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Mark Isaacs CD "Closer" (Naxos) getting rave reviews on All About Jazz and elsewhere!

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Mark Isaacs Closer (Naxos Jazz 86065-2) -- Released October 2000

Australian composer/pianist Mark Isaacs makes music for listeners to “feel", whether big, sweeping emotions, or subtle ephemeral light touches. With the eight self-penned tracks on Closer, Isaacs - with terrific accompaniment from four fellow Aussies including the remarkable James Muller on guitar -- establishes an intuitive ambience of beguiling beauty and colour. It's a CD that demands the listener get 'Closer'.

The versatile Isaacs is among Australia's leading composers/musicians and has an equally respected reputation in jazz and classical circles. Warm, melodic and ever compelling, his music commands a distinctly jazz discipline and feel. Closer is a very smooth record, but it is definitely not 'Smooth Jazz'. It is accessible in sound and appeal but each track still sparkles in the way it builds in texture and harmonic development, and improves with repeated listens.

Mark says:"'Fusion' music often means relatively static drum patterns, greatly reduced ensemble interaction and dynamic range in the improvisations (soloing “over" the bass/drums groove) and electric keyboards instead of acoustic piano. In other words, throwing the “baby" of jazz out along with the “bathwater" of its traditional rhythmic feels (swing, ballad, Afro-Latin). I conceived the musical sound-world of Closer as a way to keep the baby and just freshen the bathwater. He goes on to say that: “The CD was planned very carefully as an integrated work. Different tracks feature different players, rather than hearing from everybody on every tune. So the album works as a kind of 'guided tour' of some of the possible textures the quintet can entertain. I think of it as an eight-movement suite.". He adds that: “The melodies are a very big feature. Because of the wonderful players I was lucky enough to be able to assemble, we got pretty close to definitive interpretations of each melody I think. That makes me happy. Then I just left plenty of carefully-defined spaces for people to do their own things in the improvisations. The sessions were relaxed and a real joy!" Mark has definite ideas about the music's direction: “I think the album sits squarely between the limpid European/ECM sound and the American, grittier 'fusion' thing. Maybe it takes a bunch of Aussies to split the difference!"

Closer has already got the critics raving. All About Jazz contributor C. Michael Bailey has ranked it as Number 3 in his Top Ten international jazz releases for 2000 and it was the All About Jazz Publisher's Pick of the Week for December 17. Other glowing comments are:

“Seamless in conception, flawless in execution, exuberant in creativity . . makes extremely complex music natural and accessible" ALL ABOUT JAZZ
“gorgeous . . uplifting . . suggesting a kind of redemptive theme" THE AUSTRALIAN
“accessible, enthralling music . . dignified, lofty, yet warm beauty . . . a lasting pleasure" AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW
Beautiful melodies, body-shifting grooves and adventurous improvisations are all embraced . . deeply" THE PLANET


Why not Check out some sound samples or visit the Mark Isaacs website

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