“there’s a refreshing freedom and a sense of exploration in his beautiful playing here, a feeling of “let’s see where this goes” with delightful results.”
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“I've rarely heard the Suite No 6 Prelude's earthy lilt unfold to Block's supple degree”
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“Jessica Meyer - Ring Out In which supremely talented violist Meyer reveals herself as a delightfully varied, and emotionally connected, composer.”
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“Jessica Meyer is the violist in the new-music collective counter)induction, a New York group that includes a core ensemble for performances, non-playing composers who are on the roster and write for the ensemble, and musicians like Meyer, who both play and compose. Her collection, Ring Out (Bright Shiny Things) is a superb introductory sampler that touches on a variety of Meyer’s compositional concerns.”
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MIKE BLOCK | Walls of Time | #3 Billboard Bluegrass Charts
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“When I began composing, I did not recognize at the time where this deep need to do so came from … I knew that I wrote music in response to events in my life, but I did not realize until recently that the process of becoming a composer was also the catalyst for growing into a new version of myself …” Jessica has told The Violin Channel."
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“The song takes on a different feel in this all-strings setting, but Block and company maintain the eerie, chilling vibe of Monroe’s recording by bringing the lonesome.”
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“What sets this recording apart from the Jesse McReynolds disc is the mid-century folk revival, which opened up folk songs to original or even experimental interpretation. Either such interpretations work, or they don't. As the saying goes, the worst thing you can do to a folk song is not to sing it. Block is kind to the music in that way, and beyond that, he captures its spirit even in settings far removed from the originals.”
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