Thursday, January 3rd, 2008 1:50 PM EST

Larry and Windhorse - Best Concerts of 2007

From Metroland Magazine, Albany, NY
The Year in Review 2007
Best of 2007

Larry Chernicoff and Windhorse performance listed among the Best Seven Concerts of 2007:

"Every couple of years Chernicoff descends the Berkshire Mountains, assembles an ensemble of some of the best reed and string players in the business, and puts on a show that's dignified, quiet, and unashamedly melodic and pretty."

Friday, June 15th, 2007 4:19 PM EDT

Larry's Weekly Radio Show in New Time Slot

My very eclectic weekly radio show, Beauty and the Beat, has been expanded to two hours. I'll continue to serve up the usual musical buffet: everything from classical to jazz, from Africa to Italy, from the middle ages to today. Hand-picked tracks from every genre: oldies, country, rock, bluegrass, serious music, non-serious music, songs, pop, new stuff, classic tracks.

The show is now on every Thursday from 3:00 to 5:00 pm (Eastern time, USA).

On the air:
WBCR is a low-power community station in southern Berkshire County, Massachusetts, where you can find it at 97.7 on your FM dial.

On the Internet:
If you're anywhere else in the world, you can listen to the show on the Internet, at www.berkshireradio.org. Click on "Click here for our live stream" on the left side of the home page.

And if you feel like calling in during the show, dial 413.644.9797, while the music is playing.

See you there.

Larry

Friday, June 15th, 2007 4:15 PM EDT

Concert Re-Cap

On June 2, we played the extraordinarily beautiful Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, MA. And we had a blast.

The band was fabulous:
Lydia Chernicoff violin
Greg Heffernan cello
John Lindberg bass
Tim Moran concertmaster, saxophones, clarinets, alto flute
Charles Pillow oboe, English horn, clarinets, saxophones
Shane Shanahan percussion
Tomas Ulrich cello
And guest Tom Schmidt piano

Everyone played really well, and the new compositions (and re-arrangements of older pieces) worked out great. We took the music to a new level.

Here are some reviews:

From Metroland Magazine, Albany, NY:
Quiet Magic

Chernicoff has fashioned a unique genre of chamber jazz that is at once pensive, bracing, endlessly interesting, and, in its quiet manner, fun.
For two lengthy sets before a sizable and rapt house Saturday night, Chernicoff´s eight-piece group, playing without any amplification, explored the sound of beauty and coherence. Roughly half of the compositions presented were rigorously composed, highly melodic and groove-based, structured works that … were consistently changing and going somewhere. Injected into these works were extended improvisations of varying combinations of players—not solos so much as collaborative, on-the-spot compositions of new and (again) melodic signatures in response to what Chernicoff had written in the score. With a group of truly world-class players, it worked so well that it became difficult to tell where Chernicoff´s writing ended and the improv began. And the sound was, in a word, heavenly.

The music spun around two primary axes: the woodwinds of master players Charles Pillow and Tim Moran (who must have played a dozen different instruments between them) and the twin cello attack (I´ve always wanted to say this in a review) of Tomas Ulrich and Greg Heffernan. Bassist John Lindberg and Silk Road Ensemble´s percussionist Shane Shanahan added nuance, color and drive.

Chernicoff alternatively conducted and played vibes, piano and percussion, and in his understated way, led what can only be described as an orgy of joy over this focused and, often, smiling group of wickedly insightful players. And there, in the center of it all, was Chernicoff´s 19-year old daughter Lydia, a student at Baltimore´s Peabody Conservatory, on violin. Lydia played played beautifully and assertively.

From the berkshire Eagle:
Music Speaks for Itself

Dwelling, as we are inclined to do, in the comfort of a shameless world overwrought with artifice and hype, it is refreshing — no astonishing — ever so often to encounter someone who appears to be just what he is — and within the sphere of entertainment, no less.

Such a gentleman is Larry Chernicoff, composer and musician, who seems willing to allow his work to speak for itself.

Chernicoff, as so many others have done, could choose to display his wares in an atmosphere of extravagant trappings and introduce them with a slick line of stage patter supplied by a writer who specializes in such matters. Instead, this past weekend, he assembled, in his fashion, a rather amazing group of musicians, the current personnel of an ensemble he calls Windhorse, allowing the music to roll out sans transitional glibness or self-conscious smugness. And an enthusiastic crowd of around 350 assembled in the Colonial Theatre on a stormy Saturday evening greeted Chernicoff's efforts warmly.

