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Artist // Katya SourikovaAlbum // Ivan's Dream
Price // £12.00
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Weave Records is an independent label for contemporary music. Here you can explore our releases, learn more about our artists and purchase CDs. Enjoy the music.
Artist // Robin Jones & King SalsaAlbum // Sabroso Mambo
Price // £12.00
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Artist // Attab HaddadAlbum // Days Distinctive
Price // £12.00
Weave Records is an independent label for contemporary music. Here you can explore our releases, learn more about our artists and purchase CDs. Enjoy the music.
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Artist // Katya SourikovaAlbum // Ivan's Dream
Artist // Robin Jones & King SalsaAlbum // Sabroso Mambo
Artist // Katya SourikovaAlbum // Angels & Satellites
Artist // K Sourikova & C MacdonaldAlbum // Steps in the Snow
Artist // Attab HaddadAlbum // Days Distinctive
Artist // Avenue A EnsembleAlbum // Rocking Horses
Artist // Attab Haddad
Artist // Katya Sourikova
Artist // Avenue A Ensemble
Artist // Robin Jones & King Salsa
Artist // Curtis Macdonald
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About
attabhaddad.com
Attab Haddad first studied with Iraqi Oud player Ahmed Mukhtar in London before moving to Egypt to study with Egyptian Nihad El-Sayed and the Iraqi virtuoso Nasseer Shamma. Later returning to England, he undertook a Master’s in Music Performance at SOAS, University of London, graduating with a Distinction in 2006. He has been working as a musician and composer ever since.
He has collaborated with many artists in many genres (Juan Martin, Cerys Matthews, Max Baillie, John Metcalfe, Eugene Skeef, Clara Sanabras, Ramon Ruiz, to name a few) as co-composer, producer, musician and session player and featured as a guest on various albums. He is a key member of the contemporary and Classical crossover group The Sabina Rakcheyeva Ensemble, as well as being a founding member of the Flamenco fusion band Alcazaba.
Haddad’s work has featured on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 6, BBC Radio Scotland, SOAS Radio and Resonance FM as well as on various Middle Eastern and Turkish TV Channels and he has performed in the UK, Europe, USA, Middle East and India to much acclaim. In April 2010 he was the subject of an hour long documentary on Arabic TV Channel AL-Fayhaa that highlighted his innovative new approach to the Oud.
In 2008 he founded the Attab Haddad Quintet which plays his own compositions drawing on Middle Eastern music, Flamenco, Jazz and contemporary composed music creating a sound that is unique to the band. The Quintet has been very well received and has appeared live on BBC Radio as well as playing at some of London’s finest venues including Cadogan Hall and The Forge where they closed the London Jazz Festival in 2011.
The Avenue A Ensemble is a UK-based group dedicated to the performance, composition and commissioning of new music and performance art. The ensemble was formed in 1999 by artistic director Tim Adnitt and conductor Anthony Weeden and has since performed to critical acclaim across the UK.
The Avenue A Ensemble performs a dynamic repertoire, much of which is written exclusively for the ensemble by some of the most interesting and innovative composers in the UK. The ensemble's programs appeal to a wide variety of musical sensibilities including contemporary classical, film, theatre and jazz.
Visual elements form an integral part of the Avenue A Ensemble's live performances through the creative use of staging and lighting, and through collaborations with dancers, physical theatre artists, mime artists and filmmakers.
avenue-a.co.uk
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curtismacdonald.com
Curtis Macdonald is a Canadian-born Saxophonist, Composer and Sound Designer based in Brooklyn, New York. His 2011 album Community Immunity, under the Greenleaf Music record label, has been widely recognised.
His influences can be heard on many new music and modern jazz recordings where he organizes improvisation, sound art and digital technology, drawing inspiration not only from traditional approaches, but also transcendental and other philosophical models.
“…a fearless artist who is willing to break free of the shackles of expectations.”
