Ken Thomson "Restless"
Ken Thomson is a busy, busy classical musician. Besides being a member of the Bang On A Can All-Stars, he also has his jazzy Slow/Fast moniker, as well as his Lincoln Center marching band Asphalt Orchestra. On top of all that? No, not a cherry! Restless (Cantaloupe) is a gorgeous collection of pieces (that’s right, we are talkin’ classical here, so we get to say classy things like “pieces” and maybe even “li’l opera binoculars”). These compositions by Thomson, performed primarily on piano and strings, are filled with beautiful passages, and at times disjointed and dissonant. This is the good stuff here (honestly, how often is Pitchfork gonna review and give 7.9 to a classical album?). Thoughtful modern classical music, with great attention paid to texture and ambience. Check out the playful “Forge.”