Dark Blue Circumstance

Paul Dresher (Artist, Performer), Walter Gray (Performer), Christopher Sereque (Performer), Paul Dresher (Composer), Melvin Strauss (Conductor), Roger Nelson (Conductor), Paul Taub (Performer), Bernard Shapiro (Performer), William Winant (Performer), Julie Steinberg (Performer), Stuart Dempster (Performer), Richard Pressley (Performer), David Abel (Performer), Ella Marie Gray (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Paul Dresher, Walter Gray, Christopher Sereque, Paul Taub, Bernard Shapiro, et al.
• Conductor: Melvin Strauss, Roger Nelson
• Composer: Paul Dresher
• Audio CD (November 18, 2009)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: New Albion Records
• ASIN: B000000R3D
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #278,927 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Bit More Classical, July 24, 2009

By 

John D. Dooley "PhiloX" (Southern California United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dark Blue Circumstance (Audio CD)

Paul Dresher has been writing minimalist classic music mixed with jazz rock fusion & tape loops for years. There was a series of modern operas, rather modern stage performances in the 1980's which only one was recorded for the mass market. You will hear some Steve Reich rhythm & percussion influence but Paul Dresher is less mathematical & more emotional with his music. I was just listening to another one of his CD's "Opposites Attract" but the music was rather heavy handed for this evening & I needed something more claming. This CD fits the bill & here is the review...

There are 4 sets of music in this CD:

1. "Double Ikat" for violin, piano, & percussion (1988-90)

Starts out rather like Steve Reich but slows down to a more tuneful smooth atmosphere, then the percussion & the solo violin go back & forth between wild & calm. I like the sad piano with solo violin at the end.

2. "Dark Blue Circumstance" for solo electric guitar (1982-87)

Sounds like a Robert Fripp & Brain Eno tape loop. Rather trance like, but then a mournful canon flows through.

3. "Channels Passing" for chamber septet (1981-82)

This is the song that turned me on to Paul Dresher, it was on an New Albion CD collection I picked up in New York City. After listening to this piece is when I started to collect Paul Dresher's work. Very Staccato added process minimalist classical music.

4. "Night Songs" for 3 voices & 6 instruments (1979-81)

Texts from various native American Indian groups with an African & Polynesian poem set to music with certain word plays & images.

Great inner notes on the history of Paul Dresher & the above music included with the CD.

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, May 13, 2008

By 

Min. (Denver) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dark Blue Circumstance (Audio CD)

Excellent "classical" music with a very modern feel. Although he is not a minimalist composer in the sense of Reich or Gotte, he is certainly seems influenced by them.