by Joslyn Layne
Music for Violin Alone is the debut date as leader for virtuoso violinist Mark Feldman, who has performed as a sideman with countless musicians, in genres ranging from country to avant-garde jazz. Here he performs original, classically styled pieces that exude high drama. The violin arcs over small measures of time, plummets into hurt, soars back up into the air, then lands lightly spinning. Feldman bows out grit and texture with ribbed vibratos, and achieves excellent (and frequent) harmonies through a curious sawing technique. With glissando runs and compositional foils, Feldman balances tremolo highs with base harmonics, in a study of unsettled, driven, imploring violin.