october
Larry Chernicoff
Windy Planet Music, December 2003

Classical / jazz fusion for a large chamber ensemble of improvisers. October is a Hybrid SACD, playable on all standard CD players and on SACD-compatible 5.1 surround sound systems

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

“I have no idea whether Larry has ever thought of his work in the context of motion-picture soundtracks, but the visual images that his sounds evoke came to me readily and vividly. This music is beautiful and complex. Larry Chernicoff is a composer who will draw attention with ‘October’.””                                                                      Creative Music Newsletter, 2003

Out of print, but still available on vinyl! The compositions reveal Larry’s later directions, including the use of bassoon with saxes, the mixing of African bow harps with jazz improv, and the multi-layered counterpoint. An album with shining moments. 1980’s synthesizer sounds are very retro!

On vinyl: $12. For ordering information, send email to larry@larrychernicoff.com.

Larry Chermicoff vibraphone, piano, synthesizer, African bow harp
Don Davis saxophones
Tim Moran saxophones
Tom Schmidt bass, synthesizer, African bow harp
Sonam Targee trumpet, bamboo trumpet
Stephen Walt bassoon

”... an impeccable synthesis of jazz, rock, classical, and world folk styles.”           Downbeat

“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 and a memorable introduction to Larry Chernicoff.”                                               Seattle Review

”One can hear the years Chernicoff spent working with dancers. This is stately and elegant music. The cross-rhythms invite dancing, as instrumental lines swell and diminish in tidal fashion.”                                                                                              Woodstock Times

”Gallery of Air has its own peculiar soft shine, something like cave light.”    New Age Journal

”Gallery of Air is highly cerebral, decidedly non-mainstream, yet totally accessible. The effects of Chernicoff’s varied impulses are striking, for those who enjoy seeking out new sounds.”                                                                                                        Metroland

NATIVE LANDS
Minds On Hold, 2002

Native Lands is a collection of ethnic folk songs from around the world–arranged, performed and recorded largely with indigenous instruments and some modern aesthetics. Innovative arrangements from the traditional music of Tibet, India, Bulgaria, China, Bali, and Western Africa, and, original compositions inspired by the idioms of these lands, comprise this CD. Reflecting the charm and character of these places, the music instantly takes the listener to a journey of the past, to a world far away.

With
Joel Harrison guitar
Sonam Targee winds
Tom Schmidt piano, bass, percussion
Paul Melnychuck violin,
Larry Chernicoff vibraphone, synthesizer, percussion

“If you're looking for a better world view, check out this release. Native Lands is a cornucopia of folk songs from many musical cultures, including Tibet, India, Bulgaria, China, Bali and Western Africa. The collective of musicians for this project plays numerous instruments like alto & tenor recorders, trumpet and West Indian double flute, along with even more exotic ones like cornetto, kaval, and Tai gongs, to name a few. Recorded in 1987 and 1989, the release was re-mastered last year for the Minds On Hold label, run by producer Paul Melnychuck. Helping to bring listeners closer to the world around them through traditional music performed in a most imaginative manner…"                    FreeTime Magazine, 2003

GRAVITY
Joe Giardullo Gravity Ensemble, Breeze Records, 1979

Multi-instrumentalist/composer Joe Giardullo released Gravity - Music for Creative Chamber Group (Breeze Records) in 1979. It disappeared into obscurity almost immediately, but not before Downbeat's Francis Davis called it the most "intensely democratic music" he'd heard, comparing it to Anthony Braxton's Paris ensembles, and using concepts and vocabularies from mathematics and geology to describe the creative elements of the music. He gave it 4 stars.  Joe has continued to work in that same democratic vein since then.

See http://joegiardullo.com/gravitypage.htm