ensemble

Yesterday’s post already mentioned the percussion wiz Cyro Baptista’s upcoming album with his Banquet of the Spirits troupe. It’s no secret Cyro loves huge ensembles that’s why I guess he decided to transfer Banquet of the Spirits from a quartet to a 26-strong ensemble.

We’ve already mentioned this year’s most exciting lineup on Leaf where A Hawk and a Hacksaw meet with the Hun Hangar Ensemble lead by Béla Ágostone master of Hungarian folk music & jazz and a multi instrumentalist playing Hungarian bagpipes, clarinet, alto saxophone, taragoto, viola.

One of the new releases on the list was by Alec K. Redfearn & The Eyesores a 7-22 piece orchestral ensemble from Providence, Rhode Island with prolific writer & singer Alec Redfearn as frontman. I’ve listened to their previous album “The Smother Party” on North East Indie with much love; how can you not love a band that has a bassoon and a french horn in it??

They’re both Japanese. Let’s just get that fact out of our way at once. Why oh why are japanese so good with jazz? It’s probably the same as electronics. They take revenge from the western world by doing the things they take from westerners better than the west. Yes, don’t be fooled by their smiling toy faces, Japs are mean little bastards when it comes to jazz.