WYCE Music Journal: Luminescent Orchestrii
CMC | 88.1FM WYCE 4/2/09 11:05 AM WYCE Music Journal: Luminescent Orchestrii Neptune's Daughter March 16, 2009 Neptune's Daughter, by NYC's Luminescent Orchestrii, is an intriguing blend of traditional Romanian Gypsy folk songs, punk rock rhythm, bluesy vocals, and jazz improvisation. The Orchestrii, or small ensemble with orchestral intentions, is made up of a fiddler and guitarist from the NYC Theatre underground, a free-jazz bassist, and an old-time fiddler. The group toured extensively in Europe for a time, gaining much. Their music is not something you would expect to hear in modern America, but certainly welcome nonetheless. – Matt Kwiek Fula Flute Mansa America March 9, 2009 Sure, opening cut "Obama" (#1) feels like a bit of a novelty song after the 2008 election. But concentrate on the playing - especially Bailo Bah's and Sylvain Leroux's crazy good flute chops - instead of the foreign language words, and the track will win you over like everything else on the disc. This traditional-based Fulani music from the Fouta Djalon highlands of Guinea features complex balafon, kora, and flute solos that feel like the wellspring of American jazz, especially when paired with genuine jazz change-ups. But there's also a stateliness to the instrumentation that somehow seems classical. The two strains combine brilliantly on "Fouta Canada" (#5), thanks to a seamlessly integrated horn section. It's the Fulani flute that steals the show on "Lele"(#4) and "Boloba" (#6) via performances so physical, it's as if the flutist is trying to fit his entire body into the mouthpiece.
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