12 January 2007
By Mark Stryker, Free Press music critic
Detroit Free Press original link to full article
MUSIC REVIEWS: The Shins; The Bloody Hollies; Eighth Blackbird
CLASSICAL
Eighth Blackbird -- "Strange Imaginary Animals" (Cedille) ***
A healthy streak of whimsy has always distinguished the compelling new music ensemble Eighth Blackbird, from the group's in-performance choreography to its respect for humor in music. "Strange Imaginary Animals" collects works by five inventive composers -- Jennifer Higdon, Steven Mackey, Gordon Fitzell, David M. Gordon and Dennis DeSantis -- who have written often surrealistic works that delight the ear with unusual sound effects and structures.
Mackey's "Indigenous Instruments" uses quirky tuning to evoke the sounds of a fantastical bestiary. Fitzall's "Violence" and "Evanescence" propose more sinister landscapes, the latter piece employing electronics. Meanwhile, Higdon's "Zaka" is a woosh of exuberant virtuosity.
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