SLAMCD524 Stefano Pastor & Kash Killion – Bows

Italian violinist Stefano Pastor, in a thrilling duo with the amazing cello-player Kash Killion. Somewhere between avant-garde expression, some Monkian classics and deep Indian nuances.

Two terrific musicians who speak the jazz language with their bowed instruments, in a way that probably one has never heard.

Stefano Pastor has recorded extensively for SLAM, appearing on 12 albums in total. Kash Killion is best know for his period with the Sun Ra Arkestra and has also recorded with The Pyramids, Vijay Iyer, Paul Murphy Trio and others.

Stefano Pastor: violin, flugelhorn, percussion
Kash Killion: cello, sarangi

“The longest piece is a great improv called “Ahimsa” which explores more strange terrain with the sarangi and violin. What makes this piece and this disc so special is the sympathetic way these two musicians work together. This piece is raga-like and builds organically towards a grand conclusion…an outstanding example of two musicians from different backgrounds coming together in a strong united force. Stefano adds some hand percussion as the piece evolves and the central theme that they build to halfway is stunning. An unclassifiable and successful cultural exchange.” – Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery

“This is a pretty mixed bag of music – from Indian Classical sounding sarangi playing, violin improv over cello ostinato (a little rough hewn but impassioned and jazzed), Free modal improvisations, cello and violin working on a kind of compositional schema of irregularly bowing together with space in between. On a version of Monk’s “Epistrophy,” cello and violin play the head an octave apart, phrasing well. The cello walks and plays chord tones and the violin takes the bridge. Then it’s back to A as the two play it as a round and drift into double improvisations. There is also a rather lovely version of “Ruby My Dear”: violin takes the melody while the cello nicely walks-chords. Very expressive violin melody playing and nice cello plucking in accompaniment.” – Grego Applegate Edwards, Cadence Magazine

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