Red Hail

Hamasyan, Tigran
Plus Loin Music
Jazz | Jun 2009

Reviews

Fo
Reviewed 2009-07-02
TIGRAN HAMASYAN & ARATTA REBIRTH: Red Hail
Plus Loin, 2009

MODERN JAZZ/FUSION – Dynamic, hard-hitting 3rd CD by this young Armenian piano phenom, with a band that draws heavily on the folk music of his homeland (with lovely vocals by Areni Agbabian) but comes on strong with solid jolts of rock energy. Hamasyan has a spiky, pointillist piano style like soft raindrops… or a thrashing hailstorm.

* * * * | Fo’s Picks: 1, 3, 4, 5, 8

1. 9:04 – speedy piano squalls alternate with lilting vocal, soprano sax break
2. 3:11 – insistent rock riffing over high droning voice/keys; very repetitive
3. 3:17 – uptempo undulation, exotic melody, then hard guitar riff takes over
4. 5:49 – gentle and pretty, wordless vocal: sinuous melody, firm interludes
5. 4:51 – infectious: fast, jittery rhythm jostles against a floating melodic line
6. 8:24 – midtempo: lyrical but steely, a mélange of sounds but deadly serious
7. 1:53 – brief lyrical intro, then metallish guitar and smashing rhythm
8. 9:20 – mechanized “futuristic” fusion feel: rises slowly, then roams broadly
9. 5:43 – cont’d from #8: dreamlike, soft & atmospheric, then full of anxiety
10. 5:42 – melancholy folk ballad, just voice and piano
11. 6:09 – jazz/rock fusion, alternately blaring and calm, guitar solo dominates
12. 2:43 – traditional folk song, a cappella, quite nice, just a touch of sadness

[ Fo ] 07/02/09

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Charting

2009-07-05 — 2009-09-06 Jazz
Week EndingAirplays
Sep 6 1
Aug 30 2
Aug 23 1
Aug 2 1
Jul 26 1
Jul 12 1

Track listing

1. Shogher Jan (Dear Shogher)
2. Red Hail (Of Pomegranate Seeds)
3. The Glass-Hearted Queen
4. Love Song
5. Falling
6. Sibylla
7. Corrupt
8. Part 1: Serpentine
9. Part 2: Moneypulated
10. Chinar Es (You Are As Tall As A Plane Tree)
11. The Awakening Of Mher (Mithra)
12. Amran Gisher (Summer Night)