- All About Jazz
Curtis' 2008 collaboration with Katya Sourikova, resulting in the album Steps in the Snow, is no exception:
“Steps is a spontaneous collision of two musical minds and personalities. Nothing was pre-planned or discussed beforehand. There are moments of true musical telepathy that both slightly spooked and delighted us at the time. As is the nature of these sorts of musical encounters, the magic is in the moment. The process of unraveling each sonic thread takes you through unexpected twists and turns. It’s a real delight to find that your musical partner, if not following you every step of the way, is there to meet you at the next corner…”- Curtis Macdonald
EndFragmentEndFragment
Video // Katya Sourikova, Twilight from the album Ivan's Dream
Katya speaks about jazz improvisation, her classical roots and her album Ivan's Dream.
katyasourikova.com
Raised in St Petersburg and London, Katya trained as a pianist at the Guildhall School and Royal College of Music. In the years that have followed, she has crafted a unique musical voice as composer and performer whose style is a hybrid of classical, jazz and improvised music.
Katya made her first recordings in North America with Ivan Bamford and Remi-Jean leBlanc. In 2005, the trio performed at the Baku International Jazz Festival alongside heavyweights such as Joe Zawinul and Greg Osby. In 2006, Katya was mentored by Dave Douglas and Marilyn Crispell, who helped her focus her creative energies. The resulting albums Steps in the Snow and Angels & Satellites were recorded in New York and released by Weave Records.
In 2010, Katya completed a project in Berlin with Saxophonist Oliver Fox, Bassist Simon Bauer and Drummer Brendan Dougherty. The resulting album Ivan’s Dream was released in 2011, accompanying a series of concerts worldwide including Australia New Zealand and the London Jazz Festival.
"Genre-binding beautiful, lyrical and nuanced music that moves freely and organically along the spectrum of jazz, both American and European, as well as folk music and classical music, all without subscribing fully to any genre but embracing it all."- Eyal Hareuveni, All About Jazz
"Sourikova is a pianist who deserves wider attention and who is clearly worth following. A great promise…"- Stef Gijssels, Free Jazz
Video // Katya Sourikova, Queen Maud Land
Katya speaks about her recent project for Jazz Trio, Classical Soloists and String Quintet. Queen Maud Land is a musical dramatisation of Robert Scott's emotional journey during his fateful mission to the South Pole in 1912.
King Salsa was founded by master Percussionist / Drummer Robin Jones in England in 1986.
The band has had a colourful and varied career and has become something of an international institution in Latin (mainly Cuban) music, dance and folklore.
The current line-up of King Salsa is an international cast of superstar musicians including Bosco De Oliveira from Brazil, Carlos Fuentes from Chile, and newest member lead vocalist Enrique Bringas from Cuba. Driven by a rhythm section including Pianist Chris Kibble and featuring an outrageous five-piece brass section, King Salsa is an electrifying outfit that proudly follows a dynasty of great Latin bands.
King Salsa have been featured at many of the world's most well-known Jazz & Latin venues and festivals. This includes sell-outs at the legendary Ronnie Scott's club in London, the Brecon Jazz Festival, Marlborough Jazz Festival, Malta, Pori and alongside Irakere at London's Cabot Hall.
Robin himself has had a diverse and high-profile career, playing with many of the world’s greats of Latin, Jazz and Pop including Stan Getz, Phil Woods and Latin Jazz piano great Charlie Palmeiri. More recently, he has been seen with Trumpet greats Eddie Henderson and Artuoro Sandoval.
