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Quartet San Francisco
Quartet San Francisco's 2006 release Latigo, which gave passionate expression to the group's devotion to tango, was honored last December with two Grammy nominations in the Classical Crossover field, including "Best Album." Their audacious new ViolinJazz Recordings CD Whirled Chamber Music ups the ante, presenting what violinist Jeremy Cohen calls "crossover music in its purest form." Due for release September 25, the new disc draws from a wide variety of indigenous American forms—jazz, funk, rock, tango—that are imaginatively crafted by Cohen for string quartet. The CD's title refers to the walls between genres coming down, with the Quartet offering, you might say, "a new whirled order." Quartet San Francisco, established in 2001, consists of Cohen and Kayo Miki on violins, Emily Onderdonk (viola), and Joel Cohen (cello). The quartet's contemporary musical sensibilities combined with the sheer physical energy required to play these rich American styles of music provide fertile ground for the ensemble to present their unique version of World Music. The repertoire on the new CD advances the crossover concept in stunning fashion. Seven of the tracks are by Raymond Scott (1908-1994), the iconoclastic composer, bandleader, inventor, and electronic music pioneer whose music was given its broadest exposure on Warner Bros.' Looney Tunes cartoons in the 1940s and '50s and whose centennial will be celebrated next year. "Scott's whimsical melodies and swinging rhythms are ideally suited to string players with appetites for color and character," notes Cohen. Also included in the program are compositions by Chick Corea ("Spain"), David Grisman ("Dawg's Bull"), Duke Ellington ("The Mooche"), and Leonard Bernstein ("Gee Officer Krupke," from West Side Story). The Average White Band's "Pick Up the Pieces" is rendered with attitude to spare, as is the CD closer "What Is Hip?" by Tower of Power—a statement of local pride from the Oakland-born-and-bred Cohen brothers. "We feel passionate about this mixture of American genres," says Cohen, "and we perform each work from within the style in which it was conceived. The tradition of chamber music has taught us to play from our hearts with the highest playing standards we can apply. So when the music says swing, we swing. When the music says groove, we groove." One thing Cohen has learned in his diverse musical experiences—from studies with Itzhak Perlman to his two years with Forever Tango to recording sessions with Carlos Santana and John Williams—is that "the walls between genres are in our heads.
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Jeremy Cohen: Raymond Scott Reimagined
by Walter Atkins
Raymond Scott Reimagined is an engaging collaborative project with Quartet San Francisco, Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band and the Grammy winning acapella group Take 6 on two tracks. The album is a thoughtful and stylish interpretation of Raymond Scott's legacy. It is also interspersed with audio tidbits featuring Scott's singular musical approaches. The album kicks off with the enticing “Powerhouse," familiar to anyone who has watched a Warner Bros Looney Tunes cartoon. “Toy Trumpet" is a tasty composition ...
Continue ReadingQuartet San Francisco At Yoshi's 2023
by Walter Atkins
The Quartet San Francisco performed the compositions of Raymond Scott with a whimsical dynamism that flowed throughout the music. Scott's work has been closely associated with Warner Bros. cartoons, although he didn't write his music for animation. Along with members of Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band (and some Take 6 vocal tracks), QSF weaved a fun and entertaining Sunday set at Yoshi's in Jack London Square. Mr. Scott is gone, but his singular work has been pleasantly revitalized ...
Continue ReadingQuartet San Francisco: Pacific Premieres
by Dan Bilawsky
Gone are the days of the insular string quartet that turns its back on anything and everything outside of the classical canon. In many respects, the world can thank the venerable Kronos Quartet, which celebrates its fortieth anniversary in 2013, for opening eyes, ears and minds to the fact that the string quartet is just like any other instrumental assemblage, capable of crossing stylistic boundary lines and charting new courses. That groundbreaking ensemble explored--and continues to explore--music of all shapes ...
Continue ReadingQuartet San Francisco: Whirled Chamber Music
by Ken Dryden
Quartet San Francisco (QSF) is very much in the vein of the Turtle Island String Quartet, though this classical crossover band sticks closer to their arrangements than the TISQ. Led by composer/arranger Jeremy Cohen on violin, the group also includes violinist Kayo Miki, violist Emily Onderdonk and cellist Joel Cohen. Their second CD draws from a wide swath of musical styles, including seven works by the quirky 1940s composer Raymond Scott, standards and show tunes, jazz, pop, funk and more. ...
Continue ReadingQuartet San Francisco: Whirled Chamber Music
by Dr. Judith Schlesinger
Whirled Chamber Music is another delightful CD from the group that was double-Grammy nominated for Latigo, its 2006 debut. This time, the pitch-perfect Quartet San Francisco applies itself to a wider range of material, compiling what could easily be the most cheerful and brilliantly-executed release of 2007.
“The walls between genres have come down, writes violinist/arranger Jeremy Cohen. “We feel passionate about this mix of American genres--blues, funk, jazz, tango, bluegrass, and rock--and we perform each ...
Continue ReadingQuartet San Francisco: Whirled Chamber Music
by Mark Corroto
Scientists working diligently in a laboratory somewhere recently discovered a DNA strand and have identified it as the Cartoon Gene. This revelation proves the visual link between animation and sound. What they found is that cartoons permanently imprint sounds on your brain, for instance the sound of a character sneaking up stairs is a quickly rising pizzicato violin. That is why exposure to the music of Raymond Scott, adapted for Warner Brothers, brings automatic memories to anyone over forty.
