GA Russell

Yelena Eckemoff Extends the Scope of an Ambitious Personal Project with "I Am a Stranger in This World," To Be Released May 20 By L&H Production Pianist-Composer Eckemoff Continues Her Musical Settings of Biblical Psalms With a Crack Ensemble Including Ralph Alessi, Drew Gress, Adam Rogers, and Nasheet Waits, Plus Special Guests February 17, 2022 Pianist-composer Yelena Eckemoff adds to her already impressive corpus of settings for the Psalms on I Am a Stranger in This World, due for a May 20 release on her own L&H Production label. The album is a new installment in a long-term musical project that began with 2018’s Better Than Gold and Silver, and once again teams Eckemoff with that album’s trumpeter Ralph Alessi and bassist Drew Gress, along with guitarist Adam Rogers and drummer Nasheet Waits. (Violinist Christian Howes—with Ben Monder and Joey Baron also in lieu of Rogers and Waits, respectively—also appears on three holdover tracks from Better Than Gold and Silver.) Eckemoff converted to Christianity while still living in her native Moscow during the waning days of the Soviet Union: a time when to be Christian was still a dangerous transgression. Her new faith, along with a hard-to-procure King James Bible, combined with her pedigree in classical and jazz piano to inspire a celebration of the Old Testament’s wisdom and poetry. Eckemoff, however, finds more than just inspiration in the Psalms. “I am a melodist, but the melodies that come from the words I hear in the Psalms, I think they are the best melodies I create,” she says. “And I think it’s because there’s a power in those words…. You can feel the power that God channels through that music.” New York City, Dec. 2020. L. to r.: Ralph Alessi, Adam Rogers, Yelena Eckemoff, Drew Gress, Nasheet Waits.. Of course, the musicians working with Eckemoff channel power of their own. I Am a Stranger in This World was recorded during the 2020 pandemic, and there’s a palpable passion from Alessi, Gress, Rogers, and Waits simply to be making music again. But that alone doesn’t account for the tenderness of Rogers’s lines on “As Chaff Before the Wind” (a setting of Psalm 35), the soul in Alessi’s soft fills on “I Shall Not Want” (from the famous Psalm 23), or the full band chemistry of “Keep Not Your Silence” (Psalm 83). “Eckemoff’s new Psalms settings display an expanded stylistic range,” writes CD annotator Mark Sullivan. “Who knew that Psalms could sound like blues? ‘I Shall Not Want’ embraces the vibrant blues feeling [as does] ‘Lighten My Eyes.’ . . . Here for the first time on her jazz recordings her keyboards are expanded beyond acoustic piano to include organ on ‘Keep Not Your Silence,’ Fender Rhodes electric piano on ‘Truth in His Heart’ and ‘The Wine of Astonishment,’ as well as some synthesizers on ‘At Midnight I Will Rise’ and ‘Like Rain Upon the Mown Grass,’ subtly broadening the group’s timbral palette.” Although Eckemoff first wrote these settings as vocal features, there are no singers on I Am a Stranger in This World. Instead, she offers her purely instrumental interpretations of the Psalms, titling each with a line from the appropriate Biblical verse and citing each Psalm for the listener to read and draw connections to the music—and perhaps to their own ideas about faith in a higher power. Eckemoff is no evangelist, but her work with the Psalms does offer an important message to the world. “There is some higher power,” she says. “Even the people who don’t believe in God but have faith in government or in society or humanity—well, the government or society or humanity is the higher power. Something greater than themselves. My message is that people can overcome fears and insecurities and trust in a higher power.” Yelena Eckemoff was born in Moscow, where she started playing by ear and composing music when she was four. She would go on to study classical piano the most prestigious music academies in Russia: the Gnessins School for musically gifted children, followed by the Moscow State Conservatory. Gradually, however, Eckemoff’s ears wandered beyond her classical training, discovering first rock, then jazz. When she saw Dave Brubeck’s performance in Moscow in 1987, she settled on jazz as her permanent musical path. That path turned out to run through the United States, where Eckemoff immigrated in 1991 and settled in North Carolina. Now ensconced in the country that gave birth to jazz, she went in search of players who could do justice to her intricate ideas. The search was a long and sometimes frustrating one, but it paid off when she was able to work with the likes of bassist Mads Vinding and drummer Peter Erskine on her 2010 album Cold Sun. Later collaborators have included Mark Turner, Joe Locke, George Mraz, Peter Erskine, Manu Katché, Billy Hart, Chris Potter, Jon Christensen, and Joey Baron, along with Alessi, Gress, Rogers, and Waits. Her unique, sophisticated, and highly expressive music continues to draw support and creative energy from the finest musicians in the world. Photos: Andrei Matorin (quintet), Janne Nykanen (Yelena) ""I Am a Stranger in This World" EPK Yelena Eckemoff Web Site ‌ ‌ ‌

