Search - Claude Bolling :: Claude Bolling: Suite for Cello & Jazz Piano Trio

Bolling and Ma--a combination made in heaven!

Catherine S. Vodrey | East Liverpool, Ohio United States | 10/06/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Claude Bolling and Yo-Yo Ma are a combination made in heaven on Bolling's "Suite for Cello & Jazz Piano Trio." Once again marvelously mixing together many of the basic ingredients of classical and jazz, Bolling serves up a deliciously rich stew of musical influences that manages always to sound fresh, never derivative."Baroque in Rhythm" opens the album with a, well, baroque sound. Ma serenely carries the first few minutes of the song himself, when Bolling and his bassist and drummer come in for back-up. The result is pure, propulsive magic. "Galop" has the feel of a musical dressage session, with Ma's cello richly filling the role of spirited horse, and Bolling's piano providing a prancing, mincing sound to back up the illusion. "Romantique" starts off sounding as though it's actually going to be a cheesy lounge ballad, but it soon turns mystical and minor and rich. Bolling can pack regret and memory and smoky sadness into piano-playing like practically no one else I know. "Romantique" is truly a magically evocative composition. On the song "Cello Fan," Bolling's piano and Ma's cello playfully sound as though they're racing each other, or else talking to each other at very high speed, each rushing to outdo the other. It's great breathless fun, and the whole album is a treasure."

YoYo Ma breaks the classical barrier exquisitly once again.

Catherine S. Vodrey | 05/22/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Bolling Suite is a combination of jazz and classical elements that are played together so well. The Bach-inspired introduction leads pleasantly into an upbeat jazz style that seems in place. For those who can accept the cello as something other than classical, this CD is rather enjoyable."

Ma continues to Expand his Repertoire

Avid Reader | Franklin, Tn | 10/16/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Bolling has left the rather confined world of the Jazz trio (piano, flute, bass + percussion - that's a quartet isn't it?) and expanded into other areas. The cello seems an odd choice for a jazz adventure but somehow it seems absolutely correct in these circumstances.Ma has traveled from the beautiful solitude of the solo Bach Sonatas to the ravishing sensuousness of the Tango to "modern" chamber music and now to sophisticated jazz settings. Each of these pieces seems written with him in mind (and maybe that was the case) and if not, it is as near a perfect fit as one can imagine. The yearning of the cello combines with the other instruments to produce some of the most beautiful sounds around. This is a winner."