Kirsten Edkins Shapes & Sound 180g LP Scratch & Dent

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After spending 15 years building the gear for his new endeavor, Cohearent Records — which is an All-Valve (Vacuum Tube) recording system from microphones to disk cutterhead — award-winning mastering engineer Kevin Gray releases the first LP by jazz saxophonist Kirsten Edkins, Shapes & Sound.

Kirsten Edkins, a young composer and saxophonist from Los Angeles, is an exciting prospect. Kirsten graduated from Eastman School of Music on scholarship. She studied composition and arranging with Bill Dobbins, as well as Walt Weiskopf and the legendary Ray Ricker. Before her time at Eastman she studied with Bob Sheppard, a jazz recording artist and woodwind specialist.

Kirsten is a highly sought-after improviser and has performed with Arturo Sandoval (Al "Tootie" Heath), Tim Hagans, Clay Jenkins, John Beasley and Geoffrey Keezer. She has also performed with the Clare Fischer Big Band, Bill Holman Big Band, Bernie Dresel Big Band (The BBB), Sara Gazarek, Gary Foster, Joe LaBarbara, Larry Goldings and Clay Jenkins. Kirsten has appeared on television shows such as American Idol, Duets, Knight Rider, Glee, Bones and The Tonight Show.

A motivational music educator, Kirsten's associations include Cal State Fullerton's Stanford Jazz Workshop, Saddleback College and Golden West College. Kirsten has been educating and encouraging young musicians in her private studio for more than 14 years. She also directs the American Jazz Institute's Community Outreach and teaches saxophone at Occidental College in Eagle Rock.

Kirsten is joined on Shapes & Sound by Gerald Clayton (courtesy of Blue Note) on piano, Ahmet Turkmenoglu on bass, Lemar Guillary on trombone and Chris Wabich on drums.

The mixes put Clayton's piano center stage, with Edkins stage right (left channel), Wabich stage left (right channel) and bassist Turkmenoglu in the same central plane as Clayton. It's a classic recording with all of the glorious microphone leakage there, giving you the room sound you both crave and deserve. If you start with the final track, Wabich's 'Hula Hoop' when you hear Turkmenoglu's stand-up bass actually sounding like a stand-up bass playing in a room, with its attack and timbral character so naturally presented, you'll realize how rarely contemporary recordings manage what Gray gets on tape here. And a shout out also to all of the musicians for their willingness to record this way!

Shapes and Sounds is not only highly entertaining, it had me yearning for more as I have to wonder what might be next as this quintet continues to evolve and mature. The writing skills and musicianship are clearly all there. The sound quality is top notch and possibly one of the most impressive LPs in my entire collection. This is a studio and a group to keep your eyes and ears on for what might be presented in the future!