Armen Donelian Reinvents Himself at Age 71 On "Fresh Start," Set for April 1 Release By Sunnyside Records Pianist-Composer Debuts New Trio With Bassist Jay Anderson and Drummer Dennis Mackrel Assaying Original Compositions, Standards, and Tunes by His Proteges and Mentors February 1, 2022 Pianist-composer Armen Donelian reemerges from the COVID-inspired shutdowns with a newly refined conception on both instrument and pen on Fresh Start, to be released April 1 on Sunnyside Records. The album is the recorded premiere of Donelian’s new trio featuring bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Dennis Mackrel. Sidelined like all musicians by the worldwide pandemic, Donelian was further removed from performing when a shoulder injury left him temporarily unable to play the piano. Ever resourceful, the 71-year-old simply wrote new music instead, giving himself something to workshop when he regained his playing ability. In neither capacity, though, was Donelian content to rest on his laurels. “The pandemic … was an opportunity for me to reexamine my approach to the piano and composing,” he says. It was in that spirit that he created the trio with Anderson, a longtime friend, and Mackrel, a new acquaintance (but a frequent bandstand partner of Anderson’s). He broadened his new approach to incorporate his collaborators. “I was looking to deepen how we listen and interact with each other in a responsive way,” Donelian explains, “taking every particle of time as an opportunity to connect with and support each other, contributing in some way to a more beautiful sound.” L. to r.: Dennis Mackrel, Armen Donelian, Jay Anderson. A more beautiful sound is certainly what they achieved. From the sweet sensitivity of Donelian’s album-opening “Noviembre” to the percussive “Madagascar” (featuring a dazzling Mackrel solo) to the giddy, rattling 7/4 of “Janet Left the Planet,” the ensemble provides ample evidence of their mastery and imagination, both as individuals and collectively. Yet Donelian’s musical reboot is hardly a rejection of his place in the jazz tradition. Indeed, Fresh Start also offers a unique kind of contextualization for the leader. His five original compositions are joined by two pieces from the Great American Songbook—Harry Warren’s “Never Let Me Go” and Herb Magidson & Allie Wrubel’s “I’m Stepping Out with a Memory Tonight” (which marks Donelian’s vocal debut on record)—Donelian also explores works connected to his own past and present. “Gale” and “Day Break” are compositions by two of his mentors, pianist Richie Beirach and saxophonist Makanda Ken McIntyre, respectively. In addition, composer Vatan Rajan Singh (“Ferry Maiden”) and Sophia Bondi (“In the Western Night”) are both former students of Donelian’s. The album thus establishes him as one important link in a long, rich chain. Armen Donelian was born December 1, 1950 to a family of Armenian immigrants in New York City. He began studying piano at the age of seven, enrolling at the Westchester Conservatory of Music. At 12, he discovered jazz by way of a trad band led by noted studio guitarist Arthur Ryerson; Armen’s older brother played clarinet in the band, and he himself eventually became its pianist. He studied music theory and composition at Columbia University—then entered a different sort of finishing school via the tutelage of Richie Beirach. The celebrated pianist was the first in a long line of musical mentors: Donelian soon found himself sharing bandstands with Mongo Santamaria, Sonny Rollins, Chet Baker, and Billy Harper. Throughout it all (though especially while in Harper’s band), he worked to develop his own sound, beginning a solo career in earnest with his 1981 debut Stargazer. A dozen more albums followed over the next 30-odd years, including the acclaimed releases Secrets (his 1988 album for Sunnyside), All or Nothing at All (2006), Leapfrog (2011) and Sayat-Nova: Songs of My Ancestors (2014). Proud as he is of his accomplishments, Donelian nonetheless takes a thoughtful and critical approach to his music, leading to the kind of reassessment that characterizes Fresh Start. “Instead of focusing on what I was playing, I was focusing more on how I was playing, on touch, expression, and storytelling, allowing the sound to happen in its own way,” he says. “That was the main focus of this album.” Donelian and his new trio will be performing this spring at the following venues: 3/18 Hudson (NY) Hall; 3/19 Maureen’s Jazz Cellar, Nyack, NY; 4/24 Claverack (NY) Public Library; 5/22 Ossining (NY) Public Library. In addition, Donelian will be based at the Bucharest University of Music (Romania) 5/2-19 in a Fulbright Specialist residency. Photos: Rudy Lu (trio), Susan Sabino (Donelian) "Morning Mood" (by Armen Donelian). Recorded live at Mehrspur Jazz Club, Zurich, Switzerland; May 4, 2013. Armen Donelian,p; Raetus Flisch, b; Pius Baschnagel, d. Armen Donelian Web Site ‌ ‌

I work for myself, which is fun. Except when I call in sick, I know I'm lying.

Very sad news. RIP. He was a very solid contributor.

You don't have to be in shape to bowl. It's the only sport where you signal for a cocktail waitress.

Have you ever noticed that if you leave laundry in the hamper long enough, it's ready to wear again?

Models have such skinny bodies, their heads look big. The high fashion look they're going for is the Pez dispenser.

I lost my job at a cemetery because I used to practice ventriloquism at the funerals.

Most children threaten at times to run away from home. This is the only thing that keeps some parents going.

