Ciudad Vieja (string trio) premiered at the SSMF

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My 2020 string trio “Ciudad Vieja” was premiered on July 3rd at the Sewanee Summer Music Festival with Lin He (violin), Hillary Herndon (viola) and Meghan Berindean (cello).

Program note about the piece:

In South America, the “Ciudad Vieja” is an emblem that today represents the neighborhood of a city where tradition and modernity coexist. The sounds of the string trio are folkloric sonorities arbitrarily metamorphosed with the help of an academic lens. Tangos, milongas, candombes are all there, all present all absent.

The score of the piece can be purchased in the Online store here.

Live video (recorded at the Guerry Auditorium – University of the South)

Another great review of “Goes Free”!

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Domino Ensemble presents: Goes Free

July 2021 – Domino Ensemble is a band with a focus on creating a wonderful and dynamic sound by combining elements of genres as diverse as jazz, fusion, and even some progressive influences. The band’s sound is very varied and what makes it quite special is the fact that there are virtually no limits to the artist’s creativity and approach. The group thinks in terms of creating great songs rather than sticking to the rigorously bound confines of a music genre. As a result, anything goes as long as Domino Ensemble is able to achieve its desired results through music.

The band’s recent work, Goes Free, is a collection of performances and improvisational pieces based on compositions written by composers who were born into slavery, including Ignatius Sancho, as well as Thomas Green and Basile Bares. This record is a perfect example of what it means to keep an open mind musically, and the amazing results definitely pay off here. Hailing from Knoxville, Tennessee, the group set out to stray from the conventional path and craft outstanding music that feels exciting and liberation. Their most recent studio effort, “Goes Free,” contains five songs, shining a light on the band’s diverse approach and world-class musicianship. The opening track, “Just So in the North” is an extended jam, which dives deeper into the vast variety of sonic aesthetics that these musicians are so open to embrace. “Le Vieux Garçon (The Old Boy)” is another fantastic track, which is particularly striking due to the fascinating rhythmic patterns, bringing an experimental feel to the sound. “The Boy with the Axles in His Hands” is another exciting track, which provides a smooth insight into the band’s ability to approach classic-sounding melodic ideas in a more direct and personal way. The song “Jan” features a prominent lead sax performance that’s super evocative and spontaneous, while the final track, “La Lousianaise,” the band starts small, but then delves into a complex and intricate fabric of melodies and drones.

Domino Ensemble’s music should definitely be right up your alley if you enjoy the sound of contemporary jazz with a bit of an experimental vibe to it. At the end of the day, the band’s personality is creative and one-of-a-kind, and there’s something quite outstanding about its ability to think differently.

Find out more about Domino Ensemble, and do learn more about Goes Free, which is currently available on the best digital streaming services out there.

Read it HERE

“Tango de Arena” on Spotify

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Acá una pieza nueva para trio que grabamos en diciembre pasado junto a Jon Hamar y Keith Brown. Tiene un sonido jazzero, pero intenta ser otra cosa. Si tenés un ratito, escuchalos a Jon y a Keith que se tocan todo! Flor de tango ☺ salió / Here is a new piece for trio that we recorded last December with Jon Hamar and Keith Brown. It has a jazzy sound, but it tries to be something else. Listen to Jon and Keith making it happen! Tangazzo ☺

 

“Goes Free” reviewed!

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A review of our latest EP “Goes Free” that came out yesterday in Jazz Corner. We are still cornered, a bit in a bit out… Listen to it in Bandcamp! / Una reseña de nuestro ultimo EP “Goes Free” que grabamos en diciembre pasado. Escuchalo en Bandcamp.

Domino Ensemble is a band with a focus on creating new music that values free-form aesthetics and creative thinking.

In fact, a lot of the band’s material is based on pure improvisation. The Ensemble’s work is all about each individual musician, but rather the sum of its part. What I mean by that is that these artists aren’t performing in a selfish way, but rather they see a higher musical purpose. In addition to improvising, they also workshop songs and compositions from student composers, allowing young creatives to voice their artistry and reach a broader audience with their work.

The band’s most recent EP is aptly titled Goes Free, highlighting the spontaneity and honest vibe of the band’s recording. The first track is a touching song titled “Just So in the North,” which is extremely diverse and impactful, revealing the proficiency of these musicians over the span of roughly 8 minutes.

The second track is titled “Le Vieux Garçon (The Old Boy), and it serves as another fantastic example of the group’s artistry, and ability to set the bar higher with so much balance. The following number, “Jan” clocks in at slightly over the 5-minute mark, being the shortest song on the EP. In spite of that, it still packs a lot of creativity and punch, highlighting the proficiency of these amazing musicians.

Finally, the record comes to a close with “La Lousianaise,” a fantastic track with a bit of a New Orleans flair to it.

This EP is incredibly well-produced, revealing the band’s ability to perform unrestrained, but without falling into the trap of self-indulgence, which at times seems to plague some improvisational artists. What I mean is that sometimes, artists seem to play for the sake of showing off rather than to serve the composition, but this is definitely not the case here, as Goes Free is a testament to the band’s focus on achieving unity and create a really good experience for the audience, serving the music as opposed to only serving themselves.

Cullen Burke (synth)

Hunter Deacon (drums)

Matt Nelson (double bass)

Jorge Variego (saxophones)

Read the post here:

“BLINK” premieres on Monday!

