Bridge Street Theater presents ARMEN DONELIAN SOLO PIANO: FULL MOON MUSIC
Armen Donelian, piano
"Armen Donelian is a pianist with a crystalline touch, but a penchant for avant-gardism." - New York Times (2005)
Commentary to Full Moon Music CD (Sunnyside Records, 2005):
Kirk Nurock
"In these rarefied miniatures, Armen Donelian has created a kind of classical surrealism. Here, great composers from the past seem to come and go inexplicably, as if haunting his hands."
Dick Hyman
"Armen Donelian, a pianist of exceptional gig credits (how about Sonny Rollins, Chet Baker, Randy Brecker, and Joe Lovano?), has for some time been on to something else. With a firm jazz identity and a solid classical background, he's embraced the unique music of Armenia, which is his heritage, and twentieth century composers from Ravel down to the present. From these disparate sources plus some individual component that, fortunately, has yet to be decoded, he has produced in these 14 improvs moving but ultimately indescribable piano music."
Fred Hersch
"Armen Donelian uses his experience with European concert music, jazz and other genres to generate compositionally cohesive statements that make full use of the piano's resources and his world-class technique. Without being self-indulgent, he 'gets out of his own way' and allows himself to be taken away by the music. This is a beautiful and personal recording."
Kenny Barron
"Full Moon Music, this new CD you're holding by Armen Donelian, is a wonderful collection of free improvisations for solo piano. To improvise freely over the course of 14 selections is no easy task and Mr. Donelian pulls it off magnificently."
ARMEN DONELIAN SOLO PIANO: FULL MOON MUSIC
Original compositions and spontaneous improvisations of a contemporary Jazz master
7:30PM
Bridge Street Theater
44 West Bridge Street
Catskill, NY 12414
(518) 943-3818 (box office)
Admission $15.