More analyses... Montreal https://www.cfl.ca/2022/03/02/upon-further-review-montreal-alouettes/ ***** BC https://www.cfl.ca/2022/03/03/upon-further-review-bc-lions/ ***** Ottawa https://www.cfl.ca/2022/03/04/upon-further-review-ottawa-redblacks/ ***** Matthew Cauz dreams about rookie cards. https://www.cfl.ca/2022/03/03/cauz-my-must-have-cfl-rookie-cards/ ***** The Riders have finalized their coaching staff. https://www.cfl.ca/2022/03/03/riders-complete-2022-coaching-staff-hire-marcus-klund/ https://3downnation.com/2022/03/03/riders-finalize-coaching-staff-with-hiring-of-db-coach-marcus-klund/ ***** Jim Barker has signed to be an advisor with the Argos. https://www.tsn.ca/jim-barker-toronto-argonauts-1.1766206 https://3downnation.com/2022/03/04/official-toronto-argonauts-hire-four-time-grey-cup-champion-jim-barker-as-senior-advisor/ ***** Dan Kearns has died at 65. RIP. https://3downnation.com/2022/03/03/longtime-cfl-defensive-lineman-dan-kearns-passes-away/ ***** Dakota Prukop was let go by the Elks, and immediately signed with the Bombers. https://3downnation.com/2022/02/14/elks-sign-canadian-rb-ante-milanovic-litre-release-qb-dakota-prukop/ https://3downnation.com/2022/02/15/winnipeg-blue-bombers-agree-to-terms-with-veteran-cfl-quarterback-dakota-prukop/ ***** Western teams analysis https://3downnation.com/2022/02/19/every-west-division-teams-biggest-remaining-question-mark-after-cfl-free-agency/ ***** Eastern teams analysis https://3downnation.com/2022/02/20/every-east-division-teams-biggest-remaining-question-mark-after-cfl-free-agency/ ***** Gossip! https://3downnation.com/2022/02/16/insider-talk-saskatchewans-ratio-lawlers-contract-the-best-cfl-free-agent-signing/ https://3downnation.com/2022/02/23/insider-talk-burnhams-extension/ https://3downnation.com/2022/03/02/insider-talk-jones-complains-dobson-signs-with-usfl-biggest-overpay-in-free-agency/

I like to watch TV with my neighbors. They have cable and a big screen TV, and I have binoculars.

Thanks, Larry! For all the references I've seen to trad jazz, I gather that it was a bigger deal in England than in the US. Is that right?

I come from a small town whose population never changes. Each time a woman gets pregnant, someone leaves town.

Bill, et al., can you please name some American musicians who were called trad? In the '60s I heard the term "progressive jazz" quite a bit. It was only later that I saw it linked primarily to Kenton.

Who or what is Cardinal Spelling? I remember Cardinal Spellman of New York.

Should I know who the last two are?

I finally have a dental plan. I chew on the other side.

I go running when I have to. When the ice cream truck is doing forty.

Bertrand, it is silver, and does not appear to be a CD-R to me. Is there a way to tell other than the color? Perhaps I should not have said that all the rock songs were hits. But I was familiar with most of the artists.

Post-Christmas discount ROCKIN' AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE - (3 CDs) - $5.95 https://www.hamiltonbook.com/rockin-around-the-christmas-tree-compact-disc 60 songs. All rock songs are hits. Includes some western swing.

The league has posted post-Free Agent Day team analyses. Toronto https://www.cfl.ca/2022/02/10/cauz-argos-fill-crucial-blanks-free-agency/ https://www.cfl.ca/2022/02/24/upon-review-toronto-argonauts-2/ ***** Winnipeg https://www.cfl.ca/2022/02/18/upon-review-winnipeg-blue-bombers-2/ ***** Hamilton https://www.cfl.ca/2022/02/21/upon-review-hamilton-tiger-cats-2/ ***** Sask https://www.cfl.ca/2022/02/22/upon-review-saskatchewan-roughriders-2/ ***** Calgary https://www.cfl.ca/2022/02/25/upon-review-calgary-stampeders-2/ ***** Chris O'Leary thinks the East looks stronger than the West this year. https://www.cfl.ca/2022/02/28/oleary-could-the-east-win-more-than-the-west-in-22/ ***** Matthew Cauz picks his Top 11 free agent signings of the past 13 years. https://www.cfl.ca/2022/02/03/cauz-top-free-agent-moves-past-13-years/ ***** Dave Naylor's latest column discusses the new USFL's impact on the CFL. He doesn't expect it to be much, because most players will prefer the stability of the CFL. https://www.tsn.ca/upstart-leagues-cause-no-great-panic-for-cfl-1.1763524

This was my first Ponty album, and still my favorite.

Did you hear about the Newfie who was killed while ice fishing? He got run over by the zamboni.

When I was a boy I only had two friends, and they were imaginary. And they would only play with each other.

I went on a date recently, and I took her horseback riding. That was kind of fun until I ran out of quarters.