Customer Reviews

Stolen Moments

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Playing Time - 50:35 -- Individualism in music is a goal for many musicians who enjoy the challenge of pushing their technical skills into realms of innovation and adventure. The impressively virtuosic Alison Brown has a broad base of experience to draw upon. Her travels have taken her from Connecticut to California to Tennessee. From her earliest bands (The Stringbenders, Gold Rush), the 1991 IBMA Banjo Player of the Year went on to play, record or tour with the likes of Northern Lights, Alison Krauss and Union Station, Michelle Shocked, New Grange, and others. She owns her own record company (Compass Records), and in 1996 formed her Alison Brown Quartet. A bit of trivia is that her tune, "Girl's Breakdown" (from her Grammy-nominated "Fair Weather" album) was used in early 2000 as the official wake up music for the crew of the U.S. Space Shuttle Destiny on their mission to the International Space Station. So what next for someone whose music has reached the depths of outer space?

"Stolen Moments" is an astounding display of melodic invention that continues to characterize this one-of-a-kind player. Her expressive musicality incorporates elements of many genres from Celtic (her own "Carrowkeel") to pop (Jimi Henrix's "Angel" or Paul Simon's "Homeward Bound" or Jim Rooney/Bill Keith's "One Morning in May"). These pop numbers include some superb vocals that make the album whole (courtesy of folks like Amy Ray, Emily Saliers, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Andrea Zonn). Mary Chapin Carpenter also appears. While credits aren't clear, I assume that she's one of the four singing "Boomchicks" (Thighdalia, Aureola, Ovaria, and Fallopia) who appear on "Prayer Wheel." Instrumental new acoustic jazz is well represented in cuts like "The Sound of Summer Running" and "The Magnificent Seven" (written with John Doyle) that has a seven-beat meter in the tune's head.

With the exception of "One Morning in May," arranged without banjo, the 5-string finds itself laying just right into the greater ensemble mix while piano, bass, guitar, fiddle, drums, and even a little mandolin create the kaleidoscope of sound. Some of the luminaries picking along include Stuart Duncan (fiddle), Sam Bush and Mike Marshall (mandolin). Mike seems right in his element on Brown's playful "Musette for a Palindrome." Seamus Egan plays an emotive low whistle on one track, "Carrowkell," while the similarly Cletic-flavored "(I'm Naked and I'm) Going to Glasgow" includes Solas guitarist John Doyle. John R. Burr's gives us some superior, jaw-dropping piano accompaniment that evokes a more smooth jazz sound. As much as I dislike drums in acoustic music, Kenny Malone's percussion is downright tasty in this particular context. Alison's husband, Garry West, plays bass.

Alison Brown is a confident musician who continues to make creative and courageous statements with her music. She's a daring stalwart whose proficient and aqueous banjo playing leaves us with pleasurable aural experiences that know few borders. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)

I love Alison Brown's progressive bluegrass banjo sound! It's a sophisticated mix of jazz, pop, classical, Celtic folk music, bluegrass, new-grass and Latin. Ms. Brown is a jazz-influenced, highly creative composer whose intricate playing demonstrates virtuoso ability. This Harvard University grad, (with an MBA from UCLA), has been named Banjo Player of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association, and has recorded six solo albums, including the 2001 Grammy winner "Fair Weather" and Grammy-nominated "Simple Pleasures." She has just come out with, what I think, is her best album to date, "Stolen Moments."

This 11 track CD, a combination of instrumentals and vocals, includes such diverse tracks as: "The Magnificent Seven," a Celtic medley, with Sam Bush on mandolin and Andrea Zonn on fiddle. The "seven" in the title refers to the seven-beat meter of the main theme; "Carrowkeel," which was based on a Gregorian chant, and includes both Seamus Egan's Irish-sounding pennywhistle, as well as the distinct sound of John R. Burr's piano; "Prayer Wheel," is highlighted by Mary Chapin Carpenter's extraordinary contralto; the cover of Jimi Hendrix's 1960's "Angel," with Beth Nielson Chapman on lead vocal, is simply gorgeous; and Paul Simon's "Homeward Bound, features the Indigo Girls singing harmony. Fiddler/vocalist Andrea Zonn sings with Alison Brown on the lovely folk ballad "One Morning In May." "Musette For A Palindrome," the self-penned conga/mandolin/banjo piece, is one of the albums most special tracks, as is the medley "I'm Naked and I'm Going to Glasgow," which begins with the traditional jig then goes off into three original reels.

Accompanying musicians include: Sam Bush (mandolin), Stuart Duncan (fiddle), Mike Marshall (mandolin), as well as John Doyle (guitar) and Seamus Egan (flute), ex-Pretenders and Paul McCartney Band guitarist Robbie McIntosh, and long time band mate John R. Burr (piano), as well as Nashville legend Kenny Malone (drums).

This is a wonderful CD, which I predict will be a big hit and, quite possibly, win a Grammy!
JANA

The previous two reviewers have covered everything much better than I can, so I just wanted to say that I believe the material on this album is the ABQ's best to date. The instrumentals are still very melodic and catchy yet more sophisticated with more intricate arrangements. The vocal tunes are as good, if not better than, those on the Grammy winning "Fair Weather" album.

Also, see ABQ live if you get a chance because it really showcases the musicians and songs better than any recording.

Stolen Moments presents an eclectic variety of ballads and instrumentals with a seamless fusion of jazz, celtic, bluegrass and folk. It is an interesting mix of Alison's compositions, traditional music and contemporary folk ballads. Alison feels she has successfully achieved a synthesis of the elements and has produced the most blended musical showcase of her career.

