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American Improvisations

by Abe Maneri and Ben Jaffe

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1.
Railroad 03:07
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2.
Highway 02:52
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3.
Save Yourself 02:50
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4.
Hitchhiking 02:33
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5.
IRT 01:41
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6.
Wounded Knee 1973 03:50
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7.
My Lost Years 06:01
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8.
SETI 01:09
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9.
BMT 04:00
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10.
Ballad to 1963 05:00
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11.
American Improvisations 07:28
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12.
Unreformed Immagration 02:31
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13.
Ballad to 1967 02:52
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14.
Taking the Bus 02:30
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about

Playing together since we were 17, we've reached a sort of metaphysical level of communication. After Free Age, (recorded in 2011), it was hard to think of what else to do. So we decided to go back to the beginning. In the beginning we played whatever we could...trying to make it work. On this record, that's what we've done. While Free Age was a meditation, this album is more like a boxing match. We just closed our eyes and tried to take in the energy of Brooklyn, our loved ones, and the 20 years of friendship and music dialogue. All of these tracks were recorded live, with no overdubs in a series of 5 sessions from Spring through Winter of 2013. The last two tracks we recorded for this album, "My Lost Years" and "American Improvisation" were in fact recorded on December 29th 2013. As for the title of this album, it came about this way. We're Americans, we improvise, and so, rather than to classify this as jazz-folk-electric-experimental-blah-blah-blah, it seemed best to label it American Improvisations. For better or for worse, right or wrong, these are our American Improvisations.

Check out this Movie:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRc46IlqUEY&list=UUIIuITbF5HFWcQ4ggkbUKyA

credits

released March 10, 2014

Abe Maneri: Nord Electro 2, Nord Lead 2x, Melodica, Cello, Banjo, Alto Recorder, and Theramin.
Ben Jaffe: Tenor Saxophone

Reviews:

".... If I had not been sitting down, Maneri's performance would have knocked me on my can... he did not just play the piano, he transformed the instrument with energy and clashing sonorities."

--Stu Vandermark, Boston Jazz Scene

"Maneri fills the mind with words and thoughts that require—no encourage—repeated plays to get all of his metaphors. The music scores the poetry nicely; as practiced, the verse is delivered as if in song form."

--Mark Corroto, All About Jazz Magazine

...heavy and poignant, a dour Maneri is wry and sarcastic (his) free instrumental improvisation reflects the tension and anxiety as you would expect.

--Michael Nastos, Rovi

...Abe Maneri, a musically unquenchable soul who has been quietly making independent recordings for years on his own quest for sonic truth...

--Tyran Grillo (Beyond Sound and Space)

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Abe Maneri and the Agnostic Hep Cats image

Abe Maneri and the Agnostic Hep Cats Brooklyn, New York

Abe Maneri has studied music directly and indirectly his whole life; starting out on violin at the age of 4, cello at age 9, piano, recorders, guitar, voice, percussion, and clarinet there after. He has performed with many noted musicians including Joe and Mat Maneri, Jessica Jones, Sabir Mateen, Assif Tsahar and John Medeski. ... more

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