(Un)common Thread
Saffron soul, 2026
9/10
The revered violinist Ariana Kim fleshes out improvisation from Mozart to Macedonia, where Roger Moseley and Shane Shanahan are along for the classical influenced affair.
Mozart’s “Sonata K. 454” opens with Kim’s flowing string acrobatics alongside Moseley’s quick key progressions, and Beethoven’s “Sonata Op. 12 No. 3” follows with the colorful violin complementing the animated key progressions that are nothing short of dizzying.
Further along, Raga Aalapana’s “Bahudari” is a solo violin moment via a hazy demeanor, while “Audacity” by Shanahan blends the stirring violin and frisky percussion from Shanahan that mesmerizes us.
Deeper still, “Migrating Home” pairs Kim’s violin with a looper pedal for the Kim piece that’s strong on tonality and ambience, and the traditional Bulgarian “Krivo Sadovsko Horo” exits with the fast strings and even faster percussion emitting much adventurousness.
An album of stunning spontaneity, Kim, Moseley and Shanahan certainly do justice to the legendary composers, and the originals are equally engaging, too.
Travels well with: JoAnn Falletta- The French In Spain; Janet Axelrod- Act One