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CUSP: Dick & Haluska redefine instruments at Crop Circles CD release party 

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by Max Newman

“We kind of wanted to explore the more aesthetically non-traditional approaches to playing our instruments.”

This was how harpist Stephan Haluska described his main musical goal on his album Crop Circles, made in collaboration with visionary flutist Robert Dick and released on January 19. The album’s release will be celebrated on Friday, January 26 at 8:00 pm at the Convivium 33 Gallery, when Dick and Haluska will be joined by the Max Hyde-Perry Ensemble in a presentation by the Cleveland Uncommon Sound Project.

“Honing into the weirder approaches to what we can get out of a flute and harp duo was, conceptually, the only thing we wanted to do going into this. Everything is improvised,” Haluska said during a recent telephone conversation.

This largely reflects Haluska’s own musical goals. Throughout his career, he has strived to push the boundaries of what the harp can do.

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Oberlin’s Sonny Rollins Ensemble wows at the ‘Sco (Jan. 13)

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by Max Newman

If you’re looking for a display of collegiate jazz brilliance, look no further than Oberlin Conservatory’s Sonny Rollins Jazz Ensemble. Selected through an extremely competitive audition process, this premier ensemble was formed in 2018 after a generous donation from its namesake. The group often tours the nation, wowing audiences with their remarkable performances and showcasing the next generation set to make their mark on jazz.

On January 13, the ensemble, led by jazz guitar professor Bobby Ferrazza, performed at Oberlin’s Dionysus Club (known as the ‘Sco), previewing ten pieces for their upcoming tour to San Francisco. The group transfixed the audience with performances that were at times lively, at times sultry, at times laid back, and always supremely impressive.

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Oberlin Small Jazz Ensembles at The Cat (Nov. 19)

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by Max Newman

Oberlin Conservatory’s jazz department has a storied and star-studded history, with alumni such as pianist Sullivan Fortner, trumpeter Theo Croker, and violinist Jenny Scheinman, as well as a faculty that includes saxophonist Gary Bartz, an NEA Jazz Master and two-time Grammy winner. There is clearly a pipeline of talent here that has not ended, as heard at the Oberlin Small Jazz Ensembles concert on November 19. 

This was clearly a display of possible future stars. However, what was really striking was how each ensemble worked as a group to create distinct atmospheres and feelings. There was the emotionally intimate Gabi Allemana Ensemble, whose gorgeous arrangements filled the room with bliss, sadness, longing, contemplativeness, and everything in between. There was the playful, organ-centric Ori Josell Ensemble, who, even in the absence of their saxophone player, managed to get the audience on the edge of their seats with a series of arrangements impossible not to bob your head to. There was also the ragtime- and New Orleans jazz-inspired Colin Leonard Ensemble, whose energetic performances closing out the night felt celebratory.

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An evening with Bombino at the Cleveland Museum of Art (Oct. 11)

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by Max Newman

Really good concerts will allow you to enjoy the music on show; the best ones will allow you to live inside of it. Tuareg musician Bombino’s performance at the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Gartner Auditorium on Wednesday, October 11 was certainly an example of the latter. The concert was magical from start to finish.

For someone known as the “Sultan of Shred,” Bombino started off with rather subtle, serene instrumentation: Bombino himself on acoustic guitar, Kawissan Mohamed Alhassan on a more quiet, textural electric guitar, Corey Wilhelm on a large hand drum, and, most interestingly, Djakrave Dia on a seemingly hollow wooden dome, loudly mic’d, that made a water drop-esque noise when softly hit.

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An Evening with Bombino: A Joyful Cacophony

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by Max Newman

If you are looking for a combination of pure emotional power and stylistically blended sonic bliss, look no further than Bombino, one of Africa’s brightest musical stars.

The talented songwriting virtuoso, who recently became the first ever Grammy-nominated artist from Niger, will be wowing audiences this Wednesday, October 11 at 7:30 pm in Gartner Auditorium at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Tickets are available online.

Bombino graciously agreed to answer questions about his upcoming performance and musical philosophy via email.

Bombino was born into a Tuareg settlement near Agadez, Niger, in 1980 — the Tuareg are an ethnic group based primarily in Niger and Mali in Africa’s Sahara region. As a Tuareg musician, the feeling of pride and responsibility he has for his people is instantly clear. “In our culture musicians have a very important role. We carry with us our traditions to pass on, but also we do act as the voice of the people, to talk about the good and bad things going on in the world. Governments will target musicians in times of conflict because we inspire people to come together and to feel united. So this carries a great power in our society. [Read more…]

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