Impressive, seductive and breathtaking Out of 3000+ cd's (and still counting) in my collection thus far, this disc gets a lot of playback. Those who are looking for the fusionesque takings of Vanessa Mae and Bond, look elsewhere for these girls stay strictly acoustic, demonstrating that contemporary works need nothing more than a pianoforte, cello and violin.
These works are incredibly moving, though having said that I didn't care much for the Rataj arrangement of "Riders on the Storm" but it is a nice beginning for what comes next.
Maurice Jarre's "Engadiner Suite" for me evokes memories of the first time I heard Vivaldi's "Four Season". Except that this suite leaves me dreamy, wanting more. Thankfully, there is always the track before button.
Nyman's "Yellow Beach" is melancholy, taking my mind on a journey to the yellow sands of one of the beautiful beaches here on the Queensland coast that are about 30 minutes drive from where I live.
The stand out works on this for me are Piazzolla's "Milonga del Angel" and Kenji Bunch's "Swing Shift".
I've heard many arrangements of this Piazzolla composition (for bandoneon + orchestra, classical accordion + orchestra or in a trio or quartet arrangement), but this for me is the one I always return to. Dreamy, seductive, sensuous and intensely romantic are the only words I can use to describe it. The perfect accompaniment to a glass of red wine on a cold night with your lover.
Bunch's "Swing Shift" may not be to everyone's liking (friends of mine have labelled it as "trying too hard to sound modern"). While Bunch admits that he's not much of a night owl, I believe he has encapsulated the hours of the night in the Big Apple quite well. The 'Prelude', 'Club Crawl' and 'Magic Hour' are my favorite movements within this work. 'Magic Hour' simply is delightful music to play late at night as one goes to sleep.
'Grooveboxes' (the namesake of the album) is an intriguing movement. Being a club music listener (especially house and techno) and geek, this is certainly an interesting experiment in recreating the effect of live use of a groovebox. It takes time to get used to, but I think the Ahn Trio certainly has succeeded in pulling off what Kenji Bunch intended to highlight with this movement. After all, NYC still is a place where one can go to an all night dance party.
The final work, Yedidia's "Lullabye" is a fitting close to this album; an intensely moving tribute to the composer's generation before (not only his, but our own today) who are slowly departing from this world and taking with them life experiences and knowledge that we will never find out about.
All in all, the three Ahn sisters play with passion, drive, intensity and delicacy on each of the works here. Was an album that has been worth every cent of its price. Now if only they would come down here to Australia so we here can experience the musical virtuosity of the Ahn sisters live.
I only give this 4 stars instead of 5 because the recording itself at times is a bit lacking (recording levels are a bit too low in certain parts for my liking, this does not detract from the inherent beauty of the performance itself in the studio).
Definitely a recommended buy from me.
Outst-Ahn-ding I just got to see this wonderful trio perform here in Fargo, ND. Their musicianship was great, and to see them play some of the pieces of this album and their other album, Ahn-plugged, (plus a live version of David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust!), was absolutely marvelous. It was double the pleasure to have never heard of these girls before, discovering them completely live for the first time!
I picked up this CD after the concert. Even the concert's price of $20 was worth it for this album (not to mention autographs from the girls!). For a Doors fan like myself, hearing Riders on the Storm interpreted with strings and acoustic piano is simply stunning. Hearing a solo originally played by a single organ player distributed over 3 different players and instruments, all in *one* performance, is quite pleasantly unexpected. Reproducing a solo, especially the feeling of that same solo, is probably more difficult than creating your own!
Elsewhere on the album they nail Piazzolla's composition, playing with a beautiful, expressive tone that characterizes good Piazzolla.
The most ambitious, interesting, and possibly breakaway new sound on "Groovebox" is the "Swing Shift" suite, written by Kenji Bunch. Bunch obviously knows these girls well, especially their dynamics as musicians. The CD states it was specially composed for the Ahn Trio, and it really shows.
As Angella, the youngest sister, explained to us at the concert, the "Grooveboxes" portion of Swing Shift is an attempt to duplicate a beat box (groovebox) of a DJ. I daresay - even if you hate techno, you'll love this. It's especially a stomping good time live! This song will either attract techno fans to string music or make classical lovers scowl a little less at techno music - more likely the latter.
The Ahn Trio seems to fundamentally understand what makes music work for styles as diverse as The Doors, David Bowie, Astor Piazzolla, and even techno. The Ahn Trio is an exciting direction in classical music - I will follow them, waiting to see what's next from these three delightful performers.
Extra note: talking with them after the show briefly indicated that they're perfectly charming young women, too. They talked of how amazingly cold it was here, but how they were glad to get some new winter clothes. Fargo in January is quite... chilly. They were good sports about it, though!
Leave the conventional box behind and enter the Groovebox. First of all-
My faiv peices on this CD are-
1.Riders on the Storm-This number dazzles and shimmers, you would never guess what the song is called since they breath so much new life into it.
2. Yellow Beach-This number goes back and fourth between sweet mornfull melodys and fervent searching, fervent thought. It reminds me a great deal of the score for A Beautiful Mind.
11. The Club Crawl-This number is very cool, it is very contemporary, its the kind of music you would like to hear in a cozy cafe, even if you don't drink coffee. Its like city lights reflecting in rain drenched payvement.
12. Magic Hour-This number is exsquisite, its short, but its beautiful.
13. Grooveboxes-This number is what drew me to the CD, its so modern, its like a city coming to life in the morning, or a machine slowely coming to life, very modern, very alive, very wonderful.
I am not sure what genre this CD would fall into, the talented pianist plays her classical themes in a jazzy and human way, the strings are where most of the classical feelings come through, but like the piano, they handle the classical themes with a very contemporary skill.
This CD is amazing, weather you like classical music or not, it is too alive, too new to be defined as classical music, and it is too origional and too real to be in a catagory with modern computer musicans.
I have many CD's, 78 to be exact, but I always return to this one, its not like anything I have ever heard before.
Inside of the CD the Ahn Trio gives a short description of this album, I think they describe it best.
"Groovebox is about contradictions and fusions. Here in the 21st century, explorations of electronic music are delving even deeper into the genre of classical music. Still, we strive to hold on to the older, traditional art forms, which are becoming rarer. Today's sounds don't always need to be created by electronic means; in Groovebox contemporary composers achieve new and modern sounds with beautiful melodies and tradional instrumentaion."
-Lucia, Angella, Maria Ahn
Great CD! The Ahn trio has done it again. I am writing this review in response to the other reviewers whose have rated this CD obscenely low. Riders on the Storm is one piece that I found to be particularly fascinating. To hear this classic redone in such an outstanding is just one of the many aural pleasures on this CD. This CD takes its listener on a wonderful musical journey through modern classical music. The pieces by Jarre and Piazzolla are excellent. The Ahn trio is providing a wonderful glimpse into the future of classical music in not only this CD but others as well. The future is very bright. Here's to hoping the Ahn-trio will keep bringing forth more passionate and inspired music in the future. Groovebox is a great CD one listeners from a variety of backgrounds will enjoy.
Excellent I picked this album on a whim. I recieved it and listened to it nonstop for a 4 hour drive. Excellent work. The blending of eastern themes in western classical music with a hint of jazz thrown is is superb. The music is upbeat and energetic. They have a modern sound while maintaing a certain homage to baroque influences.
I suggest this for anyone who is a fan of modern classical music.
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