The Little Match Girl

• Artist: Loren Mazzacane Connors
• Rating:
• Release Date: March 06, 2001
• Genre: Avant-Garde

Review

New York's avant-garde guitarist often sounds best when applying a theme to his distinct improvisations, and on Little Match Girl he adapts the well-known children's story to a series of six melodic miniatures. The song form is very vague -- waving tendrils of melody and suggestive motifs fill the first half of this CD with his signature melancholy. The short pieces that make this first section of the album state their point and vanish all too soon, though an equally charming music follows for part two. If the second suite's title, "The Art of the Blues," is an indication of what's to come, the listener should prepare themselves for a compelling trip through the outer regions of Mazzacane Connors' unique take on the form. While notes still drift off into suspended silence, a minor-key mood puts this set in a darker place than the previous. Additionally, a smoky distorted guitar tone adds to the late-night ambience, which is chilling on the sparsest moments. On the introduction and closing vamps, Mazzacane Connors is joined by guitarist Andrew Burnes of San Agustin and Persian daf-drum player Neel Murgai. This grouping is also featured on Haunted House -- where the prolific guitarist reshapes blues from another angle. ~ Skip Jansen, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
The Little Match Girl		Loren MazzaCane Connors	(1:24)
Falling Snow		Loren MazzaCane Connors	(2:15)
She Was Hungry and Very Very Cold		Loren MazzaCane Connors	(1:52)
The Veil		Loren MazzaCane Connors	(1:08)
Grandmother		Loren MazzaCane Connors	(1:53)
Falling Star (Comets Light the Way)		Loren MazzaCane Connors	(3:03)
The Dawn	Loren MazzaCane Connors	Loren MazzaCane Connors	(6:48)
The Art of the Blues		Loren MazzaCane Connors	(2:31)
The Art of the Blues		Loren MazzaCane Connors	(2:27)
The Art of the Blues		Loren MazzaCane Connors	(3:23)
The Art of the Blues		Loren MazzaCane Connors	(2:16)
The Art of the Blues		Loren MazzaCane Connors	(1:32)
The Art of the Blues		Loren MazzaCane Connors	(2:47)
The Art of the Blues		Loren MazzaCane Connors	(3:58)

Credits

Loren MazzaCane Connors (Guitar), Loren MazzaCane Connors (Main Performer), Loren MazzaCane Connors (Adaptation), Loren MazzaCane Connors (Cover Design), Hans Christian Anderson (Author), Andrew Burnes (Guitar), Neel Murgai (Daff)