kingsalsa.co.uk
hidefhorns.com
Artist // Katya SourikovaAlbum // Angels & Satellites
Price // £12.00
Artist // Avenue A EnsembleAlbum // Rocking Horses
Price // £12.00
Artist // K Sourikova & C MacdonaldAlbum // Steps in the Snow
Price // £12.00
Artist // Katya Sourikova & Curtis MacdonaldAlbum // Steps in the Snow
Price // £12.00
This recording is a great example of musicians who really listen to and respond to each other on a highly sensitive and sophisticated level. It is a beautiful CD, I like it very much!- Marilyn Crispell, Pianist / Composer
Vertigo
When Words Fail
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Reviews
"Steps in the Snow was recorded live, in a single take. There are no edits. Should we simply say the pieces are free improvisations? Some people have found it impressive, and somewhat surprising, that free improvisation could sound so accessible and harmonious. We have not set out to break any common assumptions or prove any points. To those less familiar with improvised musical forms, we think that the album is a gentle reminder that it's not all fast, furious and sonically challenging."- Katya Sourikova
"Steps in the Snow is a spontaneous collision of two musical minds and personalities. Nothing was pre-planned or discussed beforehand. There are moments of true musical telepathy that both slightly spooked and delighted us at the time. As is the nature of these sorts of musical encounters, the magic is in the moment. The process of unravelling each sonic thread takes you through unexpected twists and turns. It's a real delight to find that your musical partner, if not following you every step of the way, is there to meet you at the next corner. We lost ourselves in the momentous magic of it all. Happily, the result was captured here in this recording."- Curtis Macdonald
Eagle's Nest
Lonely Trail
Personnel
Picking up the Pieces
Katya Sourikova // Piano
Curtis Macdonald // Alto Saxophone
Snowballs
Steps in the Snow
The Avenue A Ensemble juxtaposes the traditions of classical art music with the sonic possibilities of a contemporary ensemble. There are several composers in the group, and this album fuses their creativity into a cohesive musical direction. Through this, homage is paid to the sounds of other musical genres including film, theatre and jazz.
The set recorded for this album is typical of a concert performance. The opening ff and Big End are sonic partners, rhythmic and angular. These are contrasted by the three movements of the Romantically-influenced Schumann In Three Pieces, which both hint at and at times quote the music of Robert Schumann as a means of exploring the composer's psyche. The final track, City, recalls the character of the opening pieces.
Tim Adnitt - Artistic Director, Electric Bass
Anthony Weeden - Conductor
Samantha Ellis - Flute, Soprano and Alto Saxophones
Simon Stewart - Clarinets, Tenor Saxophone
Naomi Sullivan - Alto Saxophone
Ellie Fagg- Violin
Alex Caldon - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Tim Smart - Trombone
Danny Driver - Piano, Fender Rhodes
Matthew King - Celeste
Robert Broadley - Guitars
Donna-Maria Landowski - Xylophone, Vibraphone, Marimba
Hugh Wilkinson - Vibraphone, Unpitched Percussion
Mark Lloyd - Drums
Clare Presland - Soprano Voice
ff
City
Love In A Life
Big End
Ash On The Ground
Night Phantoms & Rocking Horses
"If Bela Bartok scored a film-noir soundtrack to be performed by the Count Basie Orchestra you’d end up with one jarring, syncopated, but swinging cluster of sound. This is exactly the kind of unique fusion (in the best sense of the word) that Avenue A Ensemble has cooked up for us on their latest exploration of new “sonic possibilities.” It is a tense and suspenseful listen while the UK-based group simultaneously invokes the spirit of angular, 20th-century Minimalism AND the lush, melodramatic tendencies of Hollywood’s Golden Age movie music. You’re never quite sure if you should be sitting in a concert hall, a smoky jazz club, or staring at the silver screen. In this modern world where most music simply serves as wallpaper, an album like ‘Rocking Horses’ that leaves you questioning the ground you stand on is a very good thing."- 5 Stars, Editor's Pick, CD Baby
"This is an excellent disc of works which showcase some exciting compositional talents. The works are all given superb performances by this inspiring ensemble and production standards are also very high. One word sums up the whole package: quality."- Recording of the Month, Carla Rees, MusicWeb International
Angels & Satellites I
Canopy Tale
Angels and Satellites will take you beyond its musical narrative. The poems found inside the liner notes are a collection of responses inspired directly by the music - they might as well have been about a film with a variety of landscapes and exploring many components of the human condition: joy, inspiration, disillusion, hope, confusion and existentialism.
Derived from the very best of many, many sessions that Katya recorded on various trips to New York and Montréal from 2006 to 2008, each track is beautifully crafted and produced. The audio quality is superb - you can hear every detail, as if you were sitting right there in the studio.
We hear Katya as a Pianist maturing in her own style that is fluid, sensual and refreshingly unique. Drummer Ivan Bamford emerges as a highly creative percussive force, creating an unexpected but very successful counterpoint to the piano. Alto Saxophonist Curtis Macdonald lifts the ensemble to a new level with soaring lines and exquisite phrasing.
At the foundation, we have the solid and yet highly melodic playing of Bassists Remi-Jean leBlanc and Rick Rosato. At times, some subtle electronic textures are carefully blended into the mix.
