Catalogue

Summary:

“The clear high­light of the record­ing comes cour­tesy of com­poser-con­ductor Hazama … for a bright per­form­ance of her Marimba Con­certo No. 1 (2021). Com­bin­ing asym­met­ric grooves with liquid solos and quick-fire, crunchy har­mon­ies, the piece ranges enter­tain­ingly from jazz-funk to con­tem­por­ary big band via thought­ful wife-and-hus­band duos.” – Steph Power, BBC Music magazine 

“The highlight of this album is [Miho Hazama’s] Marimba Concerto … exquisite interplay between the clarinet and marimba scattered throughout.” – Tetsuya Higashibata, Record Geijutsu (Japan)

“… Stoltzman’s reading [Bach Chaconne] is somber yet tragically exultant as it builds in intensity… Debussy’s Réverie is appropriately dreamlike. The album concludes with Marimba Concerto No. 1 … with its prominent clarinet part and the participation of a vastly over-qualified rhythm section (Eddie Gomez playing bass and Steve Gadd on drums), it’s a pleasantly upbeat conclusion to the CD.” Music ★★★★ Sonics ★★★★ – AQ, The Absolute Sound

“Mika Stoltzman gives a series of top-notch performances on the marimba on a new AVIE disc consisting entirely of world première recordings … the disc is certainly engaging …” - Mark Estren, Infodad.com 

“The album offers a richly varied program of seriousness and whimsicality, all of it played with not just virtuosity but also deep feeling and musical insight.” – Rick Anderson, CDHotlist.com 

“… The centerpiece of the recording is undoubtedly Hazama’s Marimba Concerto No. 1, conducted by the composer herself. Blending orchestral writing with rhythmic drive and jazz influences, the work is performed with striking clarity and virtuosity by Stoltzman, who brings out the vitality and constantly shifting textures of the score. The soloist displays formidable technical control and precision, but above all, a keen sense of musical breathing …” ★★★★½ – Islem Meghiref, AllMusic.com

“[Marimba Concerto 1] an interesting mix of splashy sounds with perky, Torke-like minimalism … it is a very attractive work…. Beautiful and interesting, it [Chaconne from Bach’s Partita 2] changes the piece rather fundamentally, adding sonic depth to a fascinating and complex solo work.” – Kilpatrick, Fanfare

Crossing the Bar showcases the creative boldness of Mika Stoltzman, the world’s leading marimba virtuosa, engaging in the sound worlds of contemporary classical and jazz through original works and arrangements of music by J. S. Bach, John Zorn, Claude Debussy and Miho Hazama.Mika Stoltzman is the world’s leading marimba virtuosa whose imaginative, genre-bending collaborations have cemented her unique place in the music world. Crossing the Bar is a thoughtfully conceived, beautifully executed, and boldly multi-idiomatic album that is an entrée into the unique possibilities of the contemporary marimba.

Crossing the Bar puts the creative boldness that has defined Mika’s career on full display, engaging in the sound worlds of contemporary classical and jazz with equal devotion and insight. Opening with her beloved Bach “Chaconne in D minor” in a new arrangement for marimba and strings – backed by members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Modern Orchestra Project – the album segues to “Breathturn: Part 1” by frequent collaborator, composer John Zorn, featuring Mika’s husband, the celebrated clarinettist Richard Stoltzman. Next is an enchanting arrangement of Debussy’s “Rêverie” for marimba and strings, followed by a barn-storming world-premiere recording of the “Marimba Concerto No. 1” by Mika’s compatriot, GRAMMY-nominated composer Miho Hazama, which brilliantly showcases Mika’s virtuosic talents alongside those of fellow-musicians Richard Stoltzman, jazz bass player Eddie Gómez and drummer Steve Gadd.

Tracklist:

Crossing the Bar
World-premiere recordings

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685–1750)
1. Chaconne in D minor from Partita No.2 BWV 1004 18.06
arr. for *marimba & °strings by Mika Stoltzman* & Steven Lipsitt°

JOHN ZORN (b. 1953)
2. Breathturn: Part 1 (2025) 4.38

CLAUDE DEBUSSY (1862–1918)
3. Rêverie CD 76 5.44
arr. for marimba & strings by Takeshi Fuse

MIHO HAZAMA (b. 1986)
4–6. Marimba Concerto No.1 (2021) 19.42

Mika Stoltzman, marimba
(2) Richard Stoltzman, clarinet • Fred Sherry, cello
(4–6) Richard Stoltzman, clarinet • Eddie Gómez, jazz bass • Steve Gadd, drums
(1, 3, 4–6) members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Modern Orchestra Project
Steven Lipsitt, conductor (1, 3) • Miho Hazama, conductor (4–6)