Ross, Florian: Mechanism

Florian Ross was born in Pforzheim, Germany in 1972. The pianist/composer has worked and played with numerous musicians over the last few years. He has studied piano and composition in London, Cologne and New York and teaches in music conservatories all over Germany. He released his first album in 1998 and this is his sixth overall. His latest entitled Mechanism his first CD as a solo pianist.

Mechanism is one of the more unique piano albums I have heard mostly due to the fact that Florian uses a looping device that enables the musician to juxtapose multiple piano lines; creating a rich palette of sound and texture. He is a tremendous player and the layers of piano only adds to the complexity of this music. That said, Florian never abandons melody for abstract dissonance so while being quite a complex work it is very easy to listen to while never losing its sense of adventure.

There are seventeen songs in total running anywhere from one to six minutes in length. "Round About" opens the album with the music going in different tangents as simultaneous lines of piano find their course eventually becoming quieter and quieter before fading out entirely. "Bridges" forges a sultry jazz sound reminding me of those old time standards whereas the short but intense "György" has a slight discordant feel. The sentimental "Paying The Bill" has a lovely melody as does "Rondo Nr. 1", a lush musical piece and my favourite on the album. Other highlights include the sad piano ballad "Never Alone" and a cover version of the John Coltrane classic "Moment's Notice" but there are really no bad songs in the bunch.

Mechanism is an album of rich melodies and carefully laid arrangements that will surely be appreciated by all fans of piano and jazz. Who would have thought that an album with just piano would leave so very few stones unturned. Mechanism was released September 28, 2010 on Pirouet Records.

Track Listing:
1. Round About (4:08)
2. Bridges (4:05)
3. György (1:03)
4. If At All (3:50)
5. Paying The Bill (2:39)
6. Silver Spur (1:17)
7. Take Your Time (2:46)
8. Blade Runner (2:05)
9. Mechanism (3:45)
10. Rondo Nr. 1 (6:00)
11. Moment's Notice (3:25)
12. Catflap (2:00)
13. Sometime Ago (5:01)
14. Mangroove (2:06)
15. Better Alone (2:37)
16. Nice To Meet You (3:44)
17. Quiet Of The Evening (4:48)

Added: October 11th 2010
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Artist's MySpace Page
Hits: 1902
Language: english

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