All artists filed by last name under D, E and F :
With tender probing and tight expressive language, ‘The Miniature Room’ explores the grace and power of the miniscule as it exists within an infinite universe. This 2006 T S Eliot Prize-winning collection utilises rich imagery and complex interlocking meanings as author Rebecca Durham builds off the classical themes of art, history, nature, love, life, religion, and motherhood to provide a sensual and inquisitive body of work. Continue reading
Carol V. Davis is the granddaughter of Jewish immigrants from Russia. Her fascination with Russia, aided by a Fulbright grant, drew her to St Petersburg in the mid 1990s. Over the next decade, she divided her time between the US and Russia, where, as an American-born Jew, she was an outsider in Russian society. This collection of poems expresses the struggle with language barriers and cultural differences — struggles heightened as Davis helped her children adjust to their new daily life. Inspired by Russia’s rich history, its economic changes, and landscape, these poems express a unique perspective of Russia. Continue reading
The writings of Denise Desautels have circulated in Quebec and Europe for some thirty years or so. She is considered to be one of the most talented poets in Quebec, often taking inspiration from the visual arts which she has a gift for seeing in words. As her translator, I was very conscious of this aspect of her work, and when various choices arose in the course of the translation process, I almost always opted for the most pictorial or the most visual element possible. ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’ as the saying goes, but the picture, once created, can give rise in the poet’s mind to metaphors and ‘word art’ that allow us to see the same picture in a totally new and profound way. Denise Desautels has performed this feat of poetic legerdemain brilliantly in The Night Will be Insistent.” — Daniel Sloate Continue reading
The first collection of powerful personal poetry by an extremely accomplished poet. Ex-U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Haas calls her style realist and modernist, and compares her to William Carlos Williams. Continue reading
“This is a beautiful example of the difference between influence and imitation: Bird never did this thing that he inspired Harry to do. Harry got a feeling from Bird and it took him to something completely original. It’s also the kind of line of influence that particularly moves and delight me: a singer, inspired by a saxophone player, comes up with a new conception with shattering implications for singers and instrumentalists alike.” — Andy Fite, Village Life 1992 Continue reading
It is possible for music to be both beautiful and challenging as evidenced on THE WAY I AM by the vocalizing of Satin, who performs in a series of duets with pianist Crothers or guitarist Fite. The beauty comes from the delightful voice of Satin, who sings eight standards that are dripping with love. She conveys warmth and passion through her singing… (Satin) skirts through these love songs displaying all the romance and eloquence the tunes hold. The challenge comes from the instrumental side of the equation. Crothers… excels with probing solos… Her dense patterns underlining Satin’s voice and her own explorations add considerable substance to the duets. Fite… contributes a challenging ring to his… duets with Satin. His playing adds lyricism to the songs… Love is in the air with Satin at the mike…. The three form two delightful teams. – Frank Rubolino, Cadence February 2000. Continue reading
“He is a true ‘Jazz Singer,’ meaning someone who uses their voice as an instrument instead of merely interpreting lyrics… A flair for dramatic scale-climbing improvisations, and a silken singing voice that can tell a story. Bob Casanova is a talent.”- Jerome Wilson, Cadence Magazine Continue reading
Thereis a small, specialized subgenre of jazz that occurs when out-cats decide to come in from the cold and play it (relatively) straight for a tune or two. (Think Eric Dolphy exhausting “You Don’t Know What Love Is”on Last Date, or Alber Ayler croaking“Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen.” The fun comes from the tension created by turmoil under voluntary temporary restraint. Nod has some of that tension (and fun). Jessica Jones and her husband, Tony Jones, are perhaps the only avant-garde, tenor-sax playing man-and-wife tandem in jazz. Their 15-year track record revolves around experimental composition, freer forms and collective improvisation. But the Joneses planned Nod as “a tribute to the jazz guys (and gals) in the lineage.” The result is an approachable, intriguing album, full of surprise and positive energy. Continue reading
Basedon the brevity of information available on this disc from its packaging, it’s difficult to gain a handle on Dzurinko’s background. Fortunately, her style at the piano is far less enigmatic than her origins and usually favors a light lyrical touch and diplomatic approach to the politics of melody and rhythm. Spreading her lithe fingers over an intimate gathering of standards and originals, Dzurinko sounds very much at home in the company of one. Most of the pieces are limited in length, but opulent in ideas. Her original compositions are possessed of a stark and natural beauty that often overshadows her warmer, more accessible readings of the standards. “Dinosaurs Rising” and “Seven Eight” are two such pieces that move across the breadth of emotions within the space of only a few minutes. Other pieces, such as“Traffic and Weather Together,” manifest darker moods through taut tone clusters and the careful use of dissonance. Maintaining a high level of rapport with one’s instrument while remaining cognizant of an audience for the music can be a burden for any musician in a solo setting. From the music presented here, it’s apprarent that Dzurinko is more than up to the challenge presented by such sparse surroundings. — Derek Taylor Continue reading
Liebowitz and Field mix freely improvised tracks with very loose versions of standards like “Melancholy Baby” and “Out of Nowhere.” Field’s free playing (especially on the standards) is very coherent and eminently lyrical, using the tune’s melodic contours as a guide, while straying somewhat afield of the traditional harmonies. Liebowitz as much as ignores the changes completely. I imagine that she’s playing off the melody as interpreted by Field, probably keeping the harmonic rhythm in mind to a degree, but relying mostly on her musical instincts, which are usually fine. The totally improvised cuts (especially the title track) are an unqualified success, though I wish they’d stretched them out a little more. The tunes are rathertoo familiar in their original form to stand up to this kind of treatment; the weight of historical expectation lies heavy on every note, which can be a distraction. I suppose had one never heard “All of Me,” however, he orshe could easily accept Liebowitz and Field’s rendering as definitive. Quite an unusual album, and one worth hearing. — Chris Kelsy, Jazz Now (on line jazz magazine, New Sounds page, Oct. 1995) Continue reading