Elektra Kurtis - Bridges from the East makes July - Dirty Dog List

Opened in 2008, The Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe located on 'The Hill' in Grosse Pointe Farms, is one of the premiere destinations in the United States for world class Jazz and cuisine. It combines the charm of an English-style pub with intimacy and meticulous attention to detail and hospitality. The Dirty Dog brings together the musicians and guests in a way that creates a lasting impression and desire to come back.

Detroit Public Radio mainstay, Judy Adams, is a trained pianist, composer and musicologist who hosts a Jazz and contemporary music show on CJAM 99.1FM and guest hosts on WRCJ 90.9FM. Each month she creates a The 'Dirty Dog' playlist that reflects her personal recommendations. This month, Adams has selected - Elektra Kurtis - Bridges from the East.

Bridges from the East, the new CD from Polish born Elektra Kurtis comes straight out of the composer's Greek heritage. Always an outsider, Kurtis' music is deeply personal with interweaving elements referencing different music styles and origins. Committed to making the music her own, Bridges from the East reflects the sound of Eastern Europe and North Africa, cultures Kurtis relates to the most, and although separated geographically all of this music is connected by human spirit, emotion, ethics, and expression. Deeply influenced by 20th Century Classical composers such as Bartok, Stravinsky, and Lutoslawski, as well as Jazz and Arabic folk music, Kurtis' cultural threads are expressed on this disc through her Quintet - Ensemble Elektra which she started in the 1980s.  VIEW THE FULL July 2015 Dirty Dog List