Things We're Looking Forward to

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O'CONNOR, THILE, VIGNOLA, SUTTON, BURR AND HOUSE COMBINE FOR NEW 'JAM SESSION' CD OUT APRIL 13

World-renowned acoustic musicians Mark O'Connor (violin), Chris Thile (mandolin), Frank Vignola (guitar), Bryan Sutton (guitar), Jon Burr (bass) and Byron House (bass) can captivate audiences with just their instruments. But for them, jamming is a meeting of musical minds and genres in communication, a perfect example of holistic American music. Their forthcoming CD 'Jam Session,' out April 13 on OMAC Records, offers "dazzling" (Wall Street Journal) live acoustic recordings that combine bluegrass and gypsy jazz as never before on disc.

The result: a "jam band" for the ages comparable in its rhythmic intoxication and stratospheric solos with the Grateful Dead's 'Live/ Dead' or the Charlie Parker/Dizzy Gillespie/Bud Powell/ Charles Mingus/ Max Roach 'Jazz at Massey Hall.' Perhaps no better jam recordings have been captured on acoustic string instruments in recent memory. Tracks include "Gypsy Fantastic," reminiscent of O'Connor's mentor Stephane Grappelli; the bossa nova-tinged "Soft Gyrations"; and the country swing of "Don't Let The Deal Go Down."

These kinds of fusions are the future as young musicians do not seem to have the same 'hard wired' musical categories. They listen to and play what they like regardless of genre. In my opinion this is a good trend!

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