Lillie
Joined: Apr 09, 2010 Posts: 15 Location: LA
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Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 1:49 pm Post subject:
Eclectic Eve by Christopher Lapina Subject description: KEYBOARDIST CHRISTOPHER LAPINA SOMETIMES USES PIANO AS PERCUSSION INSTRUMENT |
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KEYBOARDIST CHRISTOPHER LAPINA SOMETIMES USES PIANO AS PERCUSSION INSTRUMENT
You know those albums that you put on and the first track sounds like the second track which sounds like the last one on the CD? This disc is not like that. Not one of the tunes sounds quite like any of the others. I guess it makes perfect sense then for keyboardist Christopher Lapina to have named this project Eclectic Eve because it is certainly eclectic.
The first piece, “Highland Return,” is very unusual. According to the background materials, the time signatures change from 5/4 to 9/8 to 3/4 and back to 5/4. I will certainly take their word on that one. I could see prog-rockers digging this ensemble piece that features a couple of out-there guitars. Then the CD really takes a turn into weirdness because the second piece, “Hand in Glove,” is all percussion (yes, you heard me correctly). Ok, then there is another ensemble piece (with saxophone added), “Rolling Blue,” that is sort of bluesy and has a melody. The fourth tune is primarily cello and synthesizer, an acoustic and electronic mix. Are you seeing where this headed? Eclectic-ville, indeed. I haven’t even mentioned the wordless-vocal eight-person choral-group backed by a jazz quartet on “Lucy Turns Eclectic” (what happened to Eve?) that starts out like a lullaby and ends up like Jon Hendricks directing Manhattan Transfer on their Vocalese album. The CD ends on a quiet note with a short (under-two-minutes) solo piano piece.
Now here is the craziest part of the entire recording. It all works! Don’t ask me how or why, but if you take each track separately and on their own merits, they all sound good, and at the very least, extremely interesting. Now some of the music may not be up your alley, but if you like experimental new age, modern classical or jazz, there will probably be something on here that grabs your attention and makes you smile.
Recommended for the adventurous sort of listener. |
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