cxlv. TURTLE ISLAND STRING QUARTET: Seven Steps To Heaven

cxlv. TURTLE ISLAND STRING QUARTET

Seven Steps To Heaven (1994)
Darol Anger, violin, baritone violin
Tracy Silverman, violin
Danny Seidenberg, viola
Mark Summer, cello
(4:20)

from Who Do We Think We Are?

Miles' version (co-written with Victor Feldman).

**

TISQ was revolutionary in turning the centuries-old genre into a vehicle for jazz and rock. Not only do they incorporate the ideal sonic palette of the four distinct voices of the string quartet into a homogenous template for their fantastic arrangements of classics like this one -- but Mark Summer uses his cello as a percussion instrument, while the others use innovative techniques like the chop chord.

I'm certainly prejudiced, since we were good friends growing up together in Pittsburgh, but Danny Seidenberg's viola solo (starting at 0:49) is one of the finest jazz string solos I've ever heard!

Summer's up next and he grooves and gives way to Silverman (I think) ...

They return to the head, but with a totally different arrangement -- including pizzicato and diminution (playing the notes at half-speed).