Ahhh, there's something so very special about Release Day: the air seems cleaner, the sun shines brighter, colors seem more vivid, food tastes better, dogs don't bite and people don't sneer. Of course, I am referring to yesterday, Tuesday, September 26. D-Day. R-Day. The day a million ears all over the planet are tuning into our product while we sit here biting our nails just waiting to see how it all pans out.
Of course, I'm referring to Crypto's newest drops: New Monastery: A View into the Music of Andrew Hill by Nels Cline and The Image of Your Body by Myra Melford's new ensemble Be Bread. Thanks to the lickety-splitness of the Info Age, we've already got some good feedback on both.
Let's start with New Monastery:
FEATURED PICK HIT of AMG/Allance ONE Stop New Release info sheet
# 3 MOST ADDED with 14 reports on this weeks CMJ Jazz Top Adds.
"Guitarist Nels Cline has taken up the challenge; New Monastery is learned and original. –Ben Ratliff, The New York Times
"One of the Top 10 Alt-Jazz CDs for 2006!" –John Matouk, About.com
“Essential listening!” –Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
“This unconventional lineup is a marvel…New Monastery is more than a tribute to a fantastic composer, it is a reminder of the timelessness of great music.” –Troy Collins, All AboutJazz
The Chicago Tribune's Greg Kot ran a feature on Nels Cline and Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche in tandem with their current duo/solo tour: http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/chi-0609220178sep22,1,2137414.story
while Bob Gendron's reviewed the show at the Black Orchid:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/reviews/critics/chi-ggk2dmvh5.14sep24,1,6051444.story?coll=chi-ent_critics-hed
...And that's not all. Expect to see Nels reviewed in Jazzitude.com, Downbeat, Point of Departure and Jazz Wise in upcoming weeks. Jazz Times will feature a review of New Monastery accompanied by feature written by Nels on what the music of Andrew Hill means to him (not to be missed! -- the guy can write as well as hammer an axe) and Guitar One is running a profile on Nels in mid-October.
Now the kudos for The Image of Your Body:
“The Image of Your Body…is the definitive statement of [Melford’s] new phase: long, slowly unfolding, rapturous themes, crossed with the jagged metrical display of new jazz.” –Ben Ratliff, The New York Times
“The Image of Your Body/ is proof that one’s spiritual quest is inherently reflected in one’s music. It’s another superb release from Melford.” –John Kelman, All About Jazz
“This is a wonderful work of sonic passion…offbeat, interesting and like nothing I’ve heard before.” –Drew Mulkins, TheCelebrityCafe.com
“Melford's music uses the evocative capabilities of electronics and amplification to summon up the exotic atmospheres of the subcontinent and hint at the spiritual mysteries there.” –Doug Ramsey, Rifftides
Further coverage of The Image of Your Body is pending in both Point of Departure and Jazz Wise.
Nels and Myra will be on tour this Fall, so check out the Crypto tour page. In fact, we got an improved wesbite with some new images and goodies for your dining and dancing pleasure.
Also don't forget to check out our MySpace pages:
www.myspace.com/myramelford
www.myspace.com/nelscline
www.myspace.com/cryptogramophone
OTHER NEWS
Bennie Maupin and Jeff Gauthier are still receiving press for their recent efforts, Penumbra and One and the Same respectively. Daniel Spicer of Pop Matters just favorably reviewed Penumbra:
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/3773/the-bennie-maupin-ensemble-penumbra/
Signal to Noise ran a profile of several prominent violinists -- among them not only our own fearless leader Jeff Gauthier but also Crypto artist Jenny Scheinman -- in its October issue. Get it on newsstands now!
Just wanted to note that you do have at least one reader, who eagerly awaits your next post.
Posted by: godoggo | November 29, 2006 at 10:53 AM