There is an art to combining formal composition with the free grooving essence of jam band music. For decades, guitarist/vocalist Francis Jacob studied and played music from all over the globe, condensing what he absorbed into his own unique style. Along with his longtime friends, bassist Stomu Takeishi and percussionist Gintas Janusonis, Jacob assembled his new group, The Three Blind Mice, that explores the sounds of jazz, funk, and world music through these musicians' unique prisms of influence. Originally from France, Jacob has been based in New York City for three decades. He has invested himself in the local music scene, specializing in the sounds of West Africa and his native France. The Japan born Takeishi has also been a longtime member of the New York music scene, specializing in experimental jazz but also the rhythms of South America. A midwestern with Lithuanian heritage, Janusonis has an eclectic resume with a solid foundation in groove-based music. The three musicians have worked on and off together for decades, but it was during the pandemic that Jacob decided that he wanted to establish a smaller ensemble. He invited Takeishi and Janusonis to regular jam sessions. The trio quickly developed a natural sound based on their mutual love and understanding of a wide variety of musical styles from around the world. Jacob began treating the jams as workshops for his compositions, bringing in pieces that would be fleshed out as the band explored them. Taking inspiration from the band's name, The Three Blind Mice focus on musical elements related to the number three on their self-titled album. Jacob decided to utilize devices based on song form, time signature, and beat subdivisions for his pieces informed by ternary systems. Many musical elements come together in the rich musical world of Francis Jacob, Stomu Takeishi, and Gintas Janusonis's The Three Blind Mice. Weaving these rich elements of world music together, the trio provides a vibrant and addictive listening experience on their new self-titled album.

JACOB COLLIER / DJESSE VOLUME 4 / Crafted in the famed studio beside his London bedroom, as well as various corners of the globe, Djesse has explored Jacob Collier's wildest dreams, and Vol. 4 brings the series to a most dramatic and thrilling conclusion. While his music is proudly unclassifiable, Collier enters a distinct sonic universe with each volume, which he likens to the different phases of a day. With Djesse Vol. 4, the saga ends at the incandescent light of dawn, alchemising a full spectrum of emotion into a massive, joyous moment of awakening and human potential.

JACOB COLLIER / DJESSE VOLUME 4 / Crafted in the famed studio beside his London bedroom, as well as various corners of the globe, Djesse has explored Jacob Collier's wildest dreams, and Vol. 4 brings the series to a most dramatic and thrilling conclusion. While his music is proudly unclassifiable, Collier enters a distinct sonic universe with each volume, which he likens to the different phases of a day. With Djesse Vol. 4, the saga ends at the incandescent light of dawn, alchemising a full spectrum of emotion into a massive, joyous moment of awakening and human potential.

Described as one of the world's most imaginative contemporary orchestral composers (5-star-BBC Music Magazine Review), Jacob Muhlrad comes back with a new album for a chamber ensemble. Burn All My Letters is the original soundtrack for awarded director Bjorn Runge's new film.

On this new album the Duo Hervé Joulain (Horn) and Ariane Jacob (Piano) present 17 very interesting Original Horn Themes — with works by Sinigaglia, Glière, Strauss, Büsser, Saint-Saëns, Ravel, Chabrier, Skrjabin, Freiherr von Krufft, Glasunow, Cherubini, d’Indy, Damase, Bernstein and Couson. Hervé Joulain (Horn) has appeared as soloist with 120 orchestras, performing Telemann, Mozart, Haydn, Schumann, Weber, Saint-Saëns, Strauss, and Britten, in France, Canada, the United States, Russia, Romania, Finland, Sweden, Japan, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, Georgia, Germany, Ukraine, and Spain. Ariane Jacob (Piano) has been performing in large French and internationals concert halls for more than twenty years. She plays with such musicians as Philippe Bernold, Hervé Joulain, Barbara Hendricks, Laurent Korcia or the actor Didier Sandre.

REVIEWS:
American Record Guide (7-8/00, p.75) - Recommended
Fanfare (1-2/00, p.195) - "...Fine performances from the Moscow Symphony Orchestra....Nadine Asin makes a lovely job of the Flute Concerto, and Avshalomov 'fils' and 'petit fils' keep the music moving along brightly and buoyantly..."