Uri Caine Ensemble - Plays Mozart (2007)

Artist: Uri Caine Ensemble
Title Of Album: Plays Mozart
Year Of Release: February 13, 2007
Label: Winter & Winter
Genre: Jazz, Beyond Jazz
Quality: MP3 / Joint Stereo
Bitrate: VBR kbit/s / 44.1 Khz
Total Time: 76:11 min
Total Size: 103 mb
WebSite: http://www.uricaine.com/

Pianist-composer Uri Caine is acclaimed for his jazz adaptations of classical heavyweights such as Mahler, Bach and Beethoven. Yet his clever, postmodern approach can also demonstrate the gulf between theory and practice, between process and "product", ie a decent, listenable album. With Mozart, Caine has painted himself into a corner. When his octet plays it straight, they risk sounding like an underfunded theatre pit orchestra rehearsing with a DJ upstairs (DJ Olive's turntablism). And when they take more liberties, as they do on the initially promising Turkish Rondo From Piano Sonata in A Major, they end up with musical jokes that have no punchlines. If you want to hear Caine's thought processes at work, however, listen to his solo improvisations on Mozart's Piano Sonata in C (No 16, K545) - one for each movement. If I heard Caine play like that on stage, I'd cheer. But three inspired tracks - and a brilliant cover (Stephen Byram) - are not enough.

Tracklist
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1) Piano Sonata in C Major (first movement)
2) Symphony 40 in G Minor (first movement)
3) Symphony 41 in C Major (fourth movement)
4) Clarinet Quintet in A Major (fourth movement)
5) Piano Sonata in C Major (second movement)
6} Sinfonia Concertante in Eb Major (third movement)
7) "Batti, Batti,O Bel Masetto" Aria from "Don Giovanni"
8) "Bei Mannern, Welche Lebe Fuhlen" Duet and "Der Holle Rache Kocht in Meine Herzen" Aria from "Die Zauberflote"
9) Turkish Rondo from Piano Sonata in A Major
10) Piano Sonata in C Major (third movement)

Product Description
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Jazz pianist/composer Uri Caine adapts works by the great classical composers, applying a wide range of musical styles from jazz and soul to klezmer and drum `n' bass. A fascinating sound experience features great solos by Joyce Hammann, Chris Speed, Ralph Alessi, Nguyên Lê (his debut recording with Caine), DJ Olive, Drew Gress, Jim Black, and Caine himself. Mozart lives on!


Musicians
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Uri Caine: Piano
Ralph Alessi: Trumpet
Joyce Hammann: Violin
Nguyen Le: Guitar
Drew Gress: Bass
Jim Black: Drums
Chris Speed: Clarinet
DJ Olive: Turntables