Genre-defying, highly musical and ever unfolding, this is an album of wide textural variety and of extraordinary sonic detail.
Katya Sourikova // Piano
Curtis Macdonald // Tenor Saxophone
Ivan Bamford // Drums
Remi-Jean leBlanc // Double Bass
Rick Rosato // Double Bass
Angels & Satellites IV
December Sky
I, Sputnik
Sunset in Snow
Homage to Messiaen
Angels & Satellites II
Fall
Angels & Satellites III
"The music develops in an organic manner with a fluid, almost telepathic understanding between Sourikova and MacDonald that affects the patient interplay of other musicians. A most beautiful recording."- Eyal Hareuveni, All About Jazz
"The music is visual and imaginative. Sourikova is a young pianist who deserves wider attention and who is clearly worth following. A great promise."- 4.5 / 5 Stars, Free Jazz Blog
Marianne
Pollo Y Quimbombo
Odé to Wa Silé
Sabroso Mambo
Adelante Siempre Voy
"A record that pulses with energy and experience; the eponymous opener manages to be both smooth and edgy, setting the tone for the old-school classics and new compositions that follow."- 4 Stars, Jane Cornwell, Songlines Magazine
"I’ve lost count exactly how many CD’s Robin has made but this is, by far, his finest yet. The incredible, flamboyant horn arrangements have the fire and brashness that is missing in most modern world class Salsa bands."- Mark 'Snowboy' Cotgrove, B & S Magazine
"You are never left short-changed by the brilliance and variety of the music. Long live our Latin King!"- Musician Magazine
"This great blend of danceable numbers and Latin jazz make Robin Jones & King Salsa’s latest a must have in any serious music library."- Arturo Gómez, Music Director, jazz89KUVO 89.3FM Denver
La Que Dica Una Mentira
Ban Con Tim
Sabroso Mambo is the explosive new album from Robin Jones & King Salsa, a powerhouse 13-piece UK Latin band that have been filling dance floors for more than 25 years.
Bandleader Robin Jones is a living legend in UK Latin music with a high-profile career that includes performances with Charlie Palmieri, Machito, Mongo Santamaria, Alfredo 'Chocolate' Armenteros, and Arturo Sandoval as well as Jazz stars Stan Getz, Chet Baker, Sonny Stitt and Lalo Schifrin.
The tracks recorded for Sabroso Mambo pay homage to many of Robin's influences and friends including legends of the Latin scene such as Tito Puente, Ray Barretto and Moises Simons. There are also new charts written by band members Chris Kibble, Gavin Broom and Bosco De Oliveira.
Produced by Tim Smart (Trombone player with The Specials), Bosco De Oliveira and Tim Adnitt, this album highlights Weave Records' absolute commitment to the highest production values possible. Sabroso Mambo is a benchmark album from a truly great institution in the UK music scene.
Artist // King SalsaAlbum // Sabroso Mambo
Price // £12.00
Mambo Inn
Robin Jones // Band Leader / Congas / Shekere
Enrique Bringas // Lead Vocal (Tracks 1, 6, 8)
Carlos Fuentes // Lead Vocal (Track 2) / Coro / Shekere / Percussion
Chris Kibble // Piano
Jonny Gee // Baby Bass
Bosco De Oliveira // Lead Vocal (Tracks 4, 7, 11) / Coro / Bongos / Shekere / Percussion
Marc Cecil // Timbales
Jean-Paul Gervasoni // Trumpet
Alex Maynard // Trumpet
Gavin Broom // Trumpet
Tim Smart // Trombone / Musical Director
Jamie M Harris // Tenor / Baritone Saxophone
Ran Kan Kan
Mambo Fantasma
Ivan's Dream
For Love Once More
Off the Beam
"The third release of Berlin-based pianist and composer Katya Sourikova looks and sounds like something fitting the ECM catalog—the beautiful cover, the pristine and rich sound of the recording, and, obviously, the genre-binding beautiful, lyrical and nuanced music that moves freely and organically along the spectrum of jazz, both American and European, as well as folk music and classical music, all without subscribing fully to any genre but embracing it all.
