
Cover Art by Margaret Garrett
Bruce Wolosoff is a formidable pianist, lauded for his integration of classical, jazz, blues, and contemporary influences in his compositions. His new magnum opus, Rising Sun Variations, is an extended and innovative set based on the American traditional folk song, best known for a version recorded in 1964 by British rock band the Animals. Wolosoff’s “Prelude and Theme” are followed by 39 Variations ranging from sonorous to serene, encompassing a multitude of styles united by the well-known refrain. - from the Avie Records website
The Avie Records release includes an interview with Bruce by legendary music critic Tim Page.
PRESS
“Trust me when I say that pianist-composer Bruce Wolosoff is a musical alchemist, organically mixing his multiple experiences in the worlds of jazz, rock, blues and classical music and that this new recording is yet another musical pinnacle in his already esteemed career” – Exclusive Magazine
All-Music Guide
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Rising Sun Variations Review by James Manheim
The "Rising Sun" in the title of this album has nothing to do with Japan and everything to do with the American (probably) folk song House of the Rising Sun, which serves as the basis for a theme and 39 variations by Bruce Wolosoff. It's a notable piece of work, not least because Wolosoff revives in spectacular fashion the Romantic tradition of the pianist-composer; he performs the work himself.
In the booklet notes, consisting of an appealingly relaxed conversation between Wolosoff and critic Tim Page, Page alludes to Frederic Rzewski's similarly sizable variations on The People United Will Never Be Defeated, another folk song known to many of its hearers in a classical context (Wolosoff speaks of being encouraged by early listener reactions that were positive because people knew the source material).
But Wolosoff's work is a bit different. It took shape during the COVID-19 pandemic as the composer frequently wrote variations on the tune as a way of staying sane during that grim time. As they piled up, he began to think about making a whole piece out of them, but they retain their semi-impromptu origins. Wolosoff describes how he would hear, for example, some music on television and ask himself how it could be turned into House of the Rising Sun. This is a unique compositional procedure, and the album is well worth hearing for this reason alone.
Beyond that, the music features Wolosoff's trademark mixture of genres; he has a fascinating way of writing music that includes blues and jazz elements without becoming a "fusion" or "crossover" as such. And he thinks effectively on a large canvas; he says that he ended up with some 175 variations but had to pick and choose the ones that would fit into a coherent narrative. The sound from the Oktaven Audio studio is another plus here, capturing the dimensions of Wolosoff's music. He really doesn't sound much like any other composer, which ought to count for something; he's a rather underrated figure, and listeners would do well to start with him here.
"a distinctive masterwork”
-Dan Ouellette, Jazz & Beyond Intel
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