Category: Review

Jane Booth writing for Agora Classica and Early Music Today reviews “Ciaramella Dances.”

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Dances on Movable Ground Ciaramella, Adam Gilbert, Rotem Gilbert (dirs) Yarlung Records 96819 CD VINYL The Californian group Ciaramella specialises in Renaissance dance music; here they explore the Spanish and Italian grounds – passamezzo, passacaglia, ciaconna and so on – that underlie so many late Renaissance dances. Recorders and shawms predominate; playing of expressive fluidity and rhythmic vitality supports plentiful virtuosic divisions. Lifelike sound of exceptional clarity enhances the impact. As well as choosing an ideal acoustic, producer Bob Attiyeh has used an old-fashioned analogue tape recorder, equally old-fashioned analogue valves for the recording circuitry, and a single stereo microphone – viva analogue! Strongly recommended, even if for me a couple of fiddles would be welcome from time to time in this selection, on the cusp of the Renaissance and baroque periods. —Jane Booth Ciaramella Dances is available on CD | Vinyl | Tape | DSD | HDTracks | Apple Continue Reading →

Clifton Harris reviews Michelle Mayne-Graves and Lifeline Quartet

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Mr. Harris highlights the timeless appeal of Lifeline’s spirituals and points out that as important as the Underground Railroad code songs were before and during the Civil War, they resonate just as profoundly in today’s America.   “The Quartet’s Lifeline album comes at a challenging time in America for African Americans, especially with the Trump administration and the dangerous rhetoric that has incited racially charged violence all over the country since his election in 2016. This album covers Negro spirituals from the mid 1800’s to the early 1900’s and reminds us of the spirit we needed to be free as a people.” “Michelle’s range appears to be limitless on this 12 track album….” –Clifton Harris, San Bernardino American News Please read the full article in the San Bernardino American News.

Writing for “The Ear” in the UK, Jason Kennedy gives “Yuko Mabuchi plays Miles Davis” Five Stars, and “Hot Pick”

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It’s unusual to find a pianist creating a tribute to jazz’s most successful trumpeter but you have to give Mabuchi her due; she does a fine job.  Davis tunes are famous because of the way he played them, so an interpretation might be jarring but it’s the emphasis on the keyboard that makes this work.  That and the excellent quality of the live recording, which is dynamic, spacious and natural enough to put you in the moment, then the applause comes and the scale of the venue is fully revealed.  Available on tape, PCM and DSD this could become a hi-fi classic.  –Jason Kennedy Please click here to see the entire page

Yuko Mabuchi Trio & Branford Marsalis Quartet in Orange County

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Yuko Mabuchi Trio and Branford Marsalis Quartet ushered in the New Year in Orange County with great jazz.  Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa produces one of the most important jazz series in the country.  I drove up from my home near San Diego to attend the Yuko Mabuchi Trio/Branford Marsalis Quartet performances on January 25th in the 1800 seat Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall.  I’ve been attending concerts for many years in North America, Europe and Asia and this performance will remain among my greatest memories of live jazz.  Segerstrom Center uses two concert halls for its jazz series.  The more intimate 300-seat Samueli Theater hosts most of the musicians on the jazz series, which recently included Cecile McLorin Salvant, Kurt Elling and The Kenny Barron Quintet.  But for Ahmad Jamal last year and the recent Yuko Mabuchi Trio/Branford Marsalis Quartet performances, Segerstrom needed the large Continue Reading →

Yuko Mabuchi Delivers Breakthrough Performance

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Writing in The Absolute Sound, Rick Brown reviewed Yuko Mabuchi Trio’s January 25th performance at Segerstrom Center for the Arts.  Yuko opened for the great Branford Marsalis Quartet, and the two ensembles had no problem filling the 1,800 seat Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. As Brown concludes “Mabuchi and her trio are primed to take their music to the next level.”  Please visit the article in The Absolute Sound.

Eddie Carter reviews Yuko Mabuchi Trio, Vol 1 for Jazztracks

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Eddie Carter reviews Yuko Mabuchi Trio, Vol 1 for Jazztracks, December 2018 On the stage, a beautiful young woman sits at a baby grand piano unleashing an aggressive flood of sound into the audience. Behind her are two elegantly dressed gentlemen on bass and drums, who match her creativity, precise timing, and articulation with their own musical artistry note-for-note. Her name is Yuko Mabuchi, her bandmates are Del Atkins on bass and Bobby Breton on drums. Their 2018 release, Yuko Mabuchi Trio, Volume 1 (Yarlung Records YAR88157-161V) was recorded live at The Brain and Creativity Institute’s Cammilleri Hall in Los Angeles, California on March 31, 2017. The performance was in honor of the 25th Anniversary of The Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society, and their President, Bob Levi who was celebrating his 70th Birthday as well. I know Bob from his years as a member of The Atlanta Audio Continue Reading →

Music Critic Neville Roberts on Yarlung’s mission

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Music critic Neville Roberts from the UK writing for “Reel to Reel Rambler” discusses Yarlung’s important mission, “Jung-A Lee,” “Yuko Mabuchi Trio” and “Dialoghi.” Yarlung Records isn’t just about producing top quality audio recordings, it’s equally focused on supporting its growing list of young musicians.    …profits from the sale of the recordings, plus donations from supporters and recording underwriters, are re-invested in supporting emerging young musicians. The 501(c)(3) tax-exempt arm of the organization, Yarlung Artists, raises money to support these young musicians as they begin their performance careers. The company’s board of directors, executive producers and special advisers help Yarlung to record, market and distribute debut albums for selected young concert artists to help them gain stature and visibility with their audiences, critics and peers. Bob notes on his website that artists like Yo Yo Ma and Martha Argerich gained worldwide acclaim through the sale of CDs, LPs and downloads, Continue Reading →

Jorge Capadocia, NativeDSD, review of Yuko Mabuchi Trio

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Yuko Mabuchi Trio: Some Standards and some nice surprises On this album, Yuko Mabuchi is joined by Del Atkins on bass and Bobby Breton on drums to perform some jazz standards and some nice surprises. The repertoire is varied with respect to style. We get to listen to pensive songs such as Valse Noire (which is borderline melancholic), medleys, Latin Jazz and spirited tunes. This live recording starts with What Is This Thing Called Love and Yuko’s playing, along with Bobby’s drum solo, immediately engages the audience. Throughout the album, Yuko is very sensitive and lyrical in her playing and does not go for bombast unless the music demands. When it does though, like in Sona’s Song (a composition of her own), we are in for a real treat: a very intense outburst erupts, breaking a simple delicate melody. Del Atkins and Bobby Breton are supportive in their playing, with Continue Reading →

James Matheson’s music in surround sound

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Maestro Kal Rubinson enjoys Yarlung’s first project at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, and celebrates James Matheson’s music in surround sound.  “Stereophile,” March 7, 2016 [Yarlung Surround Sound engineer Tom Caulfield shared early files with me from] …a group comprising musicians of the Chicago Lyric Opera and the Chicago Symphony, for a recording of James Matheson’s String Quartet, to be released this year on Yarlung Records. The opening notes were startling—I had the disturbing but exhilarating feeling that music was actually being made in my room, not merely reproduced. The sound was no more “multichannel” than it was “stereo”—the four players seemed almost within reach, and my room seemed to expand around me…. I kept thinking, If others could only hear this, hi-rez multichannel music would take off. Page 1 of Kal’s article, and Page 2.