Where does modern jazz begin and modern classical end? Here are a handful of albums to maybe ask more questions than they answer…
Composer Huang Ruo employs solo cellos (Soo Bae), piano (Emanuele Arciuli, Stephen Buck) and his own piano with Arash Amini’s cello for interpretations of 10 of his pieces. “For Fragments” includes dramatic bowings for 
the cello, while pianistic charges and resonant spaces are included on the dramatic “Red Rain.” A three pieces “Shifting Shades’ Has Buck combining his piano with whistles and strings as he prances along, with a free improvisation is felt on “Tree Without Wind.” Ruo’s own piano is dark as the cello goes high and ivories go low on “Wind Blows…” Technical ideas of musicality.
Guitarist John Gibson brings together Kati Gleier/p-voc-comp, Craig Hultren/cel, Brett Shuster/tb and Michael Tunnell/tp for a collection of 7 originals. There are lots of electronics and effects with eerie moods on “Thrum,” Slumber” and the buzzing “Day Trip,” while hints of Mahler are brought up by Tunnell and Shuster on the electronic “ Out of Hand.” Rustling sounds and edgy guitars mix with cello on “Red Plumes” and eerie piano moods scratch the chalkboard on” Blue Traces.” Moods and shadows.
Composer Timothy Dunne brings together the St. Petersburg Chamber Philharmonic conducted by Jeffery Meyer as well as other ventured guests for a collection of his own compositions. The modern classical sounds mix with jazz avant garde as Artur Zobnin’s violin strings along the “Braid for Violin and Chamber Orchestra.” The strings get reverent and lush on the cloud “Ground” while Irina Vassileva’s voice goes lieder with Alexandra Shatalova’s rich English Hornon “Margarita Metaphrase.” Pizzicato strings and prancing piano team up with reedy support on the “Concert for Piano and Chamber Orchestra” as the team produces deep moods in a Hitchcock vein.
You get three flutes for the price of one delivered by Jill Heinke Moen, Sasha Launer and Kassey Plaha on this thrilling collection of pieces. The dreamy woodwinds intertwine and create impressionistic dreams on “Skatin on Discs of Light” and creates some percussive puffing along with shrieks and shouts on “Dry Wind.” The Chathonic Suite has the flutes flutter and brood in unison or in solo form, while the regal “Uncanny Valley” has the three playing coy with the melody. This one’s a thrill a minute!
Eraldo Bernocchi plays lots of guitars and electronics along with Prakash Sontakke’s lap steel guitars as the two produce songs and moods that are reminiscent of vintage Kraftwerk and Brian Eno. Some country guitar likes team up with synthesizers on “Will You Stay” and “The Last Emperor Walked Alone” while Chet Atkins meets Roxy Music on “From Star to Star.” Most intriguing is the mix of groove and Asian harmonies on” Bangalor Electric” while gleaning atmospheres prevail on “Walking Backwards Again” and the ambient “The Unsaid.” Another Green World revised?