“Roots albums, no matter the landscape around them, always feel sturdy, firm—responsible, in the classic Gangstarr way.”

In “…And Then You Shoot Your Cousin,” The Roots prove their mastery of mixing high and low culture for diverse audiences. It’s a headier album, but one rife with significance.

“It’s a curious turn, but one that finds them as oddly whimsical and satisfying as ever.”

The Players Theater
May 18, 2014

The musicians weren’t the same Roots band seen regularly on NBC’s “Tonight” show with Jimmy Fallon. They included the Metropolis Ensemble — the conductor Andrew Cyr, a string quartet and four singers — and the jazz pianist D. D. Jackson, who wrote dramatic, somberly dissonant arrangements for the ensemble.

All preconceived notions of ‘hip-hop’ are tossed out the window, as the transcendence of the sometimes one-dimensional genre is epitomized here.

Putting the record on the turntable is an immersive experience that I consider to be synonymous with hip hop as the music will not only radiate through your body but will also touch your soul.

In The Roots’ …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin, pianos and strings clash in explosions of third-stream jazz, French electro-acoustic pioneer Michel Chion brings noise, deep-blue tones vibrate like Miles Davis' Porgy and Bess.

It’s hard to deny the overall effect of this strange, smartly conceived album.

Le Poisson Rouge
April 27, 2014

Le Poisson Rouge
April 6–7, 2014

The Roots have total command of their combination of jazz-influenced hip-hop and social awareness.

His second record, last year’s “Home Stretch,” boldly fills in the absent left hand of Mozart’s “Coronation” Concerto and also offers up a 14-minute “Paraphrase on Themes of Brian Eno.”

Symphony Space
February 1, 2014

The 56th Annual Grammy Awards on January 26, 2014 proved to be a stellar night for the artists and collaborators of Metropolis Ensemble in multiple winning categories!

Andrew Cyr continually fosters young composers and emerging talents, and I’ve been honored to premier an incredible amount of music by some wonderful composers.

Home Stretch is a gentle gondola ride through five lovely Eno songs ... a clever, lovingly orchestrated homage in the time-honored spirit of Franz Liszt.

Dreamscapes is magnificent with virtuosic performances… a spectacular sounding disc… by one of today’s most eclectic composers.