New York based composer and guitarist Gabriel Vicéns has mastered the art of less-is-more on his new album Mural, a collection of modern chamber music meets jazz pieces wherein the spaces between the notes are as important as the music itself. He plays a game of hide and seek with his audience, that will likely induce quite a bit of head-scratching, before giving way to being in awe for his bravado. Vicéns always seems to be one of two steps ahead as he urges his musicians to step on the tightrope and follow him to the other end, where - after a short stop on a platform - the next challenge is already waiting.
Vicéns avoided to use of any percussion instrument in his compositions, so there is no common ground for the orchestra to fall back on. By doing so, he created a tapestry of sounds without a safety net that can be as unpredictable as a bunch of leaves in the Autumn. Hanging onto a particular instrument may offer some kind of comfort, but it is the dance of all the players that makes Mural a mesmerizing work of art.
Gabriel Vicéns: compositions
Roberta Michel: flute
Raissa Fahlman: clarinet
Joenne Dumitrascu: violin
Adrianne Munden-Dixon: violin
Rocío Díaz de Cossío: cello
Wick Simmons: cello
Julia Henderson: cello
Corinne Penner: piano
Mayumi Tsuchida: piano
Mikael Darmanie: piano
John Ling: vibraphone
David Bloom: conductor
Nu Quintet:
Kim Lewis: flute
Michael Dwinell: oboe
Kathryn Vetter: clarinet
Tylor Thomas: bassoon
Blair Hamrick: horn
Mural is a self-released album (CD, digital). Buy it from his website. Release date: March 29.
Tracks:- Mural
- Sueños Ligados
- El Matorral
- Una Superficie Sin Rostro
- Carnal
- Ficción
- La Esfera
