Mariah Parker
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Mariah Parker

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"MARIAH PARKER • Sangria"

This debut as a leader by pianist/multi-instrumentalist/composer Mariah Parker (who
performs regularly with the trendsetting world music collective Ancient Future) unveils a collection of eight original instrumental scores. Labeled as an Indo-Latin jazz musical experience, Parker and friends blend the rhythmic syncopations of Latin jazz music with the entrancing, asymmetrical meters of East Indian rhythms resulting in first-class world music. Intriguing melodies that draw musical inspirations from the tempos of Brazil, Cuba, India, and Spain make for an uplifting serene yet passionate musical journey into an ideal world. Contributing to this production are Matthew Montfort (a pioneer of the scalloped fretboard guitar, an instrument combining qualities of the South Indian vina and the steel string guitar); woodwind virtuoso Paul McCandless, Kash Killion (bass/multi-instrumentalist), Mindia Devi Klein (bansuri/flute), Anuradha Pal (the world’s premiere female tabla player), Duru Demetrius (Latin percussion), and Debopriyo Sarkar (tabla/percussion). Standouts include the opening track Waterwheel, the title track Sangria, Debajo de la Lluvia, and Tenth Journey. - Latin Beat Magazine


"Sangria by Mariah Parker"

Featuring musicians from the bands Sun Ra, Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters and Ancient Future, Mariah Parker’s debut blends rhythmic syncopations of Latin jazz,
hypnotic East Indian cadences and driving Brazilian and Afro-Cuban percussive beats. Although entirely instrumental, Sangria speaks. Maybe it’s the technical virtuosity abounding in the multiplicity of sounds — in the santur or sarangi, or the tabla or
timbales. Maybe it’s in the emotive resonance of what’s behind the sounds, like the longing of separation in “Between the Lines,” where Parker’s fingers dance across the keys in precise, measured movements, in graceful arching and sweeping strokes, or in the spectacle of wonder in “Debajo De La Lluvia” or the “Tenth Journey.” Whatever it is,
Parker’s Sangria is a lively, adventurous exploration into a hybrid global identity. - LEO Weekly


"Sangria by Mariah Parker"

This is an excellent album from pianist Mariah Parker, whose work is best described as world jazz. Parker brings a wide variety of influences to
Sangria, ranging from Indian and Middle Eastern music to Afro-Cuban salsa and Brazilian samba. She obviously appreciates the Eastern-influenced spirituality and mysticism of John Coltrane, Yusef Lateef, Pharoah Sanders, and Lonnie Liston Smith, but her composing also contains elements of everyone from Pat Metheny to Chick Corea. And while Spanish flamenco is an influence on Sangria, it is only one of many influences. Sangria is an ambitious and challenging album, although it is also relatively accessible. In some cases, ambitious and challenging can mean abstract and ultracerebral, but melodic Parker originals such as "Between the Lines," "Debajo de la Lluvia," "10th Journey" and "Waterwheel" are fairly easy to absorb -- even if one isn't a
seasoned jazz listener. Parker, of course, didn't invent the idea of world jazz; New Orleans pioneers like King Oliver and Jelly Roll Morton were influenced by world music
back in the 1910s and 1920s. But she keeps it moving forward; Parker takes chances, demonstrating that the fusion of jazz and world music still has plenty of possibilities after all these years -- and a global perspective serves Parker well throughout the rewarding Sangria. - All Music Guide


"Eclectic Vibes: Mariah Parker"

Spicy tantalizing flamenco melodies cross pollinate with East Indian rhythms that beg to be imbibed in while a gentle warm breeze rustles your hair. Jazzy flirtations permeate
the world music foray and are focused by Parker’s poignant piano (or santur)
accentuations. - Maximum Ink Music Magazine


"Sangria by Mariah Parker"

I'm one of the few critics who has been singing the praises of the chamber World group Oregon for decades now, an ensemble composing the true genesis of refined world jazz music. That's the main reason I'm so tough on genre releases, much to critic John Diliberto's dismay, an emotion he's more than once hastened to apprize me of. Tough. I demand artistry in my musics, not Prozac for mindless yuppies eager to absolve their
gluttonous natures via art. I pass up world CDs right and left because 80% of them suck and suck bad. Ah, but then there are the gems, and that's what I live for: great art.
Mariah Parker has assembled a cast of seriously talented and thoughtful players for her Sangria release, a thoroughly engaging foray into what World music fusions always should be. Ironically enough, she included Paul McCandless, Oregon's winds player, to join in. Foremost in her backing ensemble, though, is guitarist Matthew Montfort, whom I'm also reviewing this month (here), and the match is very well suited along with players crafting a dauntingly skilled demonstration of tabla, bansuri, sarangi, cello, and
other exotica (well, to Western ears, anyway). The manner in which all these players come together to generate Parker's intricately artificed compositions is tributary of her
prowess on several levels.