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BLINK (for orchestra, electronic sounds and video) will be premiered by the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra this Monday March 29th under the direction of Mtro. Aram Demirjian.
Short program note about the work:
BLINK celebrates the uniqueness of the synchronous fireflies, a singular species of fireflies that lives in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park whose individuals synchronize their flashing patterns.
In the piece, the magic of the event is captured in the form of a journey that starts and ends in the National Park, going through imaginary worlds that exist inside of the Smokies. The glide through surreal underwater worlds, giant caves and Daliesque cities ends where it started, in the park, with the synchronous fireflies in full splendor.
BLINK was commissioned by the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra for the 2021 Young People’s Concert: “Nature at Night: A Smokies Symphony.”

Recording of Blink – Knoxville Symphony Orchestra March 17th 2021 at the Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville.

“Goes Free” is out!

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“Goes Free” is a project where free improvisation becomes a bridge for inclusion. The album is made out of freely improvised versions of compositions written by enslaved-born composers. The selection contains works by Ignatius Sancho (1729-1780), Thomas Greene “Blind Tom’ Wiggins (1849-1908), and Basile Barés (1845-1902). The bonus track “Jan” offers a short duo introspection.

Performers

Cullen Burke (synth and live electronics)
Hunter Deacon (drumset)
Matt Nelson (double bass)
Jorge Variego (soprano and tenor saxophone)

Domino Ensemble Call for Scores – RESULTS

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We received 44 pieces from 3 continents! The high caliber of the works was OUTSTANDING, it was a real thrill to be able to go through all of them. For this recording project, we selected the following composers and pieces (the list is in alphabetical order):
 
Sebastian Birch  Duplicitous Isolation

Lynn Blake John  The Little Buffalo

Michael Boyd  Animal Magnetism V

Nicholas Cline  abrade

Brian Field  ...and all that jazz…

Geoffrey Halgas  Village Folk Song

Aaron Hunt  Reluctant Dancer

Matthew Lam  Acrimonies

Yunfei MI Li  Made to Burn

Gabriel Malancioiu  Clavirgus

Kari Medina  Heart, Remember Dance

James Pecore  Samsāra

Piotr Szewczyk  Three Cartoons for Viola and Bass Clarinet

Robert Scott Thompson  Filigree and Shadow (two movements)

Purple Ego reviewed on “The Clarinet”

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The latest edition of “The Clarinet” came out today and it includes a thorough review of our CD “Purple Ego” (Centaur 2019), check it out! / La edición más reciente de “The Clarinet” salió hoy y viene con una crítica muy buena de nuestro CD “Purple Ego” del 2019. Una alegría enorme saber que el album se sigue escuchando!

Domino Ensemble – CALL FOR SCORES

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Domino Ensemble – Call for scores

In our first call for scores we want to encourage the creation of new works of any aesthetic for viola and clarinet (including bass clarinet or soprano saxophone).

Guidelines:

  • Instrumentation: Duo. The available instruments are viola (one performer) and clarinet, bass clarinet, or soprano saxophone (one performer). Electronic sounds can be used in addition to the acoustic instruments. Multimedia works with video will also be considered.
  • Solo works will not be accepted.
  • Max duration: 8’
  • Deadline: December 20th 2020
  • The call is open to ALL composers worldwide.
  • You can submit pieces that have been previously performed but not professionally recorded and released.
  • Single movements of larger works will be considered.
  • The work can include improvisation. Send us an email if you have questions about this particular point.

What to submit:

  • Complete the Google Form with a link to the music score (and recording if available), short bio, program note, and contact information.
  • Link https://forms.gle/QNW1XvoUuQDnba4y5
  • Fee: $20 for the first submission, $10 for every subsequent piece submitted. There is no limit of submissions per composer. Payment via PayPal (add the confirmation to the Google form).

Prize:

  • The selected works will be included in the next album of the ensemble. This release will be in 2021 and will include a worldwide distribution.
  • 10 CDs free of charge to each of the selected composers.
  • At least one professional review of the album.
  • Live performance as soon as we can get back onstage!
  • Results of the selected works will be announced at the end of February 2021

About the performers:

Hillary Herndon (viola)

Violist Hillary Herndon has earned a national reputation for her brilliant playing, “sweetly soaring tone” (Time Out New York), and insightful teaching. She has been heard on NPR and PBS and has collaborated with some of the world’s foremost artists, including Itzhak Perlman, who described Hillary as “having it all… a gifted teacher and an excellent musician.” Ms. Herndon teaches at the University of Tennessee, the Viola Winter Intensive and is the director of Daraja Strings in Moshi, Tanzania. Her recordings are available on MSR Classics. Herndon holds degrees from Eastman and Juilliard and serves as President for the American Viola Society.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwpMzT1YffYAMaRH9omLgcQ

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC21eYQPes7GMWkQnbT6jKHQ

Jorge Variego (clarinets, saxophone)

Jorge Variego was born in Rosario, Argentina. He is a former Fulbright Scholar and is currently on the Music Theory/Composition faculty at the University of Tennessee. His book publications include “Algorithmic Composition” with the National University of Quilmes (2018) and the upcoming “Composing with Constraints” with Oxford University Press.

His recordings as composer and performer are available on Albany Records, Naxos, Centaur and Parma Records.

Recent releases with the Domino Ensemble

https://open.spotify.com/album/60MpP4qvusFi1x65JCKyVO?si=QETEXEbbSFeUtYevRbfQeQ

https://open.spotify.com/album/5BhLJHlBzn0ovFEZ7yIb6U?si=uw33WKiTT7uHP6-b8iuAdQ

For questions please send us an email to: info@dominoensemble.com