating its release this Friday, August 27.

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