I attended two very incredible listening parties this evening. Both albums dropping soon on Cuneiform Records.
Ensemble Volcanic Ash: Pluto In Aquarius
A composer and cellist who’s honed a singular synthesis of composition, orchestration and improvisation, while heavily involved for decades with Washington D.C.’s vibrant new music, jazz, rock and improvised music scenes, Janel Leppin releases the third album by her acclaimed Ensemble Volcanic Ash.
Throughout Pluto in Aquarius, the group’s language and interplay might seem leaner, meaner and grittier to veteran Ensemble Volcanic Ash fans. Leppin found a new pared-back feel for the ensemble — often less like a midsize chamber ensemble and more like a scrappy combo. “It’s a really raw sound and I love that,” Leppin says. “We had played some shows in this format and it was like, ‘Wow, this is a whole other thing now.’”
The five-piece group melds an illustrious array of D.C. talent into a glimmering expressive organism that surges, expands, ebbs and dances in multiple directions at once.
Janel Leppin – cello, CP-70
Larry Ferguson – drums
Anthony Pirog – guitar
Brian Settles – tenor saxophone
Luke Stewart – bass
Composed by Janel Leppin
Recorded at The Brink, Richmond, VA.
Engineered by Mike Reina & Curtis Fye
Produced by Mike Reina
AND
Over the past two decades, the cellist and multi-instrumentalist Janel Leppin has worked steadily to become one of the most compelling composers and improvisers of her generation. With her beloved Washington, D.C. scene as her home base, she has earned renown among fans of new and experimental music worldwide.
Now at the peak of her powers as both a bandleader and a solo performer, she’s released Slowly Melting; a riveting solo program that puts Leppin’s fuzz-saturated cello at the fore. She also contributes her accompaniment, crafting expansive soundscapes through guitar, bass, piano and Prophet-5 synthesizer.
As a solo performer, especially onstage, she continues to marvel at how affecting the sound of her cello can be — how her centuries-old instrument, when thoughtfully filtered through technology, can bring a contemporary audience to tears.
Slowly Melting is a solo album of deep possibilities and deeper results.
Cello, Guitar, Bass, Prophet-Five, Piano, Art & Compositions by Janel Leppin
Recorded at The Brink, Richmond, VA.
“Kaffa House” recorded at Janel’s Room Studio.
