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Sherefe, Opium - named after the Turkish drinking toast "to your honor", is a group of American musicians based in Boulder, Colorado dedicated to performing traditional music from the Balkans and the Middle East. Jesse Manno is a founding member of the group. This album is a special collection of ballads and laments, drawn from different regional cultures, but all expressing the same theme of loss in love and war. It is a consistently mellow album; dreamy and dark, yet ecstatic at its own pace. With Meg York: clarinet, Beth Quist: vocals, hammered dulcimer, Cameron Powers, Oud, Bouzouki, vocals, James Hoskins: Cello, Paul Brown: Double Bass, percussion, and Zahara: percussion. (Click here for complete track listings, and to listen to sample audio clips) |
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Lazer Vaudeville, 1 hour. Excerpts from the forever touring juggling/ blacklight/ laser/ physical comedy show. The pieces are extremely diverse. Two have silly lyrics. Rowdy Irish folk, abstract electronic, rock and roll, cantankerous oompah, bluegrass, trance dance, classical spoof, country rock, sweet melodicism, and some Indian and Japanese influences. With Ty Burhoe: tabla, Jean Harrison: Irish fiddle, Timothy Quigley: didgeridoo, and James Hoskins: cello. (Click here for complete track listings, and to listen to sample audio clips) |
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Sea Spirits, Instrumental, 1 hour. More melodic and less ambient than Rainforest, but mysterious and intense in places. Balkan, Indian and Indonesian elements, as well as hints of Peter Gabriel, Meredith Monk, Steve Reich, Pat Metheny, and an orchestral swell or two. Flutes, lutes, drums, keyboards and voices by Jesse With Ty Burhoe: tabla, James Hoskins: cello, and Beth Quist and others: voice. (Click here for complete track listings, and to listen to sample audio clips) |
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Rainforest: Music from the multimedia performance by David Taylor Dance Theatre Instrumental. 1 hour. Indonesian, Australian, African, and romantic elements. Mostly dark and dreamy, but with 2 intense rhythmic pieces, and two gentle melodic pieces.Voice, drums, hummers, flutes, lutes, keyboard, berimbau and field recordings by Jesse With James Hoskins: Cello, and Timothy Quigley: Didgeridoo. (Click here for complete track listings, and to listen to sample audio clips) |
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