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Larry Chernicoff : October
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Jazz/Classical Fusion SACD, reminiscent of Oregon, Paul Winter Consort, and the Kronos Quartet. October combines the warm sounds of orchestral instruments with a jazz dynamic, soulful improvisations, and passages of meditative calm.
Genre: Jazz: Jazz Fusion
Release Date: 2004
October Record Label: Windy Planet Music
  • Download Album (MP3) - $9.97
Preview Song Name Time Format Price Select
Windhorse 5:28 $0.99
Light Years 7:07 $0.99
Talking Rain 6:54 $0.99
Sailor and Siren 5:11 $0.99
October 7:36 $0.99
Timeless 3:48 $0.99
East 13th Street 4:26 $0.99
Call Down the Stars (13 Variations on a Lydian Theme) 12:47 $0.99
Tango Noir 4:50 $0.99
Last Dance 5:31 $0.99
preview all songs

Album Notes

MULTICHANNEL DISC OF THE MONTH, October 2004***** Five Stars
Audiophile Audition

FEATURED ARTIST OF THE MONTH, NOVEMBER 2004, Inacoustic.com
RATING: ***** (4 out of 5 Stars)

LARRY CHERNICOFF'S OCTOBER TAKES PRIZE
IN THIRD ANNUAL SURROUND MUSIC AWARDS

Larry Chernicoff's multi-channel SACD, October, was named 'Best Made for Surround Title' category at the third annual Surround Music Awards (SMAs). The award was presented to Larry by rock legend Peter Frampton, in a ceremony that also honored surround sound releases by the Rolling Stones, Herbie Hancock, Beck, Peter Frampton, Elton John, and other artists.

The winners were selected by a panel of 75 expert judges including representatives from Sound & Vision, Pro Sound News, Widescreen Review, Surround Professional, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, USA Today, Highfidelityreview.com, and Los Angeles-based radio station KCRW. Last year's winner in this category was Steely Dan's 'Everything Must Go.'

October is a hybrid multi-channel SACD, which is playable on any standard CD player, and also on SACD-compatible stereo and 5.1 surround-sound players and home theater systems.

PRESS
"You sit, you listen, and eventually you think: how did he ever come up with that? October left me with a sense that I had just listened to something truly new and distinct...a glorious experience...a musical fusion of global interest. I'll dig October for the rest of my life, thanks." Jazz Improv Magazine

"Larry Chernicoff, if I can say this, is a silent whirlwind. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. Solid, intelligent, and almost entirely without capacity for stagnation, the guy is a creative force. ...catch ...Larry's music, really. It's new. I'm serious...Larry's work is light, but substantial, and the music floats." The Artful Mind

"... an impeccable synthesis of jazz, rock, classical, and world folk styles. Chernicoff enriches simple song structures with layers of counterpoint and intriguing instrumental colors." Downbeat

"Larry Chernicoff is making quiet history with his integration of chamber music and jazz improvisation." WAMC-FM, Albany, NY

Warm and serene, October [combines] the acoustic expressions of jazz and classical music... with elements of what is often referred to as "world music" sprinkled about the acoustic celebration. Diverse and keen on melody...[it] rises into an assorted, shimmering chain of ideas and sounds.... snaps and taps itself into an enjoyable swing with various movements celebrating Chernicoff's distinctive musical approach...it blossoms and sustains itself with charm and grace....a sophisticated, subtle offering... " All About Jazz

"There are elements of world music, classical chamber music, and genre-bending improvisation here... he has his own individual style, and it's a thorough delight. The music alternates jazzy improv with quieter...passages, sometimes colored exotically with Tibetan chimes, gongs and bowed cymbals. This SACD just won an award for "Best Made for Surround" at the annual Surround Music Awards in Hollywood, and certainly deserves it" (Multichannel Disc Of The Month, October 2004 ***** Five Stars) Audiophile Audition

"In its dynamic twists and turns, with surprises around every musical corner, Larry Chernicoff's ...10-piece group, Windhorse -- a large, all-acoustic chamber ensemble or a miniature orchestra, depending on your perspective -- serves...shimmering, colorful renditions of ... music that boasts the dynamism of jazz and the dimensionality and proportions of classical music. October" [has] a fresh, glistening organic quality. The recording has a terrific, warm live sound....the depth and vibrancy of the instruments are remarkable." Weekend

"His compositions began from deceptively simple structures, then expanded into complex, spontaneous counterpoint, with a sense of controlled freedom. This is an unusual and engaging band, with energy, lyricism, and humor... very memorable." Albany Times-Union

"[October] is a unique conception, which, although it has much in common with classical chamber music, has too many elements of improvisation and world rhythms and tonal colors to allow it to be classed with whatever else you might be listening to these days." Creative Music Newsletter

"There are few easy niches to put this music into. Some points of reference might be the Paul Winter Consort / Oregon axis, Don Cherry, or maybe Philip Glass. There are both ancient and modern qualities to this music. Chernicoff scores highest as a composer of highly original music with an elusive 'I've heard this before' quality. This is fascinating music...." -- Victory Review, Seattle

THE CD

October, from vibraphonist/pianist Larry Chernicoff, combines the warm sounds of orchestral instruments with a jazz dynamic, soulful improvisations, and passages of contemplative calm. It features a large chamber group - French horn, oboe, bassoon, clarinet, saxophones, harp, vibraphone, piano, percussion and tablas.

The recording has a live, acoustic, unplugged, organic sound, with real instruments, light percussion, and no electronics. The compositions are detailed and varied, revealing new things with every listening.

