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yelena eckemoff, nocturnal animals, 2020

Master pianist Eckemoff who was born in Moscow, Russia in the early seventies and later settled in the USA becoming a citizen there, presents to the audience her record “Nocturnal Animals” from her own label L & H Production. We learned about her because AllMusic guide ranked this record among the best of the year. “Nocturnal Animals” is a very successful work that affected even our Turkish residents, who are unaccustomed to such music from time immemorial.

Besides being a pianist, Yelena is a composer, a poet, in short – a female hero who also deals successfully with visual arts. Her long improvisations that fused jazz and classical music have evolved over her long music carrier.

Yelena started playing piano when she was just 4 years old. Her mother was also a concert pianist, like in a saying that apple does not fall far from the tree. Then came her education in great schools and conservatory, followed by solo concerts, and jazz lessons she took at the Moscow jazz studio, resulting in her joining jazz-rock band.

Yelena started as pianist who concentrated on classical, new age and religious music before 2009, but after 2009 she switched to jazz that involves elements of such varied styles as prog rock.

Year of 1991 was very important for her: Yelena took her husband and made her way to the USA. She raised children, directed the church choir, became a master of electronic music, and released classical, vocal, religious and – since 2009 – jazz albums through her own label L & H Production, all above done with a great diligence.

“Nocturnal Animals” is 14th jazz album. It is a long and competent album full of improvisation. Yelena is accompanied by Arild Andersen on double bass, and Jon Christensen and Thomas Stronen on drums and percussions.

Yelena’s compositions are complex, profound, and contain flavors that include poignant references to other music styles in additional to classical music. Her music grows with the sensitive accompaniment of Andersen’s Nordic playing, and melodious drumming of percussionists.

“Nocturnal animals” is seriously good album; I could even swear that when I close my eyes, this music would serve as meditation for my faith. I wonder why Manfred’s is waiting to move Yelena to his glorious label.

Original Turkish:

yelena eckemoff, nocturnal animals, 2020

rusya dogumlu (yetmis baslarinda sanki), abd’ye yerlesip yeni dunya’nin vatandasi olmuş usta piyanist eckemoff’un kendi yapım şirketi l&h production’dan dinleyiciye sundugu, all music guide’in senenin en iyileri arasında gösterdiği için mahallemize ulasan cd, piyano ağirlikli albumleri ezelden beri pek umursamayan beton kulakli sakinlerimizi bile etkileyen oldukça basarilı bir çalışma.

yelena moskova dogumlu bir sanatçı. piyanistliginin yanında besteci, şair, gorsel sanatlarla da ugrasan bir kadin kahraman. caz ile klasik müzik evrenini kaynastiran uzun doğaçlamaları zaman icinde oldukça evrim gecirmiş.

yelena 2009 öncesi klasik, new age ve dinsel muziklere yogunlasmıs bir piyanistmiş, ancak 2009 sonrası cazı sokmuş soylemine, hatta prog rock ve kaynasimcilari da takibe almış.

yelena’nın piyanoya başlangıci henüz 4 yaşındayken. annesi de konser piyanistiymis, armudun dibine düsme hikayesi. sonra egitimi hep gorkemli okul ve konservatuvarlarda. ve solo konserler, moscow jazz studio’da aldığı caz dersleri. dahasi bir caz-rock gurubuna katilışı.

1991 önemli çok: yelena kocasini da alıp abd’nin yolunu tutuyor çünkü. hem çocuk yetistiriyor, hem kilise korosunu yönetiyor, hem sinti kullanmakta ustalasiyor ve kendi sirketinden klasik, vokal, dini ve caz albumleri yayinliyor müthiş bir çalışkanlıkla.

nocturnal animals 14 uzun ve yetkin doğaclamayla dolu bir album. yelena’ya konturbasta arild andersen, davul ve vurmalilarda jon christensen ve thomas stronen eslik ediyor.

yelena’nin besteleri karmaşik, derinlikli, sairligini ve klasik müzikteki yetkinligini de içeren tatlar iceriyor. andersen’in ice işleyen, ezgili basi ve vurmalilarin duyarli esligiyle walla buyüluyor.

nocturnal animals ciddi iyi bir album; ben gozlerimi kapasam bu bir eceme yapimidir diye yemin bile edebilirdim. manfred reyiz ne bekliyor acaba yelena’yı şanli etiketine transfer etmek için.😃😎😃😃