Shadow Plays is a live solo piano album by Craig Taborn recorded at the Konzerthaus, Vienna, on March 2, 2020, and released on ECM in October the following year.
| Shadow Plays | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Live album by | ||||
| Released | October 8, 2021 | |||
| Recorded | March 2, 2020 | |||
| Venue | Konzerthaus, Vienna | |||
| Genre | Jazz, free improvisation | |||
| Length | 1:16:21 | |||
| Label | ECM 2693 | |||
| Producer | Manfred Eicher | |||
| Craig Taborn chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
editTaborn's previous solo piano album, Avenging Angel, was recorded in 2010.[1][2] Since then, he had performed and recorded in a diverse range of bands and styles.[1][3]
Recording and music
editThe album was recorded at the Mozart-Saal of the Konzerthaus, Vienna, on March 2, 2020; the concert was billed as Avenging Angel II.[4][5] All seven of the solo piano pieces were improvised.[3] The album was produced by Manfred Eicher.[4]
Release and reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| All About Jazz |   [6] |
| AllMusic |  [1] |
| DownBeat | [7] |
| Financial Times | [3] |
| Jazzwise | [8] |
| Tom Hull | B+[9] |
Shadow Plays was released by ECM Records on 8 October 2021.[10]
The AllMusic reviewer concluded: "Where Avenging Angel opened our ears to Taborn's consummate abilities to compose and organize simultaneously without surrendering his creativity, Shadow Plays extends that by offering a profound sense of intimacy with instrument and audience. It delivers fantastical groups of ideas that flow without undue force or ego to become something that is at once wondrous and revelatory."[1]
The reviewer for the Financial Times wrote that the album features Taborn "delivering spontaneous masterworks with a majestic sense of form and captures his robust touch and uncanny sense of space in pristine sound".[3]
Track listing
editAll compositions by Craig Taborn
- "Bird Templars" – 17:02
- "Discordia Concors" – 8:57
- "Conspiracy of Things" – 5:50
- "Concordia Discors" – 11:59
- "A Code with Spells" – 8:09
- "Shadow Play" – 18:37
- "Now in Hope" – 5:47
Personnel
edit- Craig Taborn – piano
References
edit- ^ a b c d Jurek, Thom. "Craig Taborn: Shadow Plays". AllMusic. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
- ^ Kelman, John (May 31, 2011). "Craig Taborn: Craig Taborn – Avenging Angel". All About Jazz. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Hobart, Mike (October 8, 2021). "Craig Taborn: Shadow Plays – Spontaneous Masterworks". Financial Times. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
- ^ a b "Shadow Plays: Craig Taborn – Background". ECM Records. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
- ^ Micucci, Matt (October 2021). "10 Albums You Need to Know: October 2021". Jazziz.
- ^ Jurkovic, Mike (December 6, 2021). "Craig Taborn: Shadow Plays album review @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ^ Lorge, Suzanne (January 2022). "Craig Taborn: Shadow Plays". DownBeat. Vol. 89, no. 1. p. 50.
- ^ Le Gendre, Kevin. "CRAIG TABORN: SHADOW PLAYS". Jazzwise. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ^ "Tom Hull: Grade List: Craig Taborn". Tom Hull. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ^ Micucci, Matt (October 2021). "10 Albums You Need to Know: October 2021". Jazziz.