Continue Reading'Cutey And The Dragon' From ‘Raymond Scott Reimagined’ Nabs Grammy Nom For ‘Best Instrumental Composition’
Source:
1888 Media
Violinjazz Recordings, the label of acclaimed GRAMMY nominated musician Jeremy Cohen, principal violinist and founder of Classical Crossover specialists Quartet San Francisco, have announced a GRAMMY nomination for ‘Best Instrumental Composition’ for “Cutey and the Dragon,” a song that appears on the critically-acclaimed album, Raymond Scott Reimagined, an unprecedented collaboration that features 30+ musicians honoring the incredible groundbreaking canon of composer Raymond Scott (1908-1994). Representing an entirely brand new composition crafted from an unfinished sketch Scott made for his granddaughter ...
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‘Raymond Scott Reimagined,’ The Unprecedented Musical Journey Featuring Quartet San Francisco, Gordon Goodwin & Take 6 Is Available Now
Source:
1888 Media
Violinjazz Recordings, the label of acclaimed Grammy-nominated musician Jeremy Cohen, principal violinist and founder of Classical Crossover specialists Quartet San Francisco, has announced the release of ‘Raymond Scott Reimagined,’ an unprecedented new collaboration teaming Quartet San Francisco with accomplished Grammy/Emmy Award-winning composer/producer/arranger Gordon Goodwin and revered Grammy-winning a cappella group Take 6. The thrilling 14-track collection, which includes Goodwin’s fresh arrangements of eight Scott classics, including mainstays “Powerhouse,” “Twilight in Turkey,” “Huckleberry Duck,” “The Quintette Goes to a Dance” and ...
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"Pacific Premieres: New Works By California Composers," New CD From Quartet San Francisco
Source:
Terri Hinte Publicity
Quartet San Francisco, the acclaimed cross-genre string quartet, received Grammy nominations for their 2006 Látigo, 2007 Whirled Chamber Music, and 2009 QSF Plays Brubeck. Now they are preparing to release a dazzling new CD, Pacific Premieres: New Works by California Composers, on ViolinJazz Recordings. The disc, due out September 24, delivers a program featuring two swinging new suites by noted jazz big band leader, composer, and arranger Gordon Goodwin; a breathtaking three-movement string quartet by conductor, arranger, and composer Vince ...
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Quartet San Francisco's Brubeck CD a Double Grammy Nominee
Source:
Terri Hinte Publicity
Quartet San Francisco received two Grammy nominations yesterday for their latest Violinjazz Recordings CD, QSF Plays Brubeck. The CD, which is the first all-Brubeck string quartet recording, was nominated in the Classical Crossover category and is the group's third consecutive Best Album nomination. QSF Plays Brubeck was also nominated as Best Engineered Classical CD. The disc was recorded by Judy Kirschner at Skywalker Ranch, Nicasio, CA. The quartet's previous CDs, Latigo (2006) and Whirled Chamber Music (2007), were similarly honored ...
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"QSF Plays Brubeck": New CD from Quartet San Francisco Due August 31
Source:
Terri Hinte Publicity
Grammy nominees for their 2006 Latigo and 2007 Whirled Chamber Music, Quartet San Francisco pays homage to the legendary pianist and composer Dave Brubeck on its new ViolinJazz Recordings CD, QSF Plays Brubeck. The acclaimed cross-genre string quartet will premiere the material at a special CD release appearance, at Yoshi's in San Francisco, on the August 31 release date. “This CD was inspired by our love for the music of this American legend," says violinist Jeremy Cohen, executive producer and ...
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2 Grammy Nominations for Quartet San Francisco's Tango / Latin CD
Source:
Terri Hinte Publicity
Bay Area String Quartet Receives 2 Grammy Nominations For Best Classical Crossover CD, Best Engineered Classical CD
San Francisco, Dec 07, 2006 -- Quartet San Francisco, founded in 2001 by the noted jazz and classical violinist Jeremy Cohen, received two Grammy nominations today for Látigo, their dazzling recording of tango and Latin arrangements for string quartet--Best Classical Crossover CD and Best Engineered Classical CD. The disc was recorded by veteran engineer Leslie Ann Jones at Skywalker Ranch, Nicasio, CA, and ...
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"Grooving and swinging are precisely what they do, whether interpreting Chick Corea ("Spain ), David Grisman ("Dawg's Bull ) or Duke Ellington ("The Mooche ). The two violins, viola, and cello are equally convincing with their sensuous "Harlem Nocturne." - All ABout Jazz
"Quartet San Francisco's playing is very tight, crisp, strongly rhythmic, and right on the money for the repertoire." - All Music Guide
Chick Corea
pianoPhotos
Music
Cutey and the Dragon
From: Raymond Scott ReimaginedBy Quartet San Francisco
Toy Trumpet
From: Raymond Scott ReimaginedBy Quartet San Francisco
Videos
Quartet San Francisco
Location: San Francisco
Instrument: Band / ensemble / orchestra
Publicist: 1888 Media
