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Miklós Lukács: Timeless
By
Archie Shepp
saxophone, tenorb.1937

Steve Coleman
saxophone, altob.1956

Bill Frisell
guitar, electricb.1951

Chris Potter
saxophone, tenorb.1971

Tony Lakatos
saxophone, tenor
Uri Caine
pianob.1956

Charles Lloyd
saxophoneb.1938
That this is only Lukács' second solo album in a lengthy discography suggests that the cimbalom loves company. Yet one of the biggest takeaways from this album is the persuasive case Lukács makes for the cimbalom as a natural instrument for solo recitals. The cimbalom's timbre may be quite specific, but Lukács' extracts more color than seems possible from its strings, orchestrating bright harmonics and using pedal sustain, plucking/swiping in the altissimo range and other percussive techniques to conjure ethereal tones and textures.
Beauty too, is another constant factor, and the choice of material seems tailored to this end. Lukács opens with a reading of

Keith Jarrett
pianob.1945
John Lennon's/Paul McCartney's "Norwegian Wood" and Sting's "Fields of Gold" may seem like safe bets but there is nothing conservative about Lukács' approach. He teases the melodies like someone blowing a candle so that the flame flickers and dices with death before letting it spring back emboldened, reshaping the songs in arresting rhythmic, harmonic and counter-melodic ways. On the former song Lukács displays the cimbalom's dynamic range, on the latter, its gossamer finesse. Countless are the artists who have covered Harold Arlen's/Yip Harburg's "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" and Leonard Bernstein's/Stephen Sondheim's "Somewhere," but you could hunt eternally to find more exquisite or more personal renditions of either. Ditto Ennio Morricone's "Deborah's Theme," where Lukács sprinkles some magic dust on the handsome melody and makes it blossom anew.
There is undeniable emotional heft in Lukács' interpretation of Rezs? Seress' "Gloomy Sunday," an achingly beautiful meditationpopularized by

Billie Holiday
vocals1915 - 1959
With Timeless Miklós Lukács delivers a performance of beautifully weighted virtuosity and pronounced sensitivity. A gently uplifting joy from start to finish. ">
Track Listing
My Song; Somewhere Over The Rainbow; Deborah's Theme; Norwegian Wood; Fields of Gold; Gloomy Sunday; Somewhere; Aura--Hommage à Péter E?tv?s.
Personnel
Miklós Lukács
cimbalom / dulcimerAlbum information
Title: Timeless | Year Released: 2024 | Record Label: BMC Records
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