Brad W Thomas for Facebook
I love Yelena’s new album “Adventures of the Wildflower” – a beautiful work with poetic stories, illustrations, design, and so much love and thought with every note she plays. Her piano playing technique is outstanding with the pianist left hand roaming the keys with exceptional skill, distinctive changes, and the right hand skipping out into the unknown with joyous affect. Her orchestration is unique, very clever, never a cliche. I love all her arrangements which blend together the vibes and piano and subtle effects used by Theremin, Glass harp and Guitar. All the band members are highly skilled virtuosic jazz musicians weaving together with love in the making of this album, the sound quality is superb. Yelena creates wonderful music, stories and paintings taking us on a journey through the seasons of everyday life, nature, family, all creatures great and small, with all her close observations to inspire, a true prolific jazz musician and composer….I feel enlightened.
Miso Brnjada for Facebook
Mark R Kuechle for Facebook
Yelena Eckemoff’s latest masterwork
First full listen, loaded with playful and engaging energy, nice surprises, can’t wait for what comes next, and two cd’s overflowing with unique compositions and inspired and intuitive performances by Yelena and a fine cast of Finnish artists, a unique mix of piano, guitar, saxophones, vibraphone, double bass, and drums. Great release, thank you Yelena!
James Pravnan for Facebook
Gorgeous new album from the wonderful Yelena Eckemoff… accessible yet formally innovative, meticulously through-composed while leaving room for improvisation, employing a unique melange of instrumentation including theremin and glass harp, her enchanting music is in a class by itself… Thank you, Yelena Eckemoff, for the music… I’ve been listening to this album all day — beautiful work…
Сергей Голота for Facebook
Miso Brnjada for Facebook
Hong G. Im for Facebook
#6 –
Jan Stangeby Nielsen for Facebook
The very last record Jon Christensen recorded was the beautiful and audible Nocturnal Animals with the Russian/American composer and pianist Yelena Eckemoff, who by the way also painted the cover. The record came out on the 24th. January this year and was recorded on the 16. and 17. April 2018 with Jan Erik Kongshaug behind the levers. The record also features Arild Andersen and Thomas Strønen on drums and percussion. The music is unique and both beautiful, complex, and goes across both classical and jazz. Highly recommended!
2020 – CD Nocturnal Animals
L & H CD 80615129
Original Norwegian:
Den aller siste platen Jon Christensen spilte inn var den vakre og hørverdige Nocturnal Animals med den russisk/amerikanske komponisten og pianisten Yelena Eckemoff, som forøvrig også har malt coveret. Platen kom ut 24. januar i år og ble spilt inn 16. og 17. april 2018 med Jan Erik Kongshaug bak spakene. På platen medvirker også Arild Andersen og Thomas Strønen på trommer og slagverk. Musikken er unik og både vakker, kompleks, og går på tvers av både klassisk og jazz. Anbefales på det varmeste!
2020 – CD Nocturnal Animals
L & H CD 80615129