Tom Huizenga
The PUBLIQuartet's new album explores the many facets of rhythm in American music. Titilayo Ayangade hide caption
Not all string quartets are created equal. Some groups play it safe, performing standard repertoire straight off the page. Others, like the New York-based PUBLIQuartet, walk on the wilder side. The band's musical journey, which routinely includes improvisation, ranges widely on its new album Rhythm Nation.
The band's musical appetite, which routinely includes healthy portions of improvisation, ranges widely on its new album Rhythm Nation—from West African and Venezuelan styles to modernist complexity, jazz standards and several nods to Janet Jackson.
The PUBLIQuartet, like scores of other freethinking ensembles, probably would not exist if it weren't for the pioneering Kronos Quartet, which, more than five decades ago, staked its claim on the fringes of classical music, commissioning new works and searching far outside the U.S. for musical inspiration. Since it was founded in 2010, The PUBLIQuartet has taken a page from the Kronos playbook and run with it.
