Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Thomson Kneeland: Mazurka For A Modern Man
Thomson Kneeland: Mazurka For A Modern Man
ByA Masada-like, klezmer sound is present on the album-opening "Ashlayah." While Smith and alto saxophonist Loren Stillman take on the Dave Douglas and John Zorn roles hereand in a few other places on the albumStillman is far less aggressive than Zorn often is and Radley's guitar adds a different dimension to the music. Two vastly different pieces on this album take their titles from Greek mythology. "Hyperion" is a trumpet-lead trip through a musical purgatory, with Radley setting the eerie mood, while "Dithyramb" is an Indian-influenced thrill ride with strong soloing from Stillman and Kneeland.
While the title track shows off Kneeland's strong attempt at infusing modernist jazz with a grunge-meets-emo vibe, he demonstrates a completely different side of his personality on "Moja Tesknota (For Deborah Zelazny)." This traditional Polish songwhich is also the only track here that Kneeland didn't writefeatures strings and accordion, but the trumpet steals the show as it cries somber strains over the rest of the band. One of Kneeland's most introspective pieces of music is "Rhapsody (For Take Toriyama)," which was dedicated to the late drummer who performed on this album. The drummer, sadly, took his own life several weeks after the recording and this piece, along with the album as a whole, serves as a fitting tribute to Take Toriyama and his creative, musical spirit.
Track Listing
Ashlayah; Hyperion; Mazurka For A Modern Man; Dithyramb; Moja Tesknota (for Deborah Zelazny); Libretto; Nebuchadnezzar; Rhapsody (For Take Toriyama); Crus Bifurcatus.
Personnel
Thomson Kneeland
bass, acousticThomson Kneeland: acoustic bass; Take Toriyama: drums and percussion; Nate Radley: guitar; David Smith: trumpet; Loren Stillman: alto saxophone (1, 4, 6, 9); Jerry Sabatini: trumpet (5); Evan Harlan: accordion (5); Eric Bindman: violin and viola (5); Mike Connors: drums (5).
Album information
Title: Mazurka For A Modern Man | Year Released: 2010 | Record Label: Weltschmerz Records
Comments
About Thomson Kneeland
Instrument: Bass, acoustic
Related Articles | Concerts | Albums | Photos | Similar To