There is such beautiful music to be had in Yo Yo Ma. He is such a brilliant player skilled in the utmost expressive gestures and exquisite taste. Noted for his skillful cello performances in many numbers of the classical repertory as well as for his work in the film music of John Williams and others,Yo Yo Ma stands out as one of the greatest modern cellists of his time.
There is an album that is written in Chinese lettering here on Kurrent Music full of either his instrumentals or work that he performed on that has a Chinese twist. They are really beautiful and some experimental, which makes them even better. One of them was in E minor and has such a lovely tone (even doubling of some of the strings) which is very beautiful. I am a fan of layering so a lot of layers is good. It makes the texture sing out and be heard.
There is another video that shows Ma and a few other well-known players do impressions of famous tunes like “My Favorite Things.” There are a few others that are on the album. Be sure to get the album if you want a fresh take on the modern jazz standards with the addition of strings of course. It’s a good mix.
There are several other songs in the Chinese album that are so deep in the quality of performance that it moves you to a different level—quite a different level. The techniques are so cool and it must be great being in the presence of an award-winning player. Another instrumental that is in the Chinese album reminds me of a safari in the Arabian Desert complete with trills and extended pitch bends and slides and other virtuoso techniques. The whole collection is of great worth and is gold to the music industry and the film world. You can hear his work on the movie Seven Years In Tibet. Brilliant music from a brilliant mind and soul is what is heard in Yo Yo Ma.
