In the new Philadelphia Weekly:
Prana Trio
Wed., Jan. 27, 8pm. $10. Chris’ Jazz Café, 1421 Sansom St. 215.568.3131 www.chrisjazzcafe.com
Led by drummer-percussionist Brian Adler (no relation), the Prana Trio arrives in Philly on the heels of its third release, Singing Image of Fire, featuring music inspired by the poetry of Hafiz, Kabir, Rumi and others. “Trio” is meant loosely — the album involves a total of seven musicians, although the principals are Adler, vocalist Sunny Kim and alternating pianists Carmen Staaf and Frank Carlberg. Combining elements of art song, world music and jazz improv, the band can seem a bit self-serious, and the ethereal vibe is numbing after a point. But skillful playing, sparse and offbeat instrumentation and a smattering of Holdsworthian guitar from Robert Lanzetti provide some fuel. — David R. Adler
Circulasione Totale Orchestra
Sat., Jan. 30, 8pm. $20. International House, 3701 Chestnut St. 215.895.6546 www.arsnovaworkshop.org
Bandwidth, the new three-disc set from Circulasione Totale Orchestra, consists of just two pieces (“Yellow Bass & Silver Cornet” in eight sections, “Dancing in St. Johan” in four). “Totale” is right — this 12-piece unit, led by Norwegian free-jazz saxophonist Frode Gjerstad, has held to a maximalist approach since 1984, and Bandwidth is quite the opus, a hellacious blur of electro-tweaking, percussive intrigue and primal wail. A Euro-American supergroup in a sense, the band boasts such names as cornetist Bobby Bradford, drummers Louis Moholo-Moholo and Paal Nilssen-Love, bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten and vibraphonist Kevin Norton. Any of these individuals landing in Philly would be news in itself. — David R. Adler
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