This is the most extraordinarily eclectic album of music I have heard in a long time. You might well expect a contemporary piece for clarinet and percussion to jar when it follows - literally - an extended Schumannesque lyrical duo from 1834. But there is in fact a common factor that makes this an absolutely fascinating and delightful recital disc. It is the uniformly high quality of the music which in turn is much aided by the superb playing of principal protagonist clarinettist Linda Cionitti.

Brooklyn Rider thrives in the realm of world music and folk traditions, yet they’ve always sought to tie this impulse into their considerable classical chops—all while at the same time cultivating the ensemble as a kind of composer collective led by violinist/composer Colin Jacobsen (b. 1978). In this case, Bartók’s Second String Quartet is the glue that holds this new album together, with that work’s blend of folk sources defining the album’s musical core. The Bartók is flanked by two new compositions by present day composer-performers that further burnish Brooklyn Rider’s reputation for hip collaborations that shed light on our relationship to our roots.

Brooklyn Rider have built a programme around Debussy's iconic String Quartet, embedded rather than leading off, that is both self-referential and rich with history. The result is chamber music simultaneously on a very large scale and an alien sub-atomic landscape, which explores texture and space with scientific determination and a steady artistic temperament.

Rebecca Martin and Larry Grenadier are a couple who play together and separately, as he is also known for his key role as bassist in the famous Brad Mehldau Trio. We were introduced to them together through their enchanting disc When I Was Long Ago” (2010 Sunnyside), where the famous singer totally reinterpreted standards with a spell singing verses rarely included in the reference versions. This time, the deputy is a pianist and a drummer, and the very discreet duo assert a familiar song (“Sophisticated Lady”) with others that are all original that sound old and with a unique intimate beauty.

Dominic Miller - 5th House (2012) {Q-rious Music}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (image)+CUE+LOG -> 219 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 92 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 9 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2012 Q-rious Music / Rutis Music | QRM 116-2
Jazz / Fusion / Guitar

5th House is another momentous highlight in Miller s already impressive biography. Born in Buenos Aires to an American father and an Irish mother, Miller studied guitar at the renowned Berklee College in Boston and at the London Guildhall School Of Music. He has been a highly coveted session musician since the late 1980s. The list of artists he has worked with is sheer endless; among his collaborations are The Chieftains (Long Black Veil), Eddi Reader (Mirmama), Manu Dibango (Wakafrika) and Tina Turner (Wildest Dreams). As of The Soul Cages (1991), Miller has also been involved in every single album produced by Sting.

This is Autumn Whispers second album. It contains 12 songs that streches from hard rock to prog rock and mellodic ballades. All in the beautiful mood of the 70s.