On her fourth CD as a leader violinist Jenny Scheinman fronts a septet including guitarist Bill Frisell and trumpeter Ron Miles. Timeless yet wholly contemporary, and with a sonic palette that's as fresh as it is familiar, Scheinman's personal take on Americana is as lyrical as it is idiosyncratic, as tender and moving as it is wry and powerfully evocative. Filled with selfless performances from a group of players with nothing to prove, 12 Songs represents a significant milestone in a career already filled with high points. Available now!
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Reviews
...It maintains an aura of wistful lyricism and dreamy self-reflection, not unlike the music of (Norah) Jones. But the songs are structurally diverse, ranging from the gently twangy "Song of the Open Road" to the circus march "Moe Hawk"
Nate Chinen, New York Times, September 9, 2005
Ms. Scheinman is a violinist who has been working out her own marvelous path through jazz from the 1920's and the 1960's and possibly the future - as well as calypso, French musette, Brazilian choro and about 10 other genres. In doing so, she has made rem
Ben Ratliff, New York Times, September 11, 2005
4 stars. Scheinman puts her own spin on the quirky sound guitarist Bill Frisell minted a decadre or so ago. Off-kilter soundtracks for unseen film shorts, these 12 wonderful wordless songs feature some Frisell regulars, and the guitarist himself is in mag
John Corbett, Downbeat, October, 2005
4 stars. Gentle yet provocative, the violinist's instrumental miniatures are insightful and inclusive: Cowpoke ballads, Sonny Rollins bop, Irish airs and gypsy laments all waft by. Scheinman's skill is the nuanced way in which they're dispensed. She's bec
Jim Macnie, Downbeat "Hot Box", October, 2005
"...Scheinman’s use of stylistic interconnections and the way she blends instruments is completely modern. The folkloric changes of "June 21” may feel familiar, but her blend of violin, clarinet, and cornet to create long, slow phrases beneath Frisell’s s
John Kelman, All About Jazz, September 20, 2005
No one can accuse violinist and composer Jenny Scheinman of promulgating any kind of jazz cliché, or even of fitting in especially well with the rest of the Cryptogramophone label's crew of off-kilter jazz experimentalists. Her obsession is with song
Rick Anderson, All Music Guide, October, 2005
"12 Songs is an album of imagination above all else. Like her frequent employer Bill Frisell (whom she employs here), Jenny Scheinman composes vignettes that frame a world for listeners to find comfort, not just through its distant familiarity, but w
Michael McCaw, All About Jazz, 2005-11-20
"Scheinman plays violin in a style that blends jazz, folk, bluegrass, and klezmer, but it runs too quirky to be deemed derivative. Her sextet includes Bill Frisell...whose twangy guitar riffs pump a Twin Peaks weirdness into the air. Ron Miles adds h
Fred Kaplan, The Absolute Sound, December, 2005
"4 stars (out of 5). While there are no vocals on 12 Songs, that doesn't interfere with the tunes' natural ability to insinuate themselves into your subconscious. Ably abetted by a small group of her peers, Scheinman has written a subtle but compelli
Troy Collins, JunkMedia.org, October 6, 2005
"Jenny Scheinman has a gift for writing evocative music. She explores different genres and comes up with an interesting take on each, drawing the listener into the core of its spirit. There is more to this music than just the compositions. The musici
Jerry D'Souza, All About Jazz, October 11, 2005
"There is a beautiful sympathetic spirit that runs through this entire disc, an earthy eloquence that connects the violin, guitar and cornet just right. What truly stands out is the distinctive sound and unique flavor of Jenny's acoustic violin at th
Bruce L. Galanter, Downtown Music Gallery, October, 2005
Top 10 Jazz Albums 2005 - "This is a warm, quirky, disarmingly delightful album."
Fred Kaplan, Slate.com, 12/20/05
"While certainly not much of a surprise to folks that are familiar with her work as a sideperson or her Tzadik discs, Scheinman’s work continues to demand attention. As for 12 Songs, the impressionable melodies of its intriguing compositions ma
Jay Collins, One Final Note, January 2, 2006
Jenny Scheinman is a violinist whose folksy recording 12 Songs (CryptoGramophone 125) features the colorful guitarist Bill Frisell. She's a bit of a humorist. Her opening number, The Frog Threw His Head Back and Laughed, begins with a swagger. With an
Michael Ullman, Fanfare, September 2006
The silver-lined clouds that blur the edges between musical genres keep rolling in. Long may the weather pattern hold. This album from American violinist Jenny Scheinman, for instance, is a blend of jazz, folk and cafe music that may best be descri
John Shand, Sydney Morning Herald, 06/20/06
Scheinman is the violinist who mesmerized a Portland Jazz Festival audience earlier this year as a member of guitarist Bill Frisell's Unspeakable Orchestra. Frisell is aboard here as a member of Scheinman's band, and much, but no means all, of the album's
Doug Ramsey, Rifftides, 07/04/06
Violinist and composer Jenny Scheinman's latest CD is a trip down memory lane to the deep bayous of the South, emphasizing lazy '30s jazz. She has enlisted a small ensemble to forge her vision of a slow-moving landscape. Being a member of Bill Frisell's U
Jeff Melton, Expose, May 2006
