Marko Churnchetz - Ruthenia (2007)

"In Ruthenia, Marko Churnchetz has crafted a contemporary jazz sound, patterned on the examples of Brad Mehldau and Pat Metheny, but with a touch of Michel Camilo-like drama. The opening track’s orchestral nature belies what follows in Cantabile and other new compositions here, which owe something to early 20th-century Russian composers such as a neat quotation from Stravinsky’s Firebird.

The 15-piece ensemble (predominantly strings and rhythm section) plays beautifully, and Churnchetz himself is an exquisite-sounding pianist whom I suspect would be quite something to hear live. The quality of the recording is certainly no disappointment either, in part courtesy of the New York studio of Randy Ingram, who is himself a jazz pianist of some note.

Strongly recommended to anyone intrigued by high-level fusions of jazz and classical."

DJ (July, 2018)
Pianist Magazine

Personnel:
Marko Churnchetz (piano), Mike Moreno (guitar), Chris Jennings (bass), Rudy Royston (drums). Bostjan Lipovsek (French horn), Dario Golcic (oboe), Mateja Kremljak (flute), Matija Krecic, Dejan Gregoric, Klemen Bracko, Barja Drnovsek, Bojan Cvetreznik (violins), Urska Demsar, Barbara Grahor (violas), Tamara Gombac (cello).

Chamber Section on #1: Bostjan Lipovsek (French horn), Dudu Carmel (oboe), Mateja Kremljak (flute), Janez Podlesek, Dragan Radosavljevic (violins), Tamara Marinkovic (viola), Klemen Hvala (cello).