A Different World

A Different World

Description: 
DuoJalal A Different World
Composers: 
David Krakauer
Derek Bermel
Yousif Sheronick
Enzo Rao Camemi
Kenji Bunch
Glen Velez
Philip Glass
John Patitucci
Performers: 
DuoJalal
Yousif Sheronick
Kathryn Lockwood
Catalog Number: 
#793
Genre: 
world
new classical
new music
Collection: 
strings
percussion
chamber
music for dance
Location: 

New York, NY

Price: 
$15.00
Release Date: 
Jan 25, 2011
Liner Notes: 
View
1 CD
One Sheet: 

A Different World, much like the marriage between Kathryn Lockwood and Yousif Sheronick, represents an organic amalgam of cultural traditions and musical styles. The collaboration of a classical violist and world percussionist captures disparate worlds merging. The musical styles on this ground breaking disc range from Classical to Klezmer, Middle Eastern to Jazz. The confluence is natural and unforced.

A classically trained violist from Australia, Kathryn ignites the instrument with her passion - one minute embodying a gypsy violinist, the next a Middle Eastern reed flutist. Yousif, of Lebanese descent, manipulates sound by simply snapping his fingers at the edge of an Egyptian frame drum or dragging his foot across the Peruvian cajon. It's evident that both members of the ensemble truly feel the essence of these genres. Kathryn studied Arab music, was coached by David Krakauer on the Klezmer style and by Derek Bermel on the music from Thrace.

Yousif studied classical percussion throughout college and went on study and specialize in music from the Middle East, India, West Africa and Brazil. The compositions on A Different World evolved from various aspects of the musicians' lives, through casual conversations over dinner and coincidental reunions in unexpected places. duoJalal met Brooklyn composer Kenji Bunch at a dinner party in Manhattan, Yousif ran into Philip Glass at a music festival in Telluride CO, Kathryn met John Patitucci at a chamber music concert in the neighboring town of Bronxville NY. With the exception of the Italian Mr. Rao Camemi (who Yousif met in NYC), all the composers are New York based and friends and colleagues of the duo.

The result is a stunning testament to the vibrant multicultural fabric of the city of New York and to the artistry of duoJalal. The percussion batterie includes Durbakeh, Djembe, Tar, Bendir, Cajon, Bodhran, Brooms, Wind Gong, Thai Gong, Tibetan Cymbals, Indian Bells, Finger Cymbals, Metal Shaker, Triangle, Caxixi, Goat Hoof Shaker, Bird Whistle, Maraca and Ocean Drum.

Reviews: 

I have really enjoyed working with Kathryn and Yousif and I was amazed to hear the broad range of beautiful colors and sounds they are able to create as a duo. These two virtuosos are fantastic performers and you should definitely check them out!!! - Jazz legend John Patitucci

When two musicians of the highest caliber get together to make music, it is always a thrill to experience. duoJalal performs their unique repertoire with virtuosic skill and sensitivity. Their music making awes seasoned music lovers, as well as opening to the general public a fresh new garden of sound and rhythmic delights. A spirit of generosity, playful enthusiasm and deeply felt emotion permeates their performances, creating a powerful audible bond between performer and audience. - Master drummer Glen Velez

Mr. Sheronick added dazzling improvisations. - Steve Smith, New York Times

Sheronick's solo…stands out as a testimony to his genius. - David Licht, Modern Drummer Magazine

Lockwood is absolutely inside the music's idiom finding appropriate tonal shadings. - Carlos Maria Solane, The Strad

Kathryn Lockwood delivers expert, artful performances that not only keep us interested, but also make us want to come back for more. - David Vernier, Classics Today

"We might live in a global village, but it has produced few transnational musical pairings like Australian-born violist Kathryn Lockwood and her husband, Lebanese-born percussionist Yousif Sheronick. Based in the New York City area, the musicians and their composer friends (including Philip Glass) are fearless seekers and synthesizers of disparate instruments and cultures. My favourite track here is the sneakily seductive 'Klezmer à la Bechet,' a 1997 piece that composer David Krakauer adapted for this duo a couple of years ago. But there are plenty of other treats. Sheronick applies impeccable technique to a wide range of percussion tools, from the bodhran in the opening piece to a goat-hoof shaker in Glass's 'Duo for Solo Viola and Percussion.' Lockwood is all slow, sensuous allure with her bowing arm one moment, a tempest of notes the next. If this is what world music's future holds, bring on the party." (3.5 out of 4 stars) - John Terauds, Toronto Star

"Lockwood’s tone on the viola is varied and rich, occasionally even sounding like a wind instrument … Stunning, gorgeous! Another winner from Innova/American Composers." - KFJC 89.7 (Los Altos Hills, CA)

"Lockwood and Sheronick play with extraordinary technical skills and artistic talent. Their sound is some of the most musical one can hear. The warm tone of the viola is perfectly used by the artist to generate long, melancholic phrases. As for Sheronick, whether he is playing the Arabic durbakeh or the Irish bodhran drum, he makes all percussions sing and come alive. "Listening to 'A Different World' is an exhilarating sonic and somewhat mystical experience. If you are looking for a change of sonic scope look no further, the new CD will more than gratify your senses." - Jean-Claude Elias, Jordan Times

"Kathryn Lockwood combines classical technique, a ravishing tone, and a most definite feel for the mideastern musical mode. Yousif Sheronik adds his mastery of traditional mideastern and south Asian hand drumming (frame drum, tumbek, etc.). "Both artists show excellence in stylistic grasp and nuanced execution. Duo Jalal breathes a freshet of new wind into the sails of a form of music that goes back countless centuries … The music we hear transcends those borders, sometimes. Duo Jalal does just that with a very memorable album. Very much recommended." - Greg Edwards, Gapplegate Music Reviews