COMING THIS FRIDAY:
Young Jazz Collective Echoes
Blends Futuristic Electronica with Jazz Improvisation
on their Third album Lasting
Available November 5 via Unit Records
Set for a November 5th release, Lasting is the third album by the up-and-coming group of young jazz musicians Echoes. Reedist Max Bessesen, percussionist Matt DiBiase, Drummer Chase Kuesel, and bassist Evan Levine make up the leaderless collective, whose sound blends futuristic electronica with jazz improvisation, while dabbing with electronic instruments, loops, and triggers for an additional layer of intricacy. Members show off their personal styles throughout, with each composing two of the tracks that make up the album.
The album opens with “Jam Fest,” as an opening drum groove leads to an anthemic, and occasionally wry, melody. “This is a tongue-in-cheek piece for a good time,” says Bessesen, who penned the composition. The gravelly saxophone sound carries on throughout the track, complimented by smooth melodic flourishes in the vibraphone. The track boldly introduces the listener to the electronica fusion that follows on the record.
Immediately welcomed by a synth keyboard, “Taylor” integrates the band’s diverse interests into the formal structure of the song. The composition works around an adaptation of a beatboxing performance by Taylor McFerrin, which Kuesel adeptly translates to the drum kit. The band uses a sample from Taylor’s performance to cue different sections in real time, leading to an exciting, unpredictable listening experience.
The sequence of “Off Switch” and “Flipbook” that follows provides a representative example of the diverse emotional landscapes the band is able to convey with their compositions. In response to his composition “Off Switch,” DiBiase says, “At first the bass solo is content, but it gradually grows into glitchy darkness and requires a reset of the intro piano motif.” After being brought to this glitchy darkness, “Flipbook” brings back a sense of joy, as DiBiase describes the piece as “syncopated and playful,” with a melody meant to “paint the story of an animated cartoon character.”
Evan Levine titled the track “Asbury” after his hometown of Asbury Park, NJ. “This tune takes a lot of the group’s rock influences and uses layers to create a powerful groove with a sweet, relaxed melody skating over the top of it. Think about drinking a beer on the beach – it’s hot outside, but the water is cold,” says Levine. This track has an easy- going feel as it builds itself a story through the layers of piano, drums, percussion, with sax fading in and out.
“Wasted” could be thrown into any romantic film and fit perfectly. Bessen tells the story of “Relationships, nights, sobriety... all wasted away and explored in this heartfelt, off-kilter, ballad.” These stories are told through the slow, contemplative movement of the piano and the soft complimenting instrumentals.
“Attics” and “Lasting” are the final two tracks of the band’s third offering. “Attics” returns the band to a grooving, hypnotic soundscape, as Bessesen’s solo takes flight before the song ends with lush arpeggios from DiBiase’s vibraphone. “Lasting” provides a meditative end to the record, as a soaring saxophone melody takes shape over a repeated ostinato in the keyboards. The song ends with a cycle of ethereal suspended chords, meant to “convey a sense of openness – a value that the band hopes to maintain as they move into the future together.” says Kuesel.
Taken as a whole, Lasting finds an ensemble equally interested in joyful interplay and melancholic reflection. It is a strong and compelling effort, and an important document from an ensemble that is poised to refine its unique voice on the international stage for years to come.
Echoes is
Max Bessesen (sax)
Matt DiBiase (vibes)
Evan Levine (bass/guitar)
Chase Kuesel (drums)