The CD contains 11 cuts with four ballads featuring all woman vocalists, two distinctly celtic influenced instrumentals, a delightful musette, and four jazzy bluegrass influenced instrumentals. One Morning in May is a hauntingly beautiful traditional ballad featuring vocalist Andrea Zonn. The tempo, lyrics and vocals all work to stay with you long after the piece has finished.

Musically, four instrumental pieces stand out above the others. Composed while Alison was pregnant, Musette for a Palindrome is a tribute to her daughter, Hannah. Its simplicity delivers a very uplifting and beautiful melody. (I'm Naked and I'm) Going to Glasgow is heavily influenced by the Celtic tradition and brilliantly overlayed with bluegrass styling with a cheerful down home Appalachian hoedown feel to it. The Celtic influenced Carrokeel is based on a Gregorian Chant that Alison had studied while at Harvard. She had loved the melody and pulse which she felt layed out nicely on the banjo. Her interpretation is wonderful. The Magnificent Seven is Alison's personal favorite and the most complex piece on the CD.

As a female banjoist, Alison has disregarded the conventional wisdom of the banjo's role in music. Her imagination and talent has explored the possibilities in a number of realms not traditionally considered for the banjo and in doing so has created an intriguing eclectic collection of compositions. Stolen Moments is not just a collection of banjo cuts, it is a highly creative masterpiece with enough variety in tone, tempo and melody to keep you listening and listening and listening again. With each new listening, you are sure to hear something new, something exciting.

Not much to add to the great reviews already entered here. This is a fine album and quite gentle to the ears and spirit. I was led to this artist specifically because she played with Chris Thile and Stuart Duncan on "Hop the Fence", a wonderful number from Thile's "Stealing Second" Album. That cut, like all those on this album has a gentle synergy and musical fusion that I find quite uplifting.

I'm an acoustic music fan. Call it Bluegrass, Newgrass, Dawg music, Country (but it's nothing like it), Acoustic Jazz, Folk, Adult alternative, even Classical might be used to describe my tastes on occasion, but Alison Brown is making some great acoustic music! Throw in some amazing jazz piano playing into an otherwise "bluegrassy" session and the impeccable taste of Alison Brown, and you get a GREAT album. I can't wait to order more of her stuff, my only other album being Fair Weather, which is older and more of an album you might label bluegrass. Stolen Moments is her more "mature" work, for lack of a better description. She's changing the game these days, like the great Bela Fleck, and heading in new directions with the Banjo, which fits so well in so much music than it ever has been used in. It's a great jazz instrument, and can be so mellow and pleasing to the ear the way she applies it, not just the twangy old hee-haw style, but subtle. Subtle in the way Chris Thile is changing the mandolin world or the way Mark O'connor the fiddle (er, violin?). There's something on this album for every acoustically rooted fan, and i'd be willing to bet you'll like every track.

When I first bought this CD, although I love this woman's music, I thought it might not be as good as most of her others, simply by virtue of the fact that she used vocals in it. Boy was I wrong! This CD is phenomenal! Her version of Homeward Bound, with the indigo girls on vocals and Mike Marshall on Mandolin and guitar is awesome and one of the best cuts. The Magnificent Seven highlights the talents of Sam Bush on Mandolin and Stuart Duncan on fiddle. Then comes her version of "Angel" a Jimmi Hendrix classic, with Beth Neilson Chapman on vocals and Andrea Zonn on fiddle and harmony vocal (Andrea is one of my favorite fiddlers). This tune blows you out of the water with its grace and heart felt sorrow. McIntyre Heads South, is a good old, southern mountain instrumental that shows of the resonator talents of Robbie McIntosh, Duncan on the fiddle and her sidekick, Burr on piano. One of the more entertaining songs is Prayer Wheel, performed by the "Boomchicks", Thighdalia, Aureola, Ovaria, Fallopia, Hysteria and Paddy Boomchick, rounded off with Sexual Vanilla, Max E. Pad and Electric Nay Bean. You would have to google "Boomchicks" to find out exactly who these players are but I can tell you the "band" originated at the Teluride festival a number of years ago, and evolves each time they play together. Performers such as, Alison Krauss, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Shawn Colvin and others have made up the bands eccentric names and talents and I believe only one male to date has been a boomchick... or at least when I myself googled the name. If you love an eclectic sound, this is the music for you. Personally, I am in awe of this woman and her talents and have seen her many times in person, easily over a half dozen times. I highly recommend this CD.

Alison Brown's fusion of jazz and folk makes me proud of the old folk music movement to have evolved such a wonderful mix of sound. Her rhythms, melodies and counterpoints have been thrilling me ever since I saw her at the Ruben museum. Try this music.

I'd never heard of Alison Brown until I was channel-surfing one night and saw a clip about her on a public television station. She and the others in her quartet were playing at a folk festival, but the music they were playing was anything but folksy. Safe to say, it wasn't like anything I'd ever heard coming out of a banjo, and I immediately fell in love with it. In addition to this album, I also ended up downloading about 20 more tunes from iTunes in the days that followed. If you're a fan of jazz and Celtic and bluegrass and "roots" music, you'll love Alison Brown. If you're not sure about making a commitment, check out some longer clips on iTunes, as it's difficult to describe her style...she defies easy categorization.

If I am on a desert island, this is one CD I want with me. Alison Brown is a genius and her music is very, very inspiring.