The music is a cool blend of several genres, most prominently jazz in some of its basic structure with enough improvisational freedom to make it challenging to hear, and, no doubt, to perform. It resembles chamber music in some of its instrumental juxtapositions.

Among the more interesting numbers, and one that Chernicoff confided that he had reworked somewhat, "You're Too Serious" carried some thick-textured ensembles with sax accents, but also a couple of interior sections that made rich use of the strings in a sudden Baroque tilt. The rest of the group eventually picked up these warm phrases.

"Thursday," a piece built around two notes, is extravagant with both super harmonies and engaging modulations.

Tom Schmidt, the pianist and composer and the evening's guest, shared his ruminative piece, "From Age to Age," a moving New Orleans-flavored andante, with Chernicoff embellishing his variations on vibes.

Lydia Chernicoff, a talented and cheerful 19-year-old musician still looking forward to three more years at Peabody Institute, made a fine professional debut producing a shimmering violin obbligato in the busy and ethereal "And Now Are Spirits." She found obvious delight elsewhere in improvising along with her father and other mature colleagues on the stage.

"Fabulous Opportunity" was the evening's encore, offering just that for the group, but especially for Lindberg and Ulrich.

Listeners of Chernicoff and Windhorse music certainly are provoked to think, and glow just a bit.

Monday, May 28th, 2007 6:36 AM EDT

Looking Forward to Colonial Theatre Concert

With a few days to go before our appearance at the beautiful, newly-renovated Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, I'm still deep into finalizing scores and musicians' charts. There will be a lot of new music on this concert, a great new band, and re-arrangements of older material.

The Colonial Thatre was just voted #1 of the "Seven Wonders of the Berkshires" poll, even ahead of Tanglewood. This is a reflection of the great beauty of the theatre, and the care that was taken in the restoration process.We're really looking forward to being there. It's stunning, and offers great acoustics.

In fact, we've billed this concert as "acoustic, organic, and unplugged", and we're aiming for zero microphones and zero amplifiers. The soundcheck may change that plan (we might have to boost the bass a little bit, for example), but we're going to stick as closely as possible to an all-natural sound.

Here's the Windhorse line-up:

Larry Chernicoff composer, vibes, piano
Lydia Chernicoff violin
Greg Heffernan cello
John Lindberg bass
Tim Moran concertmaster, saxophones, clarinets, alto flute
Charles Pillow oboe, English horn, clarinets, saxophones
Shane Shanahan percussion
Tomas Ulrich cello
And guest Tom Schmidt piano

Bios listed below.

THE BAND

Larry Chernicoff (composer, vibes, piano) A self-taught composer, Larry creates what Downbeat magazine has called"...an impeccable synthesis of jazz, rock, classical, and world folk styles." An award-winning recording artist and record producer, Larry has performed at Carnegie Hall, The Smithsonian Institution, Jacob´s Pillow Dance Festival, and in Canada, Germany, Holland, and Belgium. As a member of the Creative Music Studio Orchestra, he performed with Dave Holland, Anthony Braxton, the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Don Cherry, Lee Konitz, Alan Ginsberg, William Burroughs, and many others. Larry has recorded for Windy Planet, Muse/Art, Blue Apples, Breeze, and Minds On Hold Records. His latest CD, October, was named "Best Surround Sound Recording" at the 2004 Surround music Awards in Hollywood. Larry received a Jazz Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Lydia Chernicoff (violin) just completed her first year at the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. She began her violin studies in Pittsfield at age eight with Alla Zernitskaya. She has also studied with Magdalena Richter at the New England Conservatory, and currently studies with Violaine Melancon. She has performed at Carnegie Hall, Ozawa Hall, Jordan Hall in Boston, Proctor´s Theater, the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, and in Germany, the Czech Republic, Brazil, and Venezuela. She has performed with members of the Empire Brass Quintet, the Berkshire Symphony Orchestra and the Walden Chamber players.

