Graham Reid | | <1 min read
Um Tom Para Jobim
Tales from the Box are cellist Stella Tempreli and accordion player Thanos Stavridis who across 11 tracks on this debut album – with some augmentation from guests on bass, drums, vibes and percussion in places – cover a wide swathe of original music by Stavridis (jaunty pastoral music, a lullaby, bossa nova, a jazzy spin off from My Favourite Things) to Ave Maria at the end.
Stavridis is Greek/Balkan musician, researcher and musicologist of considerable repute, of Tempreli we can tell you little because everything we have looked at is all in Greek but she studied in the Netherlands and seems to run a parallel academic career alongside Tales from the Box.
Frankly seeing the interesting pairing of instruments Elsewhere had expected something a lot less MOR than what is here, which is highly accomplished and would appeal to a mainstream audience especially live.
But although Tempreli can really let rip on cello (notably on Um Tom Par Jobim with busy electric bassist Giannis Papatriantafillou) much of this doesn't divert us.
It's wrong to criticise an album for not being what you thought it might be. But even taken at what it is, the pieces of Ciel – with a few exceptions – simply went past leaving little lasting impression.
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This album is available at Apple iTunes here
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