CD Reviews

CD Reviews Sangria (Ancient Future, 2009) Delving into Indian musical culture and incorporating elements of the Middle East together with Latin and Brazilian influences, Parker and her collective leave a very good impression at the first listening. And like well known critics say, the first impression is what counts. Parker’s […]

MARIAH PARKER — “SANGRIA” This gifted, San Rafael-based multi-instrumentalist/composer earned a music degree at U.C. Santa Cruz. She makes a dazzling debut, joined by musicians who have played in such luminous ensembles as Ancient Future, Sun Ra’s Arkestra and Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters. Parker’s subtle and sensuous sounds reflect exotic flavors […]

This debut as a leader by pianist/multi-instrumentalist/composer Mariah Parker (who performs regularly with the trendsetting world music collective Ancient Future) unveils a collection of eight original instrumental scores. Labeled as an Indo-Latin jazz musical experience, Parker and friends blend the rhythmic syncopations of Latin jazz music with the entrancing, asymmetrical […]

Sangria, Mariah Parker’s debut CD, is a lushly lyrical tapestry of Latin jazz and the enchanting rhythms of East India. Mariah is a stunning composer and multi-instrumentalist who plays piano with graceful abandon. Having worked with Mickey Hart (from the Grateful Dead) on his Planet Drum project as well as […]

Spicy tantalizing flamenco melodies cross pollinate with East Indian rhythms that beg to be imbibed in while a gentle warm breeze rustles your hair. Jazzy flirtations permeate the world music foray and are focused by Parker’s poignant piano (or santur) accentuations.

Featuring musicians from the bands Sun Ra, Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters and Ancient Future, Mariah Parker’s debut blends rhythmic syncopations of Latin jazz, hypnotic East Indian cadences and driving Brazilian and Afro-Cuban percussive beats. Although entirely instrumental, Sangria speaks. Maybe it’s the technical virtuosity abounding in the multiplicity of sounds — […]

The album “Sangria” isn’t just a collection of Mariah Parker’s (piano and santur) original compositions. This is music-prayer, music-meditation. A wonderful company of first class musicians have been gathered to record this project. All of them deserve to be mentioned. Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard and flamenco guitars), Mindia Devi Klein […]

Little question that this issue will be chock-full of inspiring music… the packages I received from the Ancient Future (Matthew Montfort) and Facing East (John Wubbenhorst) labels alone had true gems for fans of world/jazz/fusion in them.  I still haven’t quite figured out Mariah’s reason for titling this CD as […]

A review written for the Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange by Mark S. Tucker (progdawg@hotmail.com). I’m one of the few critics who has been singing the praises of the chamber World group Oregon for decades now, an ensemble composing the true genesis of refined world jazz music. That’s the main […]

“…this is an excellent album from pianist Mariah Parker, whose work is best described as world jazz. Parker brings a wide variety of influences to Sangria, ranging from Indian and Middle Eastern music to Afro-Cuban salsa and Brazilian samba. Parker obviously appreciates the Eastern-influenced spirituality and mysticism of John Coltrane, […]