Musicians
Larry Chernicoff vibraphone, piano, percussion
Karl Berger piano
Carol Emanuel harp
John Lindberg bass
Tim Moran clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophones
Charles Pillow oboe, English horn, clarinet, bass clarinet, saxoophone
Tom Varner French horn
Tomas Ulrich cello
Janet Grice bassoon
Esther Noh violin
Tony Vacca percussion
Benjy Wertheimer tablas

Produced by Larry Chernicoff and Karl Berger

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REVIEWS

Excellant "new" music
author: William Fletcher
It's great to be able support creative new music in a world with so much "same old, same old". There are some great moments here of musical inventiveness. I enjoyed the SACD surround sound mix especially well. Keep up the good work.
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A very enjoyable disk that does not disappoint.
author: Denis Baker
Beautiful musical textures, rhythms and colours using a variety of acoustic instruments, combining elements of jazz and classics. Each successive play reveals further delights. A very enjoyable disk that does not disappoint.
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Larry Chernicoff’s October Nominated for Best Surround CD in 3rd Annual Surround
author: high fidelity review
Larry Chernicoff’s October Nominated for Best Surround CD in 3rd Annual Surround Music Awards NEW YORK, NY (August 3, 2004) -- The finalists in all categories have been announced for the third annual Surround Music Awards (SMAs), which are produced by CMP Information and sponsored by Dolby. The winning titles will be announced at a star-studded event taking place August 31, 2004 at The Highlands in Hollywood, CA. The evening will feature a musical tribute to 2004 Surround Pioneer Award recipient Herbie Hancock by an all-star band, as well as many other surprises. For the third consecutive year, the Surround Music Awards will honor those who have excelled in multichannel music recording and mixing throughout the year. Previous winners include Queen, James Taylor, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Alison Krauss. The SMAs are also becoming known for the dramatic live performances that take place each year, including Graham Nash and David Crosby at the inaugural event, and Dweezil Zappa last year. All of the other categories are decided upon by a panel of expert judges that include personnel from Sound & Vision, Pro Sound News, Widescreen Review, Surround Professional, NARAS, USA Today, Highfidelityreview.com, and Los Angeles-based radio station KCRW. BEST MADE FOR SURROUND TITLE is awarded to the most outstanding title created from its inception with multichannel in mind. This release must not have previously released in any other format. (New recordings released simultaneously in surround and stereo (like October are acceptable.) The finalists are: I Get Surround; The Surf City Allstars featuring Dean Torrence [AIX Records] XXL; Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band [Silverline Records] Brain; Hiromi [Telarc] Four Flicks; The Rolling Stones [TGA DVD] October; Larry Chernicoff [Windy Planet Music] More information on the Surround Music Awards, as well as registration information, can be found at www.surroundexpo.com.
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the dynamism of jazz and the dimensionality and proportions of classical music.
author: This Weekend - Berkshire Eagle
The Beat Cross Cultural Palette By Seth Rogovoy Special to The Eagle Article Published: Friday, February 06, 2004 - 2:15:20 AM EST In its dynamic twists and turns, with surprises around every musical corner, Larry Chernicoff's new CD, "October" (Windy Planet Music), packs the punch and excitement of artful, progressive rock without beating a listener over the head with excessive volume or pyrotechnics. Rather, Chernicoff's 10-piece group, Windhorse -- a large, all-acoustic chamber ensemble or a miniature orchestra, depending on your perspective -- serves the composer and bandleader with shimmering, colorful renditions of contemplative music that boasts the dynamism of jazz and the dimensionality and proportions of classical music. Windhorse's group interplay can be stunning, as on "Light Years," which opens with a duet but turns into a number featuring multiple counterpoints of rich, vibrant tonal colors, before Chernicoff offers a fleet solo on vibraphone. Chernicoff, who lives in Alford, composes from a broad, cross-cultural palette that draws from multiple traditions as well as from nature. "Talking Rain" is a stately composition with a classical feel showcasing guest harpist Carol Emanuel, who has worked with John Zorn, Marty Ehrlich, Bill Frisell and other jazz notables and who lives in Great Barrington. Cinematic in scope, it's not surprising to read in the liner notes that it was originally written for a dance. "Sailor and Siren" is a miniature drama, and the title track builds to a slowly pulsing climax worthy of Philip Glass. "Timeless" is one of the disks more experimental pieces, a structured improvisation in which the musicians, including bassoonist Janet Grice, clarinetist Tim Moran, violinist Esther Noh and oboist Charles Pillow, are given only four notes to draw upon for their parts. Untethered to any fixed meter, the musicians conjure up a profoundly wistful mood, setting up a contrast for "East 13th Street," the upbeat tune that follows. A frisky, jazzy strut through the East Village fueled by bassist John Lindberg and percussionist Tony Vacca, "East 13th Street" is downright Ellingtonian in the manner in which Chernicoff engages the different instrumentalists in the role of urban characters. The clear shapes, solid colors and head-turning array of voices in the piece bring to mind the work of painter Piet Mondrian. The album closes with a hint of gospel on "Last Dance," featuring a bluesy saxophone solo by Moran and inspirational, jazzy piano by Karl Berger, who co-produced the album with Chernicoff. Other instrumentalists who round out the ensemble include cellist Tomas Ulrich, Tom Varner on French horn and Benjy Wertheimer on tablas. In the past, Chernicoff, an alumnus of Berklee College of Music who has been involved with the Creative Music Studio Orchestra for 30 years, has incorporated state-of-the-art electronics into his performances. On "October," he has taken whatever lessons there were to glean from electronics and translated them back into the acoustic realm, so that "October" boasts a fresh, glistening organic quality.
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