As a piano player, Parker tends to accompaniment more than stand-out leadwork, though she will take the spotlight every so often. Thus, she's more at one with the rhythm section, occupying a mid-zone between recessed elements and front men. This makes the rhythm players extraordinarily effusive, a veritable jungle through which the rest of the instrumental voices weave and vault. Think of her as a sort of Barbara
Thompson and you'll have a beginning idea as to arrangement skills. But it's the welter of interlocking lines that carry the headiest reward, a milieu where everyone nails down their position and then stamps each line with authority, gusto, and personality.
I was in no way prepared for this CD to be as good as it is. As is the case with many great World collections, the music's one long run of great craftsmanship with sundry permutations, shifts, and inflections. No one, but no one, will ever ace Oregon, but Sangria and Mariah Parker stand high just below them. - Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange


"Sangria: Indo Latin Jazz"

This collection of eight original instrumentals by Mariah Parker is just one of many examples of the infusion of East Indian music into Western music, but to my ears one
of the most successful. There are also influences of Spanish folk, flamenco, Afro-Cuban and Persian music. Indian tablas and bansuri flute are heard on many of the tracks, and noted English horn / soprano sax artist Paul McCandless graces two of the tracks.

Guitarist Matthew Montfort plays a special scalloped fretboard guitar, and on the track Tenth Journey, a typical Hindustani rhythmic vocal improvisation is featured. There are
also interesting alternate time signatures which add to the exotic blend of instruments.

This album grew out of the path-breaking work of Ancient Future, one of the first ensembles to explore the now-active genre of world music. - Audiophile Audition


"Sangria by Mariah Parker"

Parker kicks off her solo career with a well textured world beat date that finds
her multi-instrumentalist abilities and her wide open ears leading the way. There’s nothing but pros on board here who know what to do and they do it in a lively, spontaneous fashion that really grabs you. First class world beat that really covers the bases. - Midwest Record


"American Pianist Debuts on the Right Footing"

Delving into Indian musical culture and incorporating elements of the Middle East together with Latin and Brazilian influences, Parker and her collective leave a very good impression at the first listening. And like well known critics say, the first impression is what counts.

Parker's eight tracks are her own original compositions and, thankfully, we are spared from worn out jazz standards. There are several pieces that need to be followed closely.
First, the sensual flute in "Debajo de la Lluvia," the most Latin of all pieces, with its serene and accurate strumming of the strings, filters with seductive cadence. “Watersheel”,
which opens the CD, is divided into tabla sounds, muscular bass and the rhythmic pulse of Parker's piano, providing an insinuating and subtle dialog. This Hindustani Latin musical experience, as Parker defines it, succeeds because of its sophisticated
simplicity and the discreet leading role of the pianist.
- World Music Central


"Fresh Tracks: Sangria by Mariah Parker"

Sangria, Mariah Parker's debut CD, is a lushly lyrical tapestry of Latin jazz and the enchanting rhythms of East India. Mariah is a stunning composer and multiinstrumentalist who plays piano with graceful abandon. Having worked with Mickey Hart (from the Grateful Dead) on his Planet Drum project as well as touring all over the
United States and Europe, Mariah now performs with the groundbreaking world music group Ancient Future.

Combining elements of flamenco guitar along with Indian, Cuban, Brazilian and Spanish influences, Mariah's original compositions make exquisite use of her Indo Latin Jazz Ensemble. The intoxicating result is Sangria, a unique and compelling world jazz fusion masterpiece that is sure to garner both critical acclaim and substantial airplay.

Sangria includes a remarkable ensemble of astonishingly gifted musicians, including Matthew Montfort on scalloped fretboard guitar (an instrument combining qualities of the South Indian vina and the steel string guitar); Paul McCandless, woodwind virtuoso
and 2-time Grammy Award nominee; Kash Killion, bass player and multi-instrumentalist with Sun Ra Arkestra, Cecil Taylor and others; Mindia Devi Klein, bansuri and jazz flutist; Duru Demetrius, latin percussionist with jazz icons such as Joe Henderson and
Herbie Hancock; Anuradha Pal, world's premiere female tabla player; Debopriyo Sarkar, tabla virtuoso; and Brian Rice, a multi-instrumental percussionist.

From the gorgeous, contemplative ballad of "Between the Lines," with Kash Killion on cello, Matthew Montfort on flamenco guitar and Mariah on piano, to the jazzed up
"Pente," featuring Mindia Devi Klein's alluring bansuri flute and Kash Killion's intoxicating bass along with Mariah's piano and more, Sangria o!ers a fresh musical perspective that takes the listener on a wonder-filled journey to the delightfully
mysterious realm of world fusion. Not to be missed. - DrunkWithWonder.com


"Discs to Consider: Sangria by Mariah Parker"

This gifted, San Rafael-based multi-instrumentalist/composer earned a music degree at U.C. Santa Cruz. She makes a dazzling debut, joined by musicians who have played in such luminous ensembles as Ancient Future, Sun Ra’s Arkestra and Herbie Hancock’s
Headhunters. Parker’s subtle and sensuous sounds reflect exotic flavors of India, the Middle East and Latin America. - Palo Alto Daily News


Discography

'Sangria' — CD released in February '09
'Sangria' has or is currently receiving airplay on over 325 radio stations in the US and abroad. All tracks have received airplay. It has received numerous features and reviews as well.

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