Kirsten Edkins, compositora e saxofonista de Los Angeles, formou-se na Eastman School of Music. Estudou composição e arranjo musical com Bill Dobbins, Walt Weiskopf  e o lendário Ray Ricker. Antes da sua passagem pela Eastman, estudou com Bob Sheppard, músico de jazz e especialista de sopros. Shapes And Sounds é o disco de estreia da nova editora Cohearent Records de Kevin Gray!

• Primeira edição da Cohearent Records
• Gravação, Mistura e Masterização totalmente a Válvulas Analógica
• LP Vinil 180 Gramas Audiófilo prensagem na RTI, USA
• Capa Deulxe Tip-On Gatefold pela Spark Printing
• Corte por Kevin Gray na Cohearent Audio

Edkins, a composer and saxophonist from Los Angeles, graduated from Eastman School of Music. She studied composition and arranging with Bill Dobbins, as well as Walt Weiskopf and the legendary Ray Ricker. Before her time at Eastman she studied with Bob Sheppard, a jazz recording artist and woodwind specialist. Shapes and Sound is the debut LP release from Cohearent Records

After spending 15 years building the gear for his new endeavor, Cohearent Records — which is an All-Valve (Vacuum Tube) recording system from microphones to disk cutterhead — award-winning mastering engineer Kevin Gray releases the first LP by jazz saxophonist Kirsten Edkins, Shapes & Sound.

Kirsten Edkins, a young composer and saxophonist from Los Angeles, is an exciting prospect. Kirsten graduated from Eastman School of Music on scholarship. She studied composition and arranging with Bill Dobbins, as well as Walt Weiskopf and the legendary Ray Ricker. Before her time at Eastman she studied with Bob Sheppard, a jazz recording artist and woodwind specialist.

Kirsten is a highly sought-after improviser and has performed with Arturo Sandoval (Al "Tootie" Heath), Tim Hagans, Clay Jenkins, John Beasley and Geoffrey Keezer. She has also performed with the Clare Fischer Big Band, Bill Holman Big Band, Bernie Dresel Big Band (The BBB), Sara Gazarek, Gary Foster, Joe LaBarbara, Larry Goldings and Clay Jenkins. Kirsten has appeared on television shows such as American Idol, Duets, Knight Rider, Glee, Bones and The Tonight Show.

A motivational music educator, Kirsten's associations include Cal State Fullerton's Stanford Jazz Workshop, Saddleback College and Golden West College. Kirsten has been educating and encouraging young musicians in her private studio for more than 14 years. She also directs the American Jazz Institute's Community Outreach and teaches saxophone at Occidental College in Eagle Rock.

Kirsten is joined on Shapes & Sound by Gerald Clayton (courtesy of Blue Note) on piano, Ahmet Turkmenoglu on bass, Lemar Guillary on trombone and Chris Wabich on drums.

The mixes put Clayton's piano center stage, with Edkins stage right (left channel), Wabich stage left (right channel) and bassist Turkmenoglu in the same central plane as Clayton. It's a classic recording with all of the glorious microphone leakage there, giving you the room sound you both crave and deserve. If you start with the final track, Wabich's 'Hula Hoop' when you hear Turkmenoglu's stand-up bass actually sounding like a stand-up bass playing in a room, with its attack and timbral character so naturally presented, you'll realize how rarely contemporary recordings manage what Gray gets on tape here. And a shout out also to all of the musicians for their willingness to record this way! - Michael Fremer, Tracking Angle, Music 8/10, Sound 11/10

Shapes and Sounds is not only highly entertaining, it had me yearning for more as I have to wonder what might be next as this quintet continues to evolve and mature. The writing skills and musicianship are clearly all there. The sound quality is top notch and possibly one of the most impressive LPs in my entire collection. This is a studio and a group to keep your eyes and ears on for what might be presented in the future! - Robert S. Youman, Positive Feedback

Músicos:

Kirsten Edkins - sax
Gerald Clayton - piano
Ahmet Turkmenoglu - baixo
Lemar Guillary - trombone
Chris Wabich - bateria

Lista de Faixas:

01. Party Slug
02. Bird Shapes
03. Dedicated To You
04. The Goose
05. Sweet Pickles
06. Wuhoo
07. Proprietary Minor
08. Hula Hoop

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