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Artist: Mark O'Connor
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Mark O'Connor:

Jam Session

World-renowned acoustic musicians Mark O'Connor (violin), Chris Thile (mandolin), Frank Vignola (guitar), Bryan Sutton (guitar), Jon Burr (bass) and Byron House (bass) can captivate audiences with just their instruments. But for them, jamming is a meeting of musical minds and genres in communication, a perfect example of holistic American music. 'Jam Session,' on OMAC Records, offers "dazzling" (Wall Street Journal) live acoustic recordings that combine bluegrass and gypsy jazz as never before on disc.

 

Mark O'Connor:

Americana Symphony

Mark O'Connor's 20-year musical journey from the fiddle competitions of the south to the stages of Carnegie Hall and The Library of Congress reaches a new milestone in Spring 2009 with the release of his debut symphony. Featuring the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, as led by the world-renowned conductor Marin Alsop, the work takes its inspiration from O'Connor's own melody "Appalachian Waltz," the titular piece from his first collaboration with Yo Yo Ma, in 1995. More importantly, it boldly defines the resurgent American Classical movement that O'Connor helps lead. Due out on his own OMAC records on March 10, 2009, the album also includes O'Connor's Concerto No. 6, "Old Brass."

 

Mark O'Connor:

String Quartets No. 2 & 3

Mark O'Connor continues his musical journey into the heart of America on his latest album, containing his String Quartets No.'s 2 & 3. Like all of O'Connor's work, each piece takes deep inspiration from the landscape and traditions of America to produce music that is both familiar and original. Masterfully played by O'Connor, Ida Kavafian, Paul Neubauer, and Matt Haimovitz, the album is slated for a May 26th release from OMAC Records. The release follows a major performance of the work at New York's Merkin Hall, with some of the classical world's brightest lights in attendance, including Josh Bell, Lara St. John, Angella Ahn and the Ahn Trio, and Grammy nominees Anastisia Khitruk, Philippe Quint, and Sara Sant'Ambrogio.

 

Mark O'Connor:

Hot Swing: Live In New York

Working in the vein of his hero and mentor, French jazz violin virtuoso Stephane Grappelli, Mark O'Connor's final installment in his triology of hot swing trio releases, Live In New York, transcends tribute to become an engrossing and original record. The previous installments in the series, 2001's Hot Swing and 2003's In Full Swing, were both critical favorites The Chicago Tribune spoke for most when they said, "O'Connor and his group have brought this infectious art form to a new height, both technically and musically." Live In New York features O'Connor on violin, Frank Vignola on guitar, and Jon Burr on bass; it is out January 13th, 2009 on OMAC Records.

"The group began as a specific tribute to Django Reinhardt and my teacher and old boss Stephane Grappelli," explains O'Connor. "Then we built on that, much as 'gypsy jazz' grew through several stages of evolution, until we reached the broad range represented on Live In New York, encompassing influences of American culture in our ensemble playing, improvising, and composition."

These influences are most plain on "Fiddler Going Home", a piece written for departed jazz legend and frequent teacher at Mark O'Connor's string camps, Claude "Fiddler" Williams. O'Connor's long, plaintive notes are distinctly American, and conjure images of a long wagon train stretching into the sunset. His arrangement of the Gershwin standard "Fascinating Rhythm" is similarly inflected, adding a bit of the Old West to the Upper East Side. Original pieces like "Anniversary" and "Funky Swing" demonstrate the trio's willingness to push their sound into modern jazz and chamber music qualities.

There is plenty gypsy jazz-influenced playing on Live In New York, as well. Track after track finds O'Connor and his trio playing beautiful music as quickly as possible. "Tiger Rag" and O'Connor's tune "Gypsy Fantastic" are particular standouts in this regard

 

Mark O'Connor:

Double Violin Concerto

When Mark O'Connor and Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg premiered his Double Violin Concerto with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 2000, the Chicago Sun-Times described the incredible evening: Written in 1997, and recorded live in 2003 in Denver's Boettcher Hall, the Double Violin Concerto is Mark O'Connor at his genre bending finest. Under the baton of Maestra Marin Alsop, the soloists and the spectacular Colorado Orchestra create a musical experience that paints vivid pictures of intimate jazz clubs and glamorous dance floors.