SONIC LANDSCAPES

October 1, 2024

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Terry Klinefelter

On her newest CD, pianist Terry Klinefelter of Local 45 (Allentown, PA) shines a spotlight on the work of much-admired composers and friends David Bennett Thomas, Ron Thomas, and Grammy-nominated composer Clarice Assad.

The solo piece, “Tarry Not,” written for Klinefelter by Bennett Thomas in 2011, is a large-scale structure with stark virtuosity. The trio, in three continuous movements—“Tarry Not,” “A Ballad, a Groove, and a Mood,” and “Sonic Landscapes,” features lyrical sensibility, enriched by the string playing of violinist Francisco Salazar of Local 294 (Lancaster, PA) and cellist Valeriya Sholokhova of Local 802 (New York City).

“The Sirius Quartet was the perfect partner for Assad’s “Sonic Landscapes,” says Klinefelter, as “we decided to expand on Clarice’s chord changes for the pianist and have the strings improvise in all three movements.”

The singular vision of classical composer and celebrated Philadelphia jazz pianist Ron Thomas is on full display in his two sets of piano pieces: “Three Miniatures” and “Six Images.” Klinefelter says, “The evocative poetry accompanying these compositions highlights Ron’s deep connection to the literary inspiration that provided the spark for his writing.”

As a recording artist, Klinefelter has performed as a sideman and has produced two CDs as a leader. Simple Gifts—described by the Philadelphia Inquirer as “on the cosmic cusp where Mozart might meet Mingus”—and Zingaro, which features original jazz compositions and standards, as well as several new songs based on the works of renowned poet Dana Gioia. 

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