The International Clarinet Association’s magazine, The Clarinet, has a new review for David Shifrin’s Clarinet Quintets for Our Time recording with the Dover and Harlem String Quartets:

“[Shifrin’s] partners on this recording are two rising young string quartets: the Dover Quartet on the works by Ellington and Rogerson and the Harlem Quartet on Coleman’s work. Both quartets play beautifully on the disc. … Schiff’s arrangements of [Ducal Suite by Duke Ellington] are beautifully and creatively done, and they are stylishly performed by Shifrin and the Dover Quartet. … Shifrin and the quartet handle [the] eclecticism [of Rogerson’s Thirty Thousand Days] with great flexibility and sensitivity, and Shifrin’s control of air and dynamics in the delicate ending of the final movement is remarkable. Valerie Coleman’s Shotgun Houses is a tribute to the famous boxer Muhammad Ali, who grew up in the same West Louisville neighborhood as Coleman. … The work is powerfully written, with intricate interplay among the clarinet and strings, and is tightly executed by Shifrin and the Harlem Quartet. The recording quality of this disc is excellent, and the liner notes provide well-written information about the pieces. David Shifrin’s playing has everything one would expect from such an experienced artist: impeccable technique, a warm and flexible sound and above all, marvelous musicianship. His continued advocacy of new works for clarinet and string quartet has resulted in three outstanding compositions that immensely enrich the repertoire.”

—Jane Ellsworth, The Clarinet

See the full review on Clarinet.org