My review of violinist Zach Brock's Purple, today @ All About Jazz.
Virtuosity isn't defined by notes-per-minute; true virtuosity is instrumental mastery surrendering to the demands of the song. Sometimes that can mean shredding with furious intensity, yes; but the real deal also respects music that demands less, rather than more. Violinist Zach Brock is, indeed, the real deal, and Purple Sounds, his second release for Holland's Criss Cross label, finds Brock and his stellar quartet playing exactly what's needed: nothing less; but equally, nothing more.
Beyond two Brock originals, Purple Sounds pays direct tribute to a number of important touchstones for the violinist who, in addition to participating in projects by The Mahavishnu Project, Stanley Clarke and Kerry Politzer, is a member of the forward-thinking rising star large ensemble, Snarky Puppy. While he prefers to look forward, Brock isn't one to forget about the past, and Purple Sounds is a very personal look at influential violinists of the past, albeit performed by a rising-star quartet that imbues the music with a strong sense of tradition while keeping in mind present innovations and future possibilities.
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