Greg Heffernan (cello) Greg is a rising young star in New York jazz circles. He has been touring the world with the nonet of legendary saxophonist Lee Konitz, who played on Miles Davis´ defining "Birth of the Cool" album in 1949. The Nonet had played sold-out shows in London, France, Italy and Croatia. Greg has also played with Doc Severinson, Burt Bacharach, Alice and Ravi Coltrane, Dave Douglas, Bill Frisell, Vijay Iyer, jazz vocalist Kurt Elling, and many others. In 2005, Greg toured with pianist Fred Hersch and debuted Hersch's critically lauded "Leaves of Grass" at Carnegie Hall.
John Lindberg (bass) is one of the most respected bassists in creative music. In 1977 he co-founded the String Trio of New York, which has produced fifteen recordings and presented hundreds of concerts worldwide. Now celebrating its 30th anniversary season, the trio helped to launch the careers of several violinists including Regina Carter. John has made more than two dozen recordings that feature his works, and appeared on a total of more than 60 recordings. He has performed throughout Europe, North and South America, Asia and the Middle East, and over the next few months he will be heard in Lithuania, Austria, Turkey, and Belgium. Since the age of sixteen, John has been a bassist of choice for legendary jazz innovators including Anthony Braxton, Jimmy Lyons, Steve Lacy, Wadada Leo Smith, German jazz master Karl Berger, and Andrew Cyrille.

Tim Moran (concertmaster, saxophones, clarinets) is widely acclaimed as an innovative jazz performer. He has spent decades exploring the roots of jazz: its African heritage and Latin American influences. His 20+ year collaboration with world percussionist Tony Vacca has produced a series of recordings in collaboration with musicians from around the world. Tim is a member of the Senegal-America Project, an on-going musical and cultural exchange with artists from West Africa. He has recorded and performed with the African masters Foday Musa Suso and Massamba Diop, with legendary jazz/world music pioneer Don Cherry, Samba Brasil, the New England Jazz Quartet, the Richard Shulman Group, and The Sonny Costanzo Big Band. He has been a member of the Larry Chernicoff Quintet for more than 25 years. Tim has toured Europe and Japan, and is often in the orchestra pit for national touring company performances of Broadway shows.

Charles Pillow (oboe, English horn, clarinet, saxophone) began his career with the AI Hirt big band in his native Louisiana. He received a Master´s degree from the Eastman School of Music, then traveled with Woody Herman's Thundering Herd. His career has taken him all over the U.S. and around the globe. He has released three CDs as a leader two CD's as a leader, including a jazz re-interpretation of Moussorgsky´s ´Picture at an Exhibition", and will soon release his own version of Holst´s "The Planets" for improvising ensemble. Charles is one of the major exponents of the oboe and English horn in jazz, but plays the entire woodwind family equally well. He has appeared on over 60 CD's, and has worked with Frank Sinatra, Luther Vandross, Paul Simon, Michael Brecker, Joe Henderson, John Scofield, Michael Jackson, Blood, Sweat and Tears, and the New Orleans Symphony. He is currently a member of Maria Schneider´s Grammy-award winning 17-piece jazz orchestra.

Shane Shanahan (percussion) combines drumming traditions from all over the world with Western classical and jazz techniques. He has literally toured the world since 2001 with Yo-Yo Ma´s Silk Road Ensemble, and appears on the album Silk Road Journeys. He holds degrees from The Eastman School of Music and The Hartt School. Constantly in search of new musical experiences, he has worked with Indonesian gamelan orchestras, Caribbean steel drum bands, throat singing choirs, free improvisation groups, contemporary music ensembles, orchestras, folk singers and dancers. He is a member of Glen Velez´s Handance Ensemble and has performed with many distinguished musicians including jazz legend Sonny Fortune and composer Philip Glass. He is currently a staff accompanist for the Juilliard School and the Alvin Ailey School.

Tomas Ulrich (cello) After attending a performance by Mstislav Rostropovich at the age of eight, Tomas began his musical journey on the cello. He received degrees from Boston University and the Manhattan School of Music, and has written music for theater, film and instrumental performance. He has concertized in Europe, Japan, South America, Canada and throughout the United States. A ubiquitous presence in cutting edge jazz circles, Tomas has worked with Joe Lovano, Gerry Hemingway, Derek Bailey, Anthony Braxton, Dominic Duval, Ben Allison, Ted Nash, Uri Caine, Dave Douglas, and many others, and can be heard on over 60 CDs in a wide variety of musical styles and settings.

Monday, November 27th, 2006 5:22 PM EST

Larry Chernicoff - Produced CD Released

It's out! Peter Primamore's "Grancia" CD has been released by Blue Apples Music, produced by Larry and Peter.

Grancia is a live, recording of Peter's wonderful, cinematic compositions for large ensemble, performed by an all-star band of jazz, rock, and classical players: Tony Levin (bass), Jerry Marotta (drums), Chieli Minucci (guitar), Peter Primamore (piano), Larry Chernicoff (vibraphone), Shane Shanahan (percussion), Antoine Silverman and Lorenza Ponce (violin), Jonathan Dinklage (violin and viola), David Eggar (cello), Tim Moran and Charles Pillow (woodwinds), and Carol Emanuel (harp).

