The Whole Music Experience

  Classical   Jerusalem Quartet Sharon Kam Brahms Clarinet Quintet String Quartet, No. 2 Harmonia Mundi     The clarinet is among the most versatile instruments showing up in classical, baroque, jazz, world, gypsy and klezmer music.  On Jerusalem Quartet’s recording of Brahms Clarinet Quintet featuring clarinetist Sharon Kam, the wind instrument takes on a chameleon role blending in with the strings so well, that at times I can barely detect its warm tones.  I’m reminded of the solitary clarinet of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto , not knowing why exactly since Brahms doesn’t send his clarinet on flights of fancy and the clarinet portrays adult sobriety as opposed to Mozart’s childlike glee.  Brahms, for whatever reason, refrains from shining the virtuoso spotlight on the instrument, and this is during an era when fiery musicianship on a soloing instrument was the norm. The musical conversation of the Clarinet Quintet holds my atten...

Classical/ Blues Knut Reiersrud Band   Trondheimsolistene   Infinite Gratitude   Kirkelig Kulturverksted Last month I ran across a YouTube video of Norwegian bluesman Knut Reiersrud’s band playing along side a chamber orchestra.  The result was so astounding that I paused to compose my thoughts.  Normally, we wouldn’t think of blues and classical chamber music coming together on the same page.  Yes, we have heard pop, jazz, and rock versions of famous classical pieces.  And in reverse, symphonies performed pop or rock classics with mixed results.  On the album Infinite Gratitude , Knut Reiersrud and his blues band pair up with the chamber ensemble Trondheimsolstine where they explore the 2nd movements of Franz Schubert’s String Quintet in C major and Johannes Brahms’ String Sextet in B flat major .  The musicians literally wed blues to chamber music.    I much prefer the dreamier slower pass a ges ...