Monthly Archives: February 2020

Domino Ensemble review – On The Verge series GSU

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Music filled the air as drumsticks crashed onto the cymbals and each string on the bass was strummed swiftly to melt into the soprano saxophone as each instrument crescendoed. This trio of instruments took the audience on a journey from  “Polish Vodka,” all the way to “Drunken Raccoon.” This journey was led by the Domino Ensemble.

GS Department of Music’s On The Verge Series for new music presented The Domino Ensemble Wednesday night at the Carol A. Carter Recital Hall. The Ensemble was able to grace the audience with music from their newest album “Drunken Raccoon.”

The Knoxville-based ensemble is comprised of Hunter Deacon on the drum set; Rob Linton playing double bass; and Jorge Variego on clarinet and soprano saxophone. Variego also acts as the trio’s composer. 

The trio played music from their newest album “Drunken Raccoon,” which contained a bluesy and contemporary feel to each song. Beginning with the “Polish Vodka” leading into “Tango Blues” followed by, “The March,” “Glove Assault,” “Tango Fugue alla Braxton” and finally concluding with their title piece “Drunken Raccoon”.

Variego said the inspiration behind the uncanny title, “Drunken Raccoon,” was thanks to his neighborhood watch group, who said they witnessed a raccoon break into someone’s trash and drink that person trashed alcohol. This led to others in the neighborhood witnessing a drunken raccoon.

The Domino Ensemble’s music was not the only music presented Wednesday night. Two composition student compositions were chosen to be debuted at the concert by The Domino Ensemble. Francisco Corthey’s piece, “Inmersiones,” was premiered, as well as Alex Ferré’s piece “What sixe genre do you wear?”

Ferré described the experience in hearing his song for the first time as weird because they “work with synthesizers a majority of the time, so it’s strange to hear it on actual instruments, but hearing something you made out of nothing be performed is just a great feeling.”

Variego said performing tonight was very meaningful to him as this was his second time performing at GS since his first appearance at one of the first editions of the On The Verge Series in 2013. 

Since 2012 the Georgia Southern Department of Music has been presenting the On The Verge Series to introduce students and faculty to new music from across the country and abroad.

A review of Purple Ego in INK 19 – check it out!

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Domino Ensemble’s new album features 11 new songs, which blur the lines between a wide variety of styles and genre definitions. From experimental jazz musings, down to funk, fusion, and progressive, anything goes. The line-up explores a wide variety of interesting sounds, making me think of artists as diverse as Bill Frisell, Marc Ribot, as well as John Zorn, and many others.

Some of the album highlights include “Common Features,” a song that combines a distinctive rhythm section with atmospheric distorted guitar chords in the background and some incredible textures. I love how this song brings something truly memorable to the table in terms of allowing different elements to clash and collide so seamlessly. The fuzzy radio voices in the background are almost like a glue, holding it all together. The song “Not Exactly” what I mean is another highlight for me. I love the brushed snare tones, as well as the ever-evolving melodic landscape of this track. From uplifting melodies, to soaring dissonances, anything goes. “Gritty Throat” is another awesome song, which begins with a playful theme, with the double bass following along, but later drifting out on its own. This is a very minimalistic piece, which only has an understated arrangement. However, it serves as a sort of interlude, allowing the album to breathe and gain even more interesting dynamics, going out in full blast with the following track Domino, showcasing an atmosphere that makes me think of albums by Tom Waits in some ways. I love the ways in which the rhythm comes together and falls apart so many times, eventually giving the song a dreamy tone and a more experimental feel.

Ultimately, what I love the most about this album is the incredible variety of textures and organic sounds within. The ensemble has a warm, roomy tone which reminds me of old jazz records. On the other hand, the band is not afraid to experiment with distortion effects, li-fi dynamics and many other elements adding a grittier character to the mix. The sheer variety of sounds and influences in this release is also quite fantastic, giving the tracks a unique and memorable feel that truly stands out.

Stacey Zering