Produced by Olivier Truan Ariel Zuckermann - flute, conductor Michael Heitzler - clarinet Olivier Truan - piano Christoph Staudenmann - drums Daniel Fricker - bass Featuring: The London Symphony Orchestra All music composed and orchestrated by Olivier Truan except "Borscht Belt Freilach" composed by Michael Heitzler, orchestrated by Olivier Truan Recorded at Abbey Road Studio 1, London, UK Recording engineers: Jonathan Allen, Daniel Dettwiler Mixed and mastered at Idee und Klang Studio, Basel, Switzerland Mixing engineers: Daniel Dettwiler, Benjamin Gut Review 1: "I can spot a work of genius when I hear it. Kolsimcha’s new collusion with the London Symphony Orchestra is a magnificent, refreshing and truly original departure – a brilliant fusion of cultures and styles, and comedy and sympathy. Composer and orchestrator Olivier Truan infuses his writing with considerable humour and occasional outbreaks of down right cheek. His dance tunes are jaunty and jocular. There is always an innovative-yet-familiar Klezmer backbone to them, but they are spiked with references to Strauss waltzes, Spanish melodies and Wild West crescendos…often played at unbelievably breakneck speed. His own five-piece ensemble shines as ever. Michael Heitzler conjures storm-tossed seagulls and naughty hobgoblins from his clarinet. Ariel Zuckermann makes his flute lilt with the wind one moment and charm snakes like an Indian fakir the next. Olivier Truan’s own piano solos are concise and conservative, popping up truculently in the general mayhem. Christoph Staudenmann sneaks some great drums tricks under the radar. And Daniel Fricker frequently finds himself sharing bass duties with the whole of the LSO. Truan employs the gift an entire orchestra with deep respect and tongue firmly in cheek. The strings sail freely away with his cheerful flute/clarinet duet - but are then reduced to filling in his jazz stops for him (the cheek of it - 65 musicians playing one note) though the orchestra does usually have the last word. He’s also written some very fine solos for the LSO’s principals, including a searingly beautiful and sparingly incomplete violin intermezzo for Carmine Lauri, and some extremely high trumpet riffs that must have had Philip Cobb playing his socks off - and possibly twangs his suspenders to boot. And when he has time to feature himself at the piano, he arrives in the midst of it all with a string of exquisite notes like iridescent raindrops suspended along a gossamer thread. He’s also expert at picking up the moods of the day; from sharp, crystal clear playing at dawn to the slow, lyrically expansive and breathy heat haze of dusk. And his Nocturne is a tear-inducing ballad that raises images of a still, warm night in the spiritual homeland. It’s impossible not to be impressed by the variety, vitality and vivaciousness of this new album – and even harder not to smile along." Chris Eldon Lee, BBC Radio Review 2: Swiss based Kolsimcha has been entertaining audiences for almost thirty years with its unique brand of contemporary Klezmer. The talented quintet has teamed up for the first time with the famed London Symphony Orchestra and invited those musicians into the exciting and note-filled world of Kolsimcha. Founding member Olivier Truan produced, composed and arranged the album. The pianist did a superb job of including the orchestra and utilizing its full assortment of talents to bring each piece to life. Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, the balance and recording quality is top notch with each instrument’s voice being heard. “Autostrada” kicks off the album with its breakneck speed. Virtuoso clarinet and flute melodies alternate with slide trombones and sprite-like violins adding merriment. Truan has a cool jazz piano feature in the midsection serving as a brief respite from the controlled chaos before the top brass dive back in. There are many different musical ideas in the opener from the bright showmanship of the presto circus-like march to the sensual Middle Eastern section. Following this introduction to the many wonders of Kolsimcha is the five-part piece “Destination Journey.” Michael Heitzler, founding member and clarinetist, is featured in “Dawn” unfurling melodic snippets over tranquil pedal tones initially in the lower register before dynamically opening up to the higher registers of the instrument offering a taste of his extraordinary pitch bending techniques. “Departure” alternates between flute and clarinet before they join in unison in this medium-fast polka. The strings join in full force before slinking away as the piano plays a jazzy interlude. Paul Silverthorne of the London Symphony Orchestra plays the viola solo in “Doubts”. Kolsimcha’s flutist Ariel Zuckermann confidently leaps above the accompanying low brass down beats in “Hope.” There is some fine trumpet work in the second half of the piece. “Free at Last” directly segues from the previous movement featuring heavy orchestral downbeats under the clarinet, flute and piano solos. The final work is teeming with a dramatic flurry of notes, like a Leonard Bernstein composition. The level of playing on the album is phenomenal. “Noah” is a dynamic ensemble piece with mixed meters, brisk tempos and a fine blend of jazz and Klezmer styles. Drummer Christoph Staudenmann does an excellent job of keeping the musicians together all the way through to the tight ending. Every attack and trill is precise in the Middle Eastern “Dance in Eleven” and the brass section does a fantastic job in the syncopated exuberant “Balkan Hora”. Not every song is a jubilant wall of sound. In the poignant “Elegy for a Friend” the piano reluctantly is moved forward by the legato downbeats of the orchestra on two and five before the clarinet accompanied by the suspended cymbal takes over the melody. Heitzler again astounds in “Nocturne” following the delicate piano introduction with his resonant playing in the lower register accompanied by lush strings. His cadenza is masterfully thoughtful as he utilizes the full range of the woodwind. Zuckermann’s chance of improvisation is in the quicker “A Bout De Souffle” where the flute is accompanied by pizzicato strings. The cadenza is a rapid outpouring of notes running the full range of the instrument with a touch of rubato thrown in. The ending is adorably succinct. “Borscht Belt Freilach” was composed by Heitzler and expertly arranged by Truan. It is a happy, jumpy mid-tempo number that morphs into the group’s signature astounding whirlwind speed in the second half and culminates in a pristine high note sustained on the clarinet. Kolsimcha is bursting with talent and to have its music enhanced by the London Symphony Orchestra is an epiphany of 21th century musical creativity. Kelly O’Neil