Austin Wulliman – Julien Labro

Stylistic Maneuvers

July 18, 2013September 24, 2013
by julien

Can’t wait to continue my collaboration with Spektral Quartet, we have some dates coming up this Summer & Fall and recording a CD in late September.

STYLISTIC MANEUVERS

Posted by Austin Wulliman on Jul 17, 2013

I’ve never been the kind of musician (or music fan) who feels the need to be exclusive in my tastes. While it may surprise some of you who are more familiar with me writing about Haas or Carter, I’m just as likely to listen to Ke$ha or Chick Corea’s “My Spanish Heart” without the slightest tinge of irony.

If I spend too long playing strictly concert hall music, I get a bit itchy. I’m certainly listening to other stuff, like my recent obsession from an amazing super-group.

That’s why the the beginnings of our collaboration with Julien Labro for an album on Azica Records have brought me musical energy just when I thought I was burnt out from a long concert season.

Rest of the post here

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Milonga Loca! by Austin Wulliman

June 25, 2012
by julien

Just a few short weeks ago, we Spektrals had the amazing experience of playing with the multi-talented Julien Labro in a set of tangos by Astor Piazzolla. From word “go” at rehearsal, it was obvious that we were dealing with a musician with an intense and vibrant energy. We started with the languid and yearning “Asleep” from Piazzolla’s “Five Tango Sensations”. Julien’s opening phrase seemed to stretch on and on in an unending breath inward on the bandoneon.

After that, we tackled “Fear” from the same suite, and things got interesting. In the final moments of the fugue-like dance, the quartet was doing a whipped release from a long note. I was playing it loose in rehearsal…apparently far too loose, since the tip of my bow snagged the far corner of my instrument and pulled part of the top of my instrument off! After a bit of a break to deal with that dilemma, we only had more fun playing together. The tunes fell together naturally and we had a fantastic time in performance.

Link to this blog entry and Spektral Quartet