It's available at http://cdbaby.com/cd/primamore and also at http://www.amazon.com/

One listener review:
"This instrumental gem is quite a nice hidden treasure; mostly unknown, little hype, little publicity, but a gorgeous journey in sound nonetheless. There's a kind of classical feel owing to the instrumentation - piano, strings, oboe, clarinet, flute, some harp - but it's also spiced up with some Spanish/classical guitar and exquisitely tasteful bass and percussion. All the textures are used to paint all kinds of vivid pictures and moods: from sunny fields to winter snow to European cityscapes and more, it's a buffet for the ears.

It seems like things should be structured fairly rigidly when balancing thirteen musicians in various combinations, but apparently everything was sketched out with room for each member to improvise and contribute freely in the finest jazz tradition. The result is a vividly colorful mix with a little of everything and then some.

It also sounds great. I don't even have a SACD system to bring out the full depth of the recording, but the regular CD layer alone makes it sound as if Tony Levin is standing right in the living room and the flutes are fluttering just outside the window.

Basically, Grancia is like twelve mini-movie scores without the video; sometimes thoughtful, sometimes sunny, sometimes sad, but always beautiful. Listen and your imagination can fill in the rest."

Monday, May 2nd, 2005 7:41 AM EDT

LISTENER REVIEW
Surround Delight
This is a beautifully produced and recorded chamber jazz/classical piece. This CD also won the "Best Surround Recording at the 2004 Surround Music Awards. There are individual songs, but they all seem to flow into one another to create a seamless whole. The surround mix is also seamless, throwing a huge soundstage across the front and along the side of your listening area. I don't think I´ve heard quite the same effect on any other recording. It's a transcendent piece of music-making.
A Listener

Monday, May 2nd, 2005 7:40 AM EDT

LISTENER REVIEW
Review by bruser April 18, 2005
Performance: 4 1/2 stars Sonics: 5 stars
A sublime performance of chamber jazz/classical music that draws the listener into the band's hypnotic vibe. Chernicoff and his cohorts improvise from various modal scales to create a totally unique fabric of sound that emerges as one unified composition. This recording won the "Best Made for Surround Title" award at the 2004 Surround Music Awards, and it's not hard to hear why. The sumptous mix features a huge soundstage, capturing instruments in space as well as any I've heard. Instruments are placed along the side of the listening area as well as discretely in all channels. The enormity of the soundstage creates an interesting contrast, since this is the type of music you normally listen to in a small, intimate setting. The resulting musical textures are stark and beautiful, but still involving and interesting. I really enjoyed the liner notes, where Chernicoff explains the genesis and development of each song -a nice feature since he has been performing many of these tunes for several years. Highly recommended.

Monday, April 11th, 2005 6:10 AM EDT

LARRY CHERNICOFF IN THE STUDIO IN MAY

Larry will be back in the studio at the end of May, producing and playing vibes on a CD of the highly original music of composer/keyboardist Peter Primamore.

Peter is a successful commercial soundtrack composer whose music appears on The Today Show, Sex and the City, the Rikki Lake Show, and many more. This project will be a departure for Peter, showcasing his more personal music - a unique, rocking mix of classical and jazz elements. Peter and Larry share an esthetic that marries the dynamic and improvisation of jazz with classical instrumentation and detailed compositional techniques. They have assembled an all-star band for this date, with players from the classical, studio, jazz, and rock worlds:

Peter Primamore - composer, keyboards
Larry Chernicoff - producer, vibraphone
Tony Levin - bass
Jerry Marotta - drums
Chieli Minucci - guitar
Charles Pillow - woordwinds
Shane Shanahan - percussion
Tim Moran - woodwinds
Antoine Silverman - violin
Lorenza Ponce - violin
David eggar - cello
Carol Emanuel - harp

Collectively, the members of this ensemble have performed and recorded with Yo-yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble, The Dixie Chicks, Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, Paul McCartney, Maria Schneider, Pink Floyd, John Lennon, Philip Glass, the Who, Ornette Coleman, Bobby McFerrin, Spin Doctors, Pearl Jam, members of Phish, Karthleen Battle, Sinead O'Connor, Sesame Street, Moby, Indigo Girls, Ani Difranco, Sarah McLachlan, Lou Reed, Rachel Z, Bon Jovi, Don Cherry, Lee Konitz, Dave Holland, and many more.

