| CD REVIEW |
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| BLUE OCEAN � Music of Jim Hiscott CBC Records �2004 CD Review by Diane Wells Blue Ocean is an unusual set of five compositions by St. Catharines native Jim Hiscott, two of which feature his own prowess on the two-row diatonic button accordion. Mr. Hiscott is the human epitome of the connection between arts and science; he achieved a Masters degree in Theoretical Particle Physics prior to changing his discipline to music. Blue Ocean offers the musical neophyte a glimpse into the African (Zaire/Congo) origins of Cuban soukous (rumba) music and variations on the tango, sandwiching three diverse multi-movement classical scores performed by the Qu�bec-based Molinari String Quartet (Olga Ranzenhofer, Johannes Jansonius, Jasmine Schnarr and Julie Trudeau. The CD also features Paul Marleyn on cello, Judith Kehler-Siebert on piano, Lori Freedman on bass clarinet and Eric Hansen on double bass. The detailed liner notes might have an aspiring amateur (or even professional) musician resentfully reeling at the list of grants, awards and accomplishments these players have collected in their musical resum�s, but don�t let that stop you from enjoying this unique musical experience; it is highly deserving of the tremendous accolades it has received. For listeners who want a verbal snapshot preview, the pieces are already aptly described on the CD cover, and run the gamut from �elegiac� (mournful) and �ghostlike� to �driving, desperate, impassioned, joyful and triumphant�. While the multi-award-winning Molinari String Quartet is obviously talented, I found their overall presence to be overwhelming at times. You have to be a big fan of violins to truly appreciate them. The best part of discovering the music of Jim Hiscott was learning that he is also involved in something called a Balinese gender (pronounced g�n-dare) wayang quartet called �Maja Gender�, which led me to an entirely different and delightful realm in the kingdom of music! |
| BLUE OCEAN - MUSIC OF JIM HISCOTT Also posted at www.701.com |
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