Kissinger in Space by John Ettinger

On Kissinger In Space, he mixes together

lyrical melodies with free playing while emphasizing catchy yet

unpredictable rhythms, close interplay with tenor-saxophonist Tony

Malaby, group improvising and quirky themes that take their time to

develop....the music is fairly accessible and concise if full of

constant surprises. It takes a few listens to fully appreciate this

diverse and colorful music for it follows its own intriguing logic.

Recommended". -Scott Yanow, AllMusicGuide.com

Signal To Noise Magazine:

"...As Ettinger and Malaby spiral around one another you can hear each

instrument borrowing qualities from its counterpart: it's particularly

intriguing to hear Malaby shifting towards a light sound and edgeless,

long-lined lyricism rarely heard in his work elsewhere. The shorter

pieces are beautifully pared-down: a track like "The Observer" emerges

as a single unbroken utterance that takes the track's entire length to

make its point. The best pieces, though, are the longest and most

unpredictable ones. the freeboppish "Quaint" is one of the album's

most exciting tracks, though it keeps circling back to a hushed,

secretive core; the sadder-but-wiser lyricism of "Harper Lee" twists

between dark and light, eliciting some of Ettinger's most rapt,

flowing violin; while the rock and roll thrash of the title cut turns

into a mysterious plunge into the cosmos."

-Nate Dorward, Signal To Noise Magazine

All About Jazz:

"By turns joyous and autumnal, pensive and funked up, lyrical and beat-driven, on the page and off it, all sometimes within the course of the same tune, Ettinger's music blends precisely arranged through-composition with unfettered collective improvisation. It's utterly distinctive stuff, and amongst its chief joys is the remarkable symbiosis between Ettinger and Malaby, whose close sonic fit and dual-drive improvised lines are the disc's dominant presence. Amendola's subtly groovalicious drums are another source of delight.

Most of the tracks (there are nine, averaging about six minutes each) are composed of mini-movements: the eight-minute title track, for instance, moves through five distinct sections, from tender to tribal...

An auspicious release and a new benchmark for creative jazz violin.

-Chris May, AllAboutJazz.com

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