VAMPIRE SUIT:

Some listener reviews from cdbaby (read the full reviews here.)

• "lively, sprawling, fun, adventurous and clever. Balkan wedding band, New Orleans brass band, klezmer, jazz and lots more swirl together and make for very interesting, enjoyable and fun listening."
• "Cosmopolitans who dare to cross the boundaries... Vampires who can empathize with the folks in darkness.... "
• "magicallly captures the ecstasy of these traditional music forms... a listener can take an inexpensive holiday and easily lose themselves in a trance-like state."
• "the music is composed, arranged, and performed at an extremely high level worthy of much praise."
• "The music on ('Gaze at Your Omphalos') ranges from wistful melancholy to the exuberant... It uses dissonance to create the achingly sweet, it is inventive, and often introspective.. ."

"The music has enduring beauty that touches on the heart of the Middle East's musical culture while exhibiting western flair. Open improvisations and the spirit of the belly dance coexist, encouraging the traditional undulated hip movements as a supplement to the solid instrumentation...." Full review                                        Frank Rubolino, Cadence Magazine

"If Bram Stoker's imaginary Transylvania had a jazz scene, the music might sound something like this. Their songs, full of droning electric violins and guitars playing in minor scales alongside crashing cymbals harmonize nicely with the splashing rain and gray skies. "                      Jazzreview.com

"Gaze at Your Omphalos is very much like single malt Scotch Laphroig... Vilnai and his vampires get high marks for their utter unpredictability from track to track, their sheer joy they get from and give to the music and the various textures and sounds that emerge."                      Budd Kopman, All About Jazz

"Dramatic string sections mix with free-styling guitars, lively horn parts, and sparse percussion to create an airy, festive, free-formed atmosphere. The New York band pulls off the smelting of worldly styles with a beautiful touch."                                                       Download.com

"If you are interested in Balkan/Middle Eastern New York Edition fusion, check out Jay Vilnai's Vampire Suit... it has been hitting the city with poly-cultural textures and sounds. Open your ears to something off the typical beaten path."                                                                                    Gotham Jazz News

"The music lurking within (Gaze at Your Omphalos)... is spirited and enjoyable."
                                         Time Out New York

"...surprising young guitarist Jay Vilnai shows an uncanny ability to bridge the line between jazz and world music, alluring the ears with his sitar-like runs and choice voicings."
                                         Brad Walseth, jazzchicago.net (review of Eric Alabster Quintet CD)

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