Zikkaron / Kristallnacht (Remembrance / Kristallnacht) [Special Edition]

“Mosaica” attempts to convey a picture of the possibilities of cultural collaboration through music.

Following is what reviewers/critics have said about the "Mosaica" album:

“Imaginative and wildly creative. . .A first rate example of the harmonic road less traveled.”
Brent Black, www.criticaljazz.com

“This is nothing if not convincing forward-thinking jazz even though its melodic sources are often ancient. It is jazz simultaneously at its purest and most multicultural.”
Jeff Simon, Buffalo News

“Marlow’s group does strong work in the Hebrew-Jazz realm.”
Jerome Wilson, www.cadencemagazine.com

“This is music that goes well beyond the local to make universal significance out of it all. This is masterful. This is exciting music.”
Grego Applegate Edwards, www.gapplegatemusicreview.blogspot.com

“You have produced a masterpiece. I will play ‘Mosaica’ to our audience with great pleasure!”
Gary Lowe, WUNH

“Marlow and company touch deep associations while making personal, contemporary statements.”
Kirk Silsbee, Glendale News-Press

“A stunning collection of songs that simultaneously feels familiar and brand new.”
Shelley A. Sackett, The Jewish Journal

“There’s no doubting Marlow and his gang are consummate pros, it’s just that they’ve served up something so unexpected, it’ll probably take a few listens before you can wrap your head around it.”
Chris Spector, Midwest Record

“’Mosaica’ is a CD that offers one of the most charismatic mergers: Hebrew rich compositions mixed with Latin Jazz. . .Marlow is always on the wave of new ideas.”
Luis Raul Montell, Jazz Caribe Radio

“’Mosaica” is simply one of the finest jazz albums of the year.”
Fontas Trousas, Diskorycheion/Vinylmine, Greece

“’Zikkaron/Kristallnacht,’ in both instrumental and spoken word versions, is a striking portrait.”
Elliot Simon, New York City Jazz Record

“Our favorites are ‘Hava Nagila’ and ‘Ani Ma'amin.’”
D. Oscar Groomes, O's Place Jazz Newsletter

“Mosaica” is also mentioned by critics W. Royal Stokes and Tom Hull as one of the “Best & Notable albums of 2014.”

The backgrounds of the Ensemble’s musicians reflect the “Mosaica” of the Ensemble’s repertoire and performance. Bronx-born 7X Grammy-nominee drummer Bobby Sanabria and virtuoso percussionist Matthew Gonzalez are Nuyoricans--they are of Puerto Rican descent, born and raised in New York City. NEA Performance Grantee saxophonist Michael Hashim is of Lebanese descent. Phi Beta Kappa bassist Frank Wagner’s family hails from Eastern Europe. Eugene Marlow's own family background is Russian, Polish, German, and British.

This is also the first Heritage Ensemble album that features a vocalist, Shira Lissek, herself a cantor, who brings a prodigious performance to four of the album’s tracks. The “Zikkaron/Kristallnacht (Remembrance) Special Edition” track features aural effects and a narration by Marlow's Aunt Ruth who survived Kristallnacht (“The Night of Broken Glass”) in Leipzig, Germany in 1938.