The Brooklyn Rider Almanac

Over the past decade, Brooklyn Rider has become one of America’s most exciting and accomplished string quartets thanks to a genre-bending repertoire that playfully disregards the traditional boundaries of classical music. The Brooklyn Rider Almanac celebrates the group’s 10th anniversary with a collection of new music commissioned from rock, jazz, and folk luminaries, who were asked to compose a piece in honor of an artist they admire. Crackling with creative electricity, this gorgeous recording is a satisfying, thought-provoking musical triumph. Jazz pianist Vijay Iyer’s rhythmic “Dig the Say” is inspired by funk godfather James Brown, The Bad Plus pianist Ethan Iverson pays homage to choreographer Mark Morris, and jazz guitarist Bill Frisell closes the album with a sublime tune called “John Steinbeck.” This diverse album showcases the contemporary string quartet’s expressive power.