The recording will be released as a hybrid CD in both stereo and 5.1 surround sound. The recording will take place at Clubhouse, in Rhinebeck, NY.

Tuesday, January 25th, 2005 1:51 AM EST

JAZZ & JEST
LARRY CHERNICOFF & ROGER THE JESTER
Performance at The Berkshire School, Massachusetts

Don´t let the title fool you. Jazz & Jest is about as serious as you can get. The jazz was superb, and Roger the Jester provides fantastic comedic work to accompany the jazz. Larry Chernicoff handpicks some of the finest musicians in New England to perform his music. Chernicoff writes both introspective and groovy music. Students, faculty and staff were delighted to hear new and old renditions of Larry´s music, including performances from his award-winning album, October. Roger the Jester does not detract at all from the fine work of the musicians. He mimes between musical numbers, providing his unique flair of humor. In one tune, Roger actually joined the ensemble with his tuba. Improvisation is not limited to the musicians alone. Roger and the saxophonist did a clever, striking rendition of "Autumn Leaves" that this reviewer will never forget. Roger had the audience in stitches, then provided a sober rendition of an old man with uncanny accuracy.

What surprised the community at our school was how all the components of Jazz & Jest fit together to entertain a diverse audience of children, teenagers, and adults. We will certainly book Jazz & Jest again for our Visiting Artists Performance Series.

Tuesday, January 11th, 2005 3:07 AM EST

IN THE 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 … this is fascinating music...." -- 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 … this is fascinating music...." -- Victory Review, Seattle

Saturday, December 11th, 2004 6:29 PM EST

"OCTOBER" BREAKING OUT ON RADIO NATIONWIDE

Larry's CD is breaking out on radio across the country. In December it was the most added jazz CD on college and public radio stations by a long shot (11 stations in each of the past 2 weeks, from Alaska to Maine, from South Texas to Wisconsin). "October" debuted at #37 in the last Top-40 jazz chart of 2004. And it keeps getting added by new stations every day.


It's also a top pick on web sites in Russia, Netherlands, and Germany.

Tuesday, November 16th, 2004 5:29 AM EST

FEATURED ARTIST OF THE MONTH AT http://www.inacoustic.com/artists.html

"Larry Chernicoff is a unusual instrumentalist and composer who combines a fresh but unusual mix of jazz, world, rock with classical elements and ´orchestral´ instruments."

RATING: ***** (4 out of 5 Stars)

Friday, November 12th, 2004 4:39 AM EST

OCTOBER FEATURED IN RICH TOZZOLI'S NEW BOOK ON SURROUND MIXING

New Book/DVD Release: "Surround Sound Mixing in Pro Tools" by Rich Tozzoli

The upcoming release of this book has been highly anticipated by audio engineers seeking to understand proven techniques in the fast emerging realm of surround sound mixing. Author Rich Tozzoli, an early pioneer of surround sound mxing, was recently honored with the 2004 "Best Title Made for Surround" award from The Surround Music Association in Los Angeles for his work on Larry Chernicoff's "October". The book comes with a companion DVD that contains Pro Tools audio examples and full surround sound mixes. The DVD was produced and created by David Ondrick.

Read more at

http://www.duplexity.com/news/surroundSound/

Monday, October 11th, 2004 10:21 AM EDT

MULTICHANNEL DISC OF THE MONTH
Audiophile Audition (http://www.audaud.com/audaud/OCT04/hires/hires1.html)

Larry Chernicoff - October - 12-member chamber jazz ensemble
***** Five Stars

"Classical/jazz fusion is my thing, and more than that what floats my boat is exactly this sort of swinging chamber ensemble with woodwinds. All ten compositions here are by composer/pianist/vibist/melodica-player/percussionist Chernicoff, and his ensemble includes harp, violin, cello, tablas and various percussion in addition to those woodwinds. No electronics are used and the session was engineered to capture a 360-degree ensemble sound that puts the listener right in the middle of the group in the studio.

There are elements of world music, classical chamber music, and genre-bending improvisation here. You may hear reminders of Oregon, Paul Winter and even the Modern Jazz Quartet, but Chernicoff isn´t lifting styles from others - he has his own individual style, and it´s a thorough delight. The music alternates jazzy improv with quieter and more contemplative 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. Being a small independent label, you won´t find it everywhere. So find it at www.cdbaby.com/lchernicoff."

- John Sunier, Audiophile Audition

Tuesday, October 5th, 2004 2:55 AM EDT

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

Independent label release takes one of the top honors in Hollywood awards ceremony.