The opening "In the Dark," references Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett's lyrical playing, but Sourikova enriches the simple, fluid structure by adding a Bach-ian counterpoint. "Off the Beam" features the sensitive interplay of the core quartet, with short, well-articulated solo parts by bassist Simon Nauer and tenor saxophonist Oliver Fox. "Twilight," Sourikova's first jazz composition, sensually weaves the modal innovations of Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock with an impressionist harmonic language, reminiscent of the works of French composers Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel. "Queen Maud Land," in its two parts, stresses the ECM aesthetic, with its cinematic, dreamy narrative of a distant, chilly journey. The title piece integrates energetic syncopated lines, reminiscient of Charlie Parker with the analytic exploration of folksy, pulsating rhythms by composer like Béla Bartók. The lyrical "Hagakure" draws its inspiration from the book “The Way of the Samurai”…and the consternation of the women of the samurais preparing for another war. The more whimsical "Switchblade" is Sourikova's sinister response to the futile war in Iraq.
This impressive album is concluded with the optimistic, rhythmic "For Love Once More," another beautiful and arresting melody, that convinced Dave Douglas after hearing it, that he needed to drink vodka.“- Eyal Hareuveni, All About Jazz - 2011 Jazz Album of the Year
Twilight
Queen Maud Land I
Queen Maud Land II
In the Dark
The tunes recorded for Ivan’s Dream have a timeless quality - In the Dark, Twilight and Off the Beam sound as if they could have been penned by the likes of Bill Evans or Wayne Shorter. But this is a fresh and exciting new composer at work - Katya draws from a deep well of her many years as a classical pianist, combining her Baltic roots with a lifelong exploration of both American and European Jazz.
Katya’s playing is fluid and sensual as she evolves her lyrical, melodic soloing with rich harmonic language. Drummer Brendan Dougherty provides a solid and yet highly sensitive percussive framework. Bassist Simon Bauer shows extraordinary lyricism and depth. Tenor Saxophonist Oliver Fox illuminates each melody with thoughtful phrasing and beautiful arching solos.
Katya blends additional melodic lines into several tracks, played by guest Trumpeter Gunhild Seim and Guitarist Johannes Haage. The resulting rich and varied textures keep the music sounding fresh and new no matter how often it is heard. EndFragment
Switchblade
Katya Sourikova // Piano
Oliver Fox // Tenor Saxophone
Simon Bauer // Double Bass
Brendan Dougherty // DrumsGunhild Siem // TrumpetJohannes Haage // Guitar
Hagakure
December Sky
Looking at the Wind
Drawing on firm roots in both Middle Eastern music and Flamenco, Attab's compositions take the listener on an instrumental journey through Andalusia and the Middle East, conveying a sonic experience that can only be described as his own.
Attab's work has featured on BBC Radio 3, Radio 6, Radio Scotland and Resonance FM. He has performed in the UK, Europe, USA, Middle East and India to much acclaim, and has appeared on several Middle Eastern TV Channels. In April 2010 he was the subject of an hour long documentary on Arabic TV Channel AL-Fayhaa that highlighted his innovative new approach to the Oud.
With some of the UK’s finest musicians in their respective fields, Attab's ensemble includes Flautist Philippe Barnes, Cellists Ben Davis and Naomi Wright, Double Bassist Matt Ridley, and Percussionist Vasilis Sarikis.
Days Distinctive was written and produced by Haddad. With a strong desire to show the Oud’s versatility outside its traditional role, he casts his players across a diverse musical landscape including Flamenco, Jazz, Middle Eastern and Contemporary music, combining these naturally as a modern evolution of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern instrumental music.
Improvisation is of central importance to the ensemble. Against a backdrop of Middle Eastern Maqams (modes) and Flamenco Rhythms, a prevailing Jazz ethos still allows each musician a great deal of freedom.
Oh Georgina
Por Que? No Se!
