The Whole Music Experience

Jazz   Project Them A Jazz Collective   Miles High Records When veteran jazz musicians get together and collaborate, the music that results is often invigorating and in-the-moment.   Project Them, a collective (and album title), including: Bob Franceschini (saxophone and flute), Mark Sherman (vibraphone), Mitchel Forman (piano and organ), Martin Gjakonovski (bass), Adam Nussbaum (drums) and Paolo Di Sabatino (piano), contains performances where you can feel the musicians admiring and honoring each other’s talents.   They aim for a big ensemble sound with strong melodies, and intriguing musical texture.   And a track such as, Close Enough for Love , leaves a romantic imprint with its sweet use of vibraphone, piano, and a laidback rhythm section. However, don’t think for a minute that we’re listening to “smooth jazz” here.   One listen to rousing opener, Submissive Dominants with high-end drums, driving bass and go-man-go saxophone, w...

Book review How to Listen to Great Music   A Guide to its History, Culture & Art Robert Greenberg   Plume Book/Penguin I’m a music appreciation junkie and when I find a music appreciation book with a flowing narrative, theory that’s explained in a way I can understand, and biographical details of composers tossed in, I climb on board.   I have taught music appreciation courses, but my focus was on world and folkloric music.   Robert Greenberg, a composer and music historian not only teaches through the pages of How to Listen to Great Music , but he also teaches a series through his teaching company, Great Courses. In this book, he gets us started with medieval and renaissance music and then we’re off into the baroque, classical, romantic and post modern eras--starting with Gregorian chant and landing in the terrain of Arnold Schoenberg.   We learn about fugues and musical structures from each of the musical/cultural eras as Greenber...

World   Mamadou Kelly   Adibar   Clermont Music We are so fortunate these days to experience music of Mali.   Given events in recent years, where Muslim fundamentalists rounded up musicians, burned instruments, and cut off hands of Malian musicians, the musical spirit of Mali continued.   These days, a fragile peace reigns in Mali and we can only wonder about the powerful role music played in keeping hope alive and bringing a sense of solidarity. Malian guitarist and singer Mamadou Kelly brings us Malian grooves on his album Adibar .   Teaming up with Niafunke musicians that produced Ali Farka Toure and Afel Bocoum’s albums, we are reminded here of Ali Farka Toure’s snaky desert blues.   While guitar is the main instrument with Malian blues vocals, we also hear the traditional calabashes (percussion), spike fiddle (ndjarka), a mandolin-like instrument (djourkel) and bass.   The end result is chill-out music, moving at a slo...