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Major Over Minor improvise Bartók's 44 Duos for Violin |
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Written by Administrator
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Saturday, 11 June 2005 |
The string trio Major Over Minor will perform Sunday
June 12 2005 at 8:30 PM at Cornelia Street Café. Formed in
November
2004 by three of New York's leading improvising string players
violinist Rob Thomas, violist/violinist Tanya Kalmanovitch, and bassist
Lindsey Horner the group pays homage to Hungarian composer and
ethnomusicologist Béla Bartók by using the composer's
works for two
violins as departure points for daring, dazzling jazz improvisation.
The trio¹s debut earlier this spring at Cornelia Street
Café was
enthusiastically received by audiences and media. Reviewing the trio's
debut in All About Jazz,
David Adler wrote, "Horner set the tempos and laid rhythmic foundations
for the violin solos, in which Bartók's acrid melodic language
became a
springboard for brilliant jazz musings". The group's name comes from a
musicological term that describes Bartok¹s characteristic
polytonal
harmonic language, but"major over minor" also points to the
music¹s
emotional chiaroscuro of sadness and celebration. The result is an
intimate, expressive chamber music that reaches across the boundaries
of folk, classical, jazz and free improvisation.
Béla Bartók (1881-1945) was deeply involved with the folk
music of
Eastern Europe. One of the founders or 20th century ethnomusicology,
Bartok collected field recordings of traditional Rumanian, Slovakian,
Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Turkish and North African music as well
as the folk music of his native Hungary. The short compositions that
form the bulk of Major Over Minor's repertoire in
particular, the
progressive compositions Bartók wrote for piano and violin
students
display these various ethnic influences. In their upcoming performance,
the trio will focus on Bartok¹s 44 Duos for Violin.
International critics and audiences recognize violinist Rob
Thomas as
one of the most original, technically adept and powerful violinists
playing jazz and contemporary music. Thomas has been an active member
of the creative music scene in New York City since moving there in
1991. In the mid 90's he performed and recorded extensively with The
Jazz Passengers. In 2001 Rob accepted the violin chair in the String
Trio of New York joining guitarist James Emery and bassist John
Lindberg as the legendary group began its 23rd season. He is also a
member of the critically acclaimed Mahavishnu Project, and most
recently dazzled Jazz at Lincoln Center audiences as featured soloist
with John Handy¹s Legendary 1965 Monterey Sextet.
A formidable classical performer, Tanya Kalmanovitch is
fast developing a reputation in the international jazz and creative
music community as an innovator on her primary instrument, the viola.
After graduating from the Juilliard School, Kalmanovitch played with
the Turtle Island String Quartet before embarking on the studies in
ethnomusicology that would eventually take her to South India, where
she lived for a year researching the connections between jazz and
Karnatic music. Since moving to New York in late 2004, she is fast
making a name for herself in the city¹s jazz and creative music
scene
and was named as "Best new talent" for 2004 by All About Jazz New
York. She has released two albums as leader of her quartet Hut Five
(with Rick Peckham, Ronan Guilfoyle and Owen Howard), 2002's Hut
Five and 2004¹'s Out where the trains don't run.
Kalmanovitch co-leads a free-improvisation duo with pianist Myra
Melford, which has recently recorded its first album.
Bassist Lindsey Horner is one of the more versatile
musicians in jazz and modern music. He has most often been heard
with
musicians on the cutting edge recording and performing with artists
such as Greg Osby, Bill Frisell, Bobby Previte, Dave Douglas and Muhal
Richard Abrams. Throughout the 90's Horner performed as a member of the
Myra Melford trio, an association that yielded four highly acclaimed
discs. As a leader he has produced three recordings, Never No More,
Mercy Angel and Believers with
a fourth due later this year. Horner is a member of the co-operative
group Jewels and Binoculars with saxophonist Michael Moore and drummer
Michael Vatcher. Horner also has deep roots in Irish music having
toured and recorded extensively with singer/songwriter Susan McKeown,
Scottish fiddle master Johnny Cunningham and traditional Irish music
legend Andy Irvine.
Cornelia Street Café is located at 29 Cornelia Street, New York,
10014.
A $10 music charge ($7 for students) will apply, and there is a
one-drink minimum per set. For reservations, contact the Cornelia
Street Café at 212-989-9319.
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 Friday, 05 December 2008
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