Welcome to ‘Dodd’s Discoveries’, a review series from NativeDSD Senior Music Reviewer Bill Dodd. This series focuses on Bill’s latest selections, with new reviews regularly. And the best part… the albums featured in the most current review will be available at a reduced price! Click the button below to see all of Dodd’s Discoveries and to find the current album(s) on sale.
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1035€20,99 – €34,49
I was lucky. I grew up with a baby grand piano inherited from my father’s mother (see picture). I learned to play Bach, Gershwin, Kabalevsky, and others on it when I was a pre-teen. Very few people have either the space or funds for an instrument like that now. Musicians face a similar problem for home use and gigs, and usually decide on digital keyboards.
But here’s something new:
The Keybird! A lightweight acoustic piano! That’s it, on the album cover of this quite lovely album by Kristjan Martinsson. It’s Danish, it’s affordable (compared to a normal piano), and it makes some very nice sounds. I’ll skip the details and encourage you to go to their website for more. Kristjan Martinsson has some of the “add-on” features.
All that aside, this is a delightful album! Martinsson writes:
1035 is an exploration of both past and present, centered around a piece that is close to my heart—J.S. Bach’s Flute Sonata BWV 1035. Performed on the Keybird, a new lightweight acoustic “una corda” piano, this project breathes fresh life into the baroque sonata, blending modern interpretations, original compositions, and personal improvisations inspired by the master’s work.
It’s a bit of baroque, a dash of modern, and a smattering of jazz played on a remarkable new instrument recorded beautifully in a church. Don’t try to categorize it– just enjoy it.