September 1, 2004 – Larry Chernicoff´s multi-channel SACD, October, was named ´Best Made for Surround Title´ category at the third annual Surround Music Awards (SMAs). The winners in all categories were announced at a star-studded event that took place August 31 at The Highlands in Hollywood, CA. 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.

Chernicoff´s "Best Made for Surround Title" award goes to the most outstanding recording which was created from its inception with multi-channel in mind, and never previously released in any other format. Last year´s winner in this category was Steely Dan´s ´Everything Must Go.´

October features original jazz/classical crossover compositions preformed by Larry and his Windhorse large ensemble. 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.

Monday, April 12th, 2004 1:22 AM EDT

Rediscovering Acoustic Beauty

Article Published: Friday, April 09, 2004 - 2:15:21 AM EST By Seth Rogovoy Special to The Berkshire Eagle

Rediscovering acoustic beautyLarry Chernicoff's Windhorse ensembleby Seth Rogovoy (PITTSFIELD, Mass., April 7, 2004) – It used to be that rock ´n´ roll was the musical expression of teen rebellion, the stuff that was loud and angry that would drive parents up the wall. Larry Chernicoff was one of those who got so turned on by the sounds of doo-wop music and rock ´n´ roll in the late-´50s and early-´60s that he picked up an electric guitar and taught himself to play. Chernicoff´s love of rock ´n´ roll eventually led him toward jazz, and for the past 30 years he has worked as a keyboardist and a composer of electronic, experimental and world-beat influenced music.

But recently the tables were turned on Chernicoff by none other than his teen-age daughter, Lydia, whose study of violin opened her father´s ears anew to the wonders of the classical repertoire and the beauty of acoustic music. It has had a profound effect on Chernicoff as a musician and composer, as can be heard on his new CD, "October" (Windy Planet), a collection of 10 new pieces performed by Windhorse, an all-acoustic miniature orchestra Chernicoff assembled especially for the recording. The group, featuring old friends from Chernicoff´s days at the Creative Music Studio in Woodstock and several classically-trained improvising musicians, will join the composer for an all-acoustic concert at the Berkshire Museum on Saturday night at 8.

Chernicoff freely credits his daughter´s influence on his work. "I was always a classical listener, but I´ve been getting larger doses of it lately," said Chernicoff in a recent phone interview. "Listening to orchestral and chamber musical has made me realize that culturally, we´ve gotten away from the very healthy, warm, natural aspects of sound that we get from strings and reeds and wood and brass."On one hand, small chamber groups fill large concert halls with sound, with no amplification. On the other hand, I´ve been to see jazz groups who I really admire playing in famous acoustic rooms, like the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, with big piles of amplifiers, playing so loud that I had to leave.

"I didn´t get the chance to appreciate the music because it was too loud, too electronic and too aggressive. I´m working with the musicians in my group in a different way now, adjusting our acoustics, our dynamics, ourselves, without electronic support or what they call "sound reinforcement". We just don´t need that with this kind of instrumentation. So many jazz and rock bands leave the sound of the group to a young nineteen-year-old kid with a red bandana sitting in the back with a mixing board.

"But with the caliber of musicians I´m dealing with, we can deal with sound in a more subtle way than that. In the Berkshire Museum auditorium there is no need for a single microphone. We´re going to play like a chamber ensemble." With the new pieces on "October," Chernicoff draws on an unusual palette for lyrical compositions that are highly notated but that also allow for improvisation.

"With my quintet, I used to hand out a piece of paper for a composition that had four lines of music on it, and we´d play for fifteen minutes," said Chernicoff. "My new music is far more carefully notated. But we can take that to another dimension in the live situation. We have more time than on the CD. I can just let people go."

"Talking Rain" is a stately composition with a classical feel showcasing 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 and clarinetist Tim Moran 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," a frisky, jazzy strut through the East Village fueled by bassist John Lindberg and percussionist Tony Vacca.

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. Chernicoff still thinks of his music in terms of jazz, even if he takes issue with some aspects of the way jazz is currently performed. "I´ve come to feel that in the jazz world, the music is often a reflection of ´attitude.´ What I find missing sometimes is a the sumptuous beauty that you find in classical music, and I was going for that on the CD."

[This article originally appeared in the Berkshire Eagle on April 9, 2004. Copyright Seth Rogovoy 2004. All rights reserved.]

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links

Creative Music Newsletter Review of October.

Creative Music Newsletter Article on October Recording Sessions.