By Steve Hicken

Up front and no shit: eighth blackbird is good!

The Richmond and Chicago based sextet gives performances on strange imaginary animals of pieces that, in less skilled hands, might seem less substantial than they may be. The timbral resources of eighth blackbird (it is a Pierrot-plus-percussion outfit with Molly Alicia Barth on flutes (Tim Munro has since joined the group as flutist), Michael J. Maccaferri on clarinets, Matt Albert on violin & viola, Nicholas Photinos on cello, Lisa Kaplan on piano, and Matthew Duvall on percussion) are prodigious, and the composers on this disc fully avail themselves thereof.

by Charles T. Downey

A post on Monotonous Forest first got me interested in the latest release from new music ensemble eighth blackbird. Strange Imaginary Animals brings together five world premiere recordings of pieces from the last half-decade, plus one golden oldie, Steven Mackey's Indigenous Instruments, which is so 1989. The ensemble's new flutist, Tim Munro, has been writing a fascinating blog, thirteen ways, about the experience of being eighth blackbird. He is the group's first new member in some 10 years. This recording features the work of his predecessor, flutist Molly Alicia Barth.

By Anastasia Tsioulcas

Catching up on some (almost) new classical gems

On the other end of the chamber music spectrum is eighth blackbird's "strange imaginary animals"

By Mark Stryker, Free Press music critic

MUSIC REVIEWS: The Shins; The Bloody Hollies; Eighth Blackbird

A healthy streak of whimsy has always distinguished the compelling new music ensemble Eighth Blackbird, from the group's in-performance choreography to its respect for humor in music.

By Gregg Shapiro

Happy new queer! New LGBT music for the new year

"Zaka," a 2003 composition by 2005 Outmusic Award-winning composer Jennifer Higdon, receives its world premiere recording on Strange Imaginary Animals (Cedille) by contemporary-music ensemble eighth blackbird.

By David Hurwitz

Breathtaking Virtuosity

The six performers that comprise Eighth Blackbird play with such breathtaking virtuosity that it's very tempting to sit back and simply gasp in admiration. This is particularly the case when, as here, the program is so interesting and intelligently designed.