Absolutely! – Music for string quartet and jazz soloists
When issued, this was our disc of the year, this is so new, different and unique we just love it… not mundane and simplistic crossover but a true fusion and blend of soft jazz solos and improvisations, over standard ‘straight’ classical playing: bring together the top performers Uwe Steinmetz, composer and saxophonist, jazz violinist Mads Tolling and the renowned Fitzwilliam String Quartet. Beautiful, atmospheric and a wonderful experience from beginning to end……
Track Listing
-
Uwe Steinmetz:
- Absolutely! − I. Prelude (6:28)
- Absolutely! − II. Purity (5:53)
- Absolutely! − III. Honesty (3:32)
- Absolutely! − IV. Unselfishness (8:28)
- Absolutely! − V. Love (6:12)
- Chaconne for Steve Lacy (6:28) Henry Purcell (arr. Steinmetz):
- Fantasia No. 7 for Four Viols, Z. 738 (4:16) Uwe Steinmetz:
- Fantasia No. 1 "Epiphany" (4:49) Henry Purcell (arr. Steinmetz:
- Fantasia No. 1 for Four Viols, Z. 742 (3:28) Johann Sebastian Bach (arr. Steinmetz/Russell):
- Chaconne from Violin Partita No. 2, BWV 1004 (13:01)
Reviews
“Echoes of Bartók, Stravinsky, and Herbie Nichols permeate Absolutely!, and Steinmetz’s soprano sax flutters its way through the proceedings in a way that adds a voice to the string quartet in addition to soloing over it. Violinist Tolling, by nature of his instrument, often sounds as if he is emerging from the ensemble. . What amazed me more was how the Fitzwilliam String Quartet also manages to assimilate this style at times. The last movement, Love, is an extraordinary polyphonic piece whose texture becomes increasingly complex as it develops. Steinmetz’s arrangements of the Purcell Fantasias are fascinating for the clever way he has woven the soprano sax, playing variations on the themes, into them without disturbing either the flow or the musical content of the works. This is a remarkable CD; highly recommended!
” —Lynn Rene Bayley
“Superb playing .. this is an incredible success, combining jazz and classical … all brilliantly played… terrific jazz improvisations over the Purcellian sounds of the Fitzwilliam Quartet. Superb string playing and inventive sax…with both blending wonderfully. Well recorded with excellent notes, this is a disc that all open minded classical and jazz lovers should investigate.
” —Bruce Reader
“The natural – as opposed to digital – provenance of the reverberation is evident within seconds of audition. In my view the final track … is worth the purchase price of the CD alone. [A] brave new CD … the energizing music of Absolutely! with its rich meta content adds a welcome spoonful of idealism to today’s relentless diet of self-centred commercialism.
” —Pliable
