Recordings

A Thousand Thoughts

Kronos Quartet

2014

“This is an album about distances, a record about the space inhabiting the ‘between’ category… This is an album about diversity without intellectual compromises. It is how it is because this is the way it is. [A Thousand Thoughts] draws from all latitudes to portray a comprehensive chromatic spectrum of world music, in an effort to offer an accurate depiction not only of the ludicrous variety of existing genres and traditions, but also of the incredible versatility that is proper of the quartet.”

Alex Franquelli, PopMatters

About the album

2015 Songlines Music Award — Cross-Cultural Collaboration of the Year

Nonesuch Records, the Kronos Quartet’s longtime label, celebrated the group’s 40th anniversary year with the release of A Thousand Thoughts, which collects 15 recordings, ten of which were previously unreleased, of music that highlights Kronos’ geographically wide-ranging sources. It features music from 14 different countries, including China, India, Sweden, and Vietnam. The album includes the four cellists who have been in Kronos Quartet over the course of their recording career: Joan Jeanrenaud (1978–1999), Jennifer Culp (1999–2005), Jeffrey Zeigler (2005–2013), and Sunny Yang (2013–present).

SELECT CREDITS

Kronos Quartet:
David Harrington, violin
John Sherba, violin
Hank Dutt, viola
Sunny Yang, cello

Joan Jeanrenaud, cello (1978–1999)
Jennifer Culp, cello (1999–2005)
Jeffrey Zeigler, cello (2005–2013)

with
Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ, đàn Tranh
Tony MacMahon, accordion
Wu Man, pipa
Homayun Sakhi, rubab
Salar Nader, tabla
Abbos Kosimov, doyra, qayraq
Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares, Dora Hristova, conductor
Asha Bhosle, vocals
Zakir Hussain, tabla
Astor Piazzolla, bandoneón
Don Walser and The Pure Texas Band

Compilation produced by David Harrington

Executive Producer: Robert Hurwitz

Tusen Tankar (A Thousand Thoughts)
Traditional (Sweden), arr. Kronos Quartet, transc. Ljova
Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground
Composed by Blind Willie Johnson, arr. Stephen Prutsman
La Sidounak Sayyada (I’ll Prevent the Hunters from Hunting You)
Composed by Omar Souleyman, arr. Jacob Garchik
Luu Thuy Truong (Green River Delta) (feat. Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ)
Traditional (Vietnam)/Kim Sinh, arr. Jacob Garchik
Aha Gèdawo
Composed by Gétatchèw Mèkurya, , arr. Stephen Prutsman
An Buachaillín Bán (The Fair-Haired Boy) (feat. Tony MacMahon)
Traditional (Ireland), arr. Tony MacMahon and Stephen Prutsman
The Round Sun and Crescent Moon in the Sky (feat. Wu Man)
Traditional (China), arr. Jacob Garchik
Eviç Taksim
Composed by Tanburi Cemil Bey, arr. Stephen Prutsman
excerpt of Rangin Kaman (Rainbow) (feat. Homayun Sakhi, Salar Nader, and Abbos Kosimov)
Composed by Homayun Sakhi, arr. Stephen Prutsman
Smyrneiko Minore
Traditional (Greece), arr. Jacob Garchik
Cry of a Lady (feat. Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares)
Composed by Terry Riley
Sim Sholom (Grant Peace)
Composed by Alter Yechiel Karniol, arr. Judith Berkson
Mera Kuchh Saaman (Some of My Things) (feat. Asha Bhosle, Zakir Hussain, and Wu Man)
Composed by Rahul Dev Burman, arr. David Harrington, transc. Ljova)
Asleep, from Five Tango Sensations (feat. Astor Piazzolla)
Composed by Astor Piazzolla
Danny Boy (feat. Don Walser and The Pure Texas Band)
Traditional, arr. Dana Brayton