Here is a link to the album Windblown. Bruce Gremo on multiple flutes, Hu JianBing on Sheng.
Bruce Gremo
glissando flute, shakuhachi, alto shakulute
Hu JianBing
sheng
The Chinese Zheng is one of the most extraordinary instruments I know. Hu JianBing is not only an extraordinary player, but designs and plays innovated Zheng that introduce more pipes, keys and thus tones. In JianBing’s hands it is a completely chromatic harmonic timbre generator. Timbre is the musician’s word for colour, sonic colour. For my part, I was playing the shakuhachi and two unusual flutes. The glissando headcount was invented by flutist Robert Dick. A wonderful innovation to the flute. It is like crossing the flute with a trombone, or if you are a Chinese musician, the flute player can pretend to sing KunQu opera. Or Jimmy Hendrix using his wah-wah pedal. The alto-shakulute combines a western alto flute with a shakuhachi head joint. It is truly a west meets east instrument. The player can pursue strengths of both instruments and both cultures. But the sum is greater than the parts.
