Uncanny Affable Machines
Music of Eric Moe
In Uncanny Affable Machines, Eric Moe explores the interaction between fixed media and live performer. The album features a powerhouse of musicians including percussionist Paul Vaillancourt, pipa virtuoso Yihan Chen, and Eric Moe on piano/keyboard.
Songtree
Music of Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon
Literature is a frequent source of inspiration for Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon, whose compositional voice is also shaped by a steady collaboration with the particular group of musicians for whom he writes, including soprano Tony Arnold, flutist Molly Barth, percussionists Stuart Gerber and Paul Vaillancourt, guitarist Dieter Hennings, violinist Hanna Hurwitz, pianist and composer Daniel Pesca, and conductor Timothy Weiss.
Strike . Convergence
Jeff Meyer, piano
Paul Vaillancourt, percussion
"Serious and significant music performed with exceptional skill and musicality and no little wit. A disc worth taking a chance on if only to have a piece in your collection called Mechanically Separated Chicken Parts..."
MusicWeb International
Cantos
Music of Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon
The miniature opera NiñoPolilla, on a libretto by Juan Trigos senior, is a funny but very lugubrious story, eminently Mexican, with the directness of an old fairy tale. The scenic cantata Comala, is based on the novel Pedro Páramo, by Juan Rulfo. The song cycle Flores del Viento is a setting of poems by Laura Zohn (with the exception of "El Río Pasa", of ancient Otomí origin). The poems in Flores del Viento recount the episode of Quetzaclcóatl's deception at the hands of Tezcatlipoca. Quetzalcóatl (translated as "the feathered serpent") was a pre-Hispanic deity.
Shifting Cells
Schwob Percussion
Production values are high, with sound that is vivid and detailed. Paul Vaillancourt, an active performer in his own right with an impressive résumé, plays in the ensemble for two of the works, and is
soloist in the Cherney piece. The happy news is that I cannot determine from listening who is
teacher and who is student, as all of the artists appearing on this release are superb. Clearly CSU
and Vaillancourt have a percussion program of which they can be proud. With such talent, and a
program of innovative and appealing music, this is a release that any fancier of percussion music
will want to explore. Fanfare
Dream Tigers
Music of Matt Welch
The Self and the Other is a meeting place of many sets of ideas. The piece initially sprung up as an idea from Paul Vaillancourt regarding the possibility of a composition for smallpipes (a quieter, sweeter variant of the highland pipes) and harpsichord. This combination was of interest because of their uses of ornamentation. The title comes from a celebrated collection of poetry by Jorge Luis Borges. Borges' use of fiction as a vehicle for philosophy encourages me in the creation of a concerto atmosphere that has a philosophical fantasy of its own. Matthew Welch
Strange Exclaiming Music
Music of Eric Moe
Eric Moe is an alchemist of expressive extremes, from what he calls ‘beautiful quiet music’ to ‘the rough, raucous stuff’. His exquisitely controlled music distils rare eloquence, grace, force and beauty from the incongruous elements of pop, rock, jazz, African drumming and classical sources as diverse as Mozart and Stravinsky. Edgy and lyrical, gritty and elegiac, the works on this disc synthesise the harmonies of Debussy, the drum licks of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Bud Powell’s extraordinary pianism and much more besides into an exuberant musical fusion.
Exchange: Latin America
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The Grief That Does Not Speak
Music of Tamar Diesendruck
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Alien Jazz
Robert Orr Trio
This recording from 2007 featured all original tunes composed by my dear friend and guitarist Robert Orr. It was done in Auburn, Alabama and also featured Jason DeBlanc on bass. This trio repertoire was developed at a weekly gig at the Amsterdam Cafe in Auburn over the period of a few years.
We lost Robert to COVID in 2020. RIP my friend.
I'm Cooking Gumbo
Robert Orr
This recording from 2010 featured all original tunes composed by guitarist Robert Orr.The album explores many of Robert's musical influences and experiences, including his time living in Louisiana, playing with legendary drummer Jabo Starks at the Red Barr in Florida and touring with the Funk Masters.
BE3
Vaillancourt Orr Vaillancourt
This album has it's root in the great organ trios of the 1960s featuring Jimmy Smith with the likes of Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrell, Grady Tate and Stanley Turrentine. My father, Pierre played hammond organ back in the late 60s early 70s as the leader of a house band on local cable shows and resorts in the Montreal area. Due to family commitments he decided to store the organ, until 33 years later when he retired from a very successful career in teaching high school bands. By 2008, having played extensively with Robert I knew I had found the perfect collaborator to ease Dad get back into playing .I gave him a year's notice, a tune list, organized a tour in the Southeast around Columbus, GA and booked recording sessions at the LOFT Studios to document what we came up with. This was the result..