CHRIS BRUBECK (b.1952): Danza del Soul for Violin, Clarinet, Piano, Cello, Bass and Percussion, MICHAEL GANDOLFI (b.1956): Line Drawings for Violin, Clarinet and Piano, LUKAS FOSS (1922-2009): Central Park Reel for Violin and Piano.

Description: Brubeck's piece is a lively and engaging suite of three movements, elegantly neoclassical, with a distinct Spanish flavor. The first movement begins with a bit of partly offstage music theatre, only partially represented in the recording, and then settles into a series of dance episodes and solos with the kind of interaction between the performers typical of jazz, without emulating a jazz style. The second movement is a seductive serenade, while the finale is distinctly jazzy, with folk-fiddle, Klezmer and classical allusions thrown in for good measure. Gandolfi's Line Drawings are 'written in the spirit of' Picasso's immediate and precise yet improvisatory drawings. The pieces are tonal and instantly accessible, with an appealing sense of continuity of line and spontaneity. The Foss presents an American folk-fiddling take on the Scottish dance form in clever concert guise, exhilaratingly energetic, with an unexpected electro-acoustic effect at the end. Concord Chamber Music Society.