Awakening
Por Tangos
Days Distinctive
Longa-esque
Aire Del Oud
"Central to Middle Eastern music, the lute-like oud has become increasingly popular in world fusion. On this brilliantly realised debut, London-based Attab Haddad gives a masterclass in the instrument's possibilities, drawing from Arabic forms while lacing his compositions with flamenco, jazz and classical flavours. The mood shifts easily from contemplative pieces such as "Looking at the Wind" to tumbling excursions such as "Oh Georgina" and the Andalucian flourish of "Por Tangos". There's inspired accompaniment from flute, violin and, particularly, Naomi Wright's cello, while pianist Kit Downes guests on the clever (and ticking) "Clock". A lovely ensemble piece, with a virtuso at its heart."- Neil Spencer, The Observer - 4/5 Stars
"It is rare to find a musician who, on his debut recording, is already confirming his stature as one of the best in his field. London-based/Iraqi-descended oudist Attab Haddad is such a musician, honing his knowledge of the traditional Arabic legacy with oud masters including Iraqi Ahmed Mukhtar and Egyptians Nihad El-Sayed and Nasseer Shamma.
His innovative new attitude to the oud marks him along other great contemporary players such as Anouar Brahem and Rahim Al-Haj, Haddad's complete mastery of the instrument—with a poetic personal musical language and natural sense of openness— organically placing it into new genres such as chamber jazz, flamenco and contemporary music. This comes together with strong and fresh compositions, wise arrangements that leave enough room for all the melodies to blossom, and the wisdom to find the right musicians to enhance Haddad's vibrant musical vision. 2012 has only begun but Days Distinctive is already a strong contender for this year's list of best releases."- Eyal Hareuveni, All About Jazz
Clock
Goldilocks' Porridge
Attab Haddad // Oud, Palmas
Philippe Barnes // Flute
Matt Ridley // Double Bass
Naomi Wright // Cello
Ben Davis // Cello
Vasilis Sarikis // Percussion
Fanar Haddad // KhishbahRamon Ruiz // Flamenco GuitarGenevieve Wilkins // Cajon, Percussion and PalmasSabina Rakcheyeva // ViolinKit Downes // Piano
Katya Sourikova // Piano
Oliver Fox // Tenor Sax
Simon Bauer // Double Bass
Brendan Dougherty // DrumsGunhild Siem // TrumpetJohannes Haage // Guitar
The third release of Berlin-based pianist and composer Katya Sourikova looks and sounds like something fitting the ECM catalog—the beautiful cover, the pristine and rich sound of the recording, and, obviously, the genre-binding beautiful, lyrical and nuanced music that moves freely and organically along the spectrum of jazz, both American and European, as well as folk music and classical music, all without subscribing fully to any genre but embracing it all.
The title piece is a successful exercise in integrating the improvised, energetic syncopated lines, influenced by such innovative saxophonist as Charlie Parker with the analytic exploration of folksy, pulsating rhythms by composer like Béla Bartók. Sourikova present her disdain with the politics of war on two compositions. The lyrical "Hagakure" draws its inspiration from the book The Way of the Samurai, and attempts to touch this sore issue from the perspective of the consternation of the women of the samurais preparing for another war. The more whimsical "Switchblade," originally titled "Puppet Tango," is Sourikova's sinister response to the futile war in Iraq. This impressive album is concluded with the optimistic, rhythmic "For Love Once More," another beautiful and arresting melody, that convinced Dave Douglas after hearing it, that he needed to drink vodka.“
Eyal Hareuveni, All About Jazz
Recorded in Berlin in 2010, each track conveys an experience in Sourikova’s life. The tunes have a timeless quality and many are so strong they will likely become part of the wider jazz repertoire - In the Dark, Twilight and Off the Beam seem as if they could have been penned by the likes of Bill Evans or Wayne Shorter. But this is a fresh and exciting new composer at work - Sourikova draws from a deep well of her many years as a classical pianist, combining her Baltic roots with a lifelong exploration of both American and European jazz.
Sourikova’s playing is fluid and sensual as she evolves her lyrical, melodic soloing with rich harmonic language. Drummer Brendan Dougherty provides a solid and yet highly sensitive percussive framework. Bassist Simon Bauer shows extraordinary lyricism and depth. Tenor Saxophonist Oliver Fox illuminates each melody with thoughtful phrasing and beautiful arching solos.
Sourikova blends additional melodic lines into several tracks, played by guest Trumpeter Gunhild Seim and Guitarist Johannes Haage. The resulting rich and varied textures allow the album to be heard over and again while always sounding fresh and new.