Share Album:
A Path of Light
Hevreh Ensemble
Jeff Adler bass clarinet, Native American flutes
Judith Dansker oboe, Native American flute
Laurie Friedman clarinet, Native American flute
Adam Morrison piano, keyboards
The quartet of musicians who comprise Hevreh Ensemble – Judith Dansker, Laurie Friedman, Adam Morrison, and Jeff Adler – are making their Ansonica debut with A PATH OF LIGHT. Hevreh Ensemble is internationally acclaimed for its live performances, which feature a wide array of instruments from Cherokee Native American flute, English horn, and shofar to world percussion including djembe, dumbek, balafon, rain stick, and tabla. The Ensemble is also joined on A PATH OF LIGHT by some extraordinary guests, including the genre-defying string quartet ETHEL, cross-cultural percussionist Shane Shanahan, George Rush on double bass, and Naren Budhkar on tabla.
The essence of the music on the album, which includes ten compositions written by Adler, revolves around two tracks: A Path of Light and The Speed of Dark, each of which follows a distinctively diverse path. The title track, A Path of Light, features a quiet, meditative introduction which builds to a joyous and frenzied conclusion. That positive energy is balanced, according to Adler, by “the thickness and occasional dissonance of the writing in The Speed of Dark, which invokes feelings of fear and intolerance.” The piece that follows The Speed of Dark and which closes the album is the somber-toned Epilogue, which musically represents the consequences of following that second path.
A PATH OF LIGHT surrounds these anchoring compositions with seven pieces that together weave a rich tapestry of textures and tones. From the adventurous Sima de los Huesos, to the jazz-centric Sweetgrass Cedar and Sage, to the propulsive Amor Caritas, Hevreh’s performances serve to emphasize both the exceptional contributions of each individual instrument as well as the melodic intricacy of their interplay.
Listen
Track Listing & Credits
| # | Title | Composer | Performer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Sima de los Huesos | Jeff Adler | Jeff Adler, bass clarinet, Native American flutes; Judith Dansker oboe, Native American flute; Laurie Friedman clarinet, Native American flute; Adam Morrison piano, keyboards | 3:38 |
| 02 | A Path of Light | Jeff Adler | Jeff Adler, bass clarinet, Native American flutes; Judith Dansker oboe, Native American flute; Laurie Friedman clarinet, Native American flute; Adam Morrison piano, keyboards | 5:35 |
| 03 | A Thousand Questions | Jeff Adler | Jeff Adler, bass clarinet, Native American flutes; Judith Dansker oboe, Native American flute; Laurie Friedman clarinet, Native American flute; Adam Morrison piano, keyboards | 4:23 |
| 04 | Hawk Sightings | Jeff Adler | Jeff Adler, bass clarinet, Native American flutes; Judith Dansker oboe, Native American flute; Laurie Friedman clarinet, Native American flute; Adam Morrison piano, keyboards | 4:42 |
| 05 | Hacked | Jeff Adler | Jeff Adler, bass clarinet, Native American flutes; Judith Dansker oboe, Native American flute; Laurie Friedman clarinet, Native American flute; Adam Morrison piano, keyboards | 4:42 |
| 06 | Sweetgrass, Cedar and Sage | Jeff Adler | Jeff Adler, bass clarinet, Native American flutes; Judith Dansker oboe, Native American flute; Laurie Friedman clarinet, Native American flute; Adam Morrison piano, keyboards | 3:28 |
| 07 | Wudeligv | Jeff Adler | Jeff Adler, bass clarinet, Native American flutes; Judith Dansker oboe, Native American flute; Laurie Friedman clarinet, Native American flute; Adam Morrison piano, keyboards | 5:43 |
| 08 | Amor Caritas | Jeff Adler | Jeff Adler, bass clarinet, Native American flutes; Judith Dansker oboe, Native American flute; Laurie Friedman clarinet, Native American flute; Adam Morrison piano, keyboards | 4:00 |
| 09 | Speed of Dark | Jeff Adler | Jeff Adler, bass clarinet, Native American flutes; Judith Dansker oboe, Native American flute; Laurie Friedman clarinet, Native American flute; Adam Morrison piano, keyboards | 9:52 |
| 10 | Epilogue | Jeff Adler | Jeff Adler, bass clarinet, Native American flutes; Judith Dansker oboe, Native American flute; Laurie Friedman clarinet, Native American flute; Adam Morrison piano, keyboards | 3:07 |
GUEST ARTISTS
Shane Shanahan percussion
George Rush double bass
Naren Budhkar tabla
ETHEL
Ralph Farris viola, vocals, minimoog
Kip Jones violin
Dorothy Lawson cello
Corin Lee violin
Produced by Ralph Farris www.ralphfarris.com
Recorded September, November, and December, 2017 at Bunker Studios in Williamsburg Brooklyn NY
Recording Engineers John Davis, Nolan Thies, Todd Carder
Editing and Mixing Engineer Todd Carder
Additional Editing Engineer Corin Lee
Mastering Randy Crafton, Kaleidoscope Sound, Union City, NJ
Photography Bess Adler
Executive Producer Bob Lord
Executive A&R Sam Renshaw
A&R Morgan Santos
Vice President, Audio Production Jeff LeRoy
Production Engineer Lucas Paquette
Art Director Brett Picknell
Design Ryan Harrison
Publicity Patrick Niland
Artist Information
HEVREH Ensemble
Hevreh is a Hebrew word meaning “Circle of Friends.” Friendship, relationship, connection— these make up the DNA of the HEVREH Ensemble. Formed and cultivated by a group of friends, both new and lifelong, HEVREH Ensemble is the best kind of chamber group— their “clean, tight, creative… aesthetic that defies description” (Audiophile Audition) makes it abundantly clear that this is a group of people who know each other well and who work intensely and closely together.
Notes
The essence of the music on the album revolves around two compositions: A Path of Light and Speed of Dark. The title track, A Path of Light, begins meditatively and builds to a joyous and frenzied conclusion. The diverse instrumentation and musical language welcome thoughts of openness and creativity.
The Speed of Dark follows a far different path. The thickness and occasional dissonance of the writing leads to feelings of fear and intolerance. The final piece, Epilogue, demonstrates the consequences of following this road. My final intention is that the compositions are meant to be enjoyed on their own merits as music.
– Jeff Adler
