Sound Underground is a compact trio with an expansive imagination. Their inquisitive approach is guided by words of wisdom from jazz legend Wayne Shorter: “You’ve got to go down in the basement and visit every note.” Composed of saxophonist David Leon, trumpeter Alec Aldred and guitarist Jonah Udall, the collective steers through inventive textures far beyond the limits of its unconventional chamber instrumentation.
The trio’s music emanates the warmth of its members’ close friendships. They hail from far-flung corners of the United States - Udall is from Berkeley, California, Aldred from Waukesha, Wisconsin, and Leon from Miami, Florida - and formed in 2013 while living together in Miami, building the close personal bonds that ground their strong musical connection. One can hear it in their performance, which is infused with the kind of trust that can only be built over years, on the bandstand and off.
Intimate and conversational, Sound Underground’s music traverses the lengths of acoustic jazz, and beyond. The trio draws on a broad array of influences including Americana and Bulgarian folklore, and stands upon influence from genre-bending luminaries such as Ornette Coleman, Jimmy Giuffre, Joni Mitchell and Jim Hall to distill a unique and deeply personal voice. They weave together these diverse sources with an uncommon penchant for storytelling, crafting intriguing narratives with each piece and performance. At once serious and whimsical, thought-provoking and smile-inducing, their music inspires emotional journeys that feel immediately relevant and true.
At the same time, the trio’s textural transparency reveals a colorful heterophony: three compelling individual voices that are as different as they are complementary. Their divergent backgrounds create a musical dialog that is rich with personality. All exceptional composers and improvisers in their own right, the members of Sound Underground come together to produce a sum that is greater than its parts. The result is a sincere and striking reflection of who they are. Emanating from the soul, their music expresses their humanity unfiltered – embracing all of its subtleties and imperfections.
Sound Underground released its self-titled debut in 2014 with a tour of Eastern Europe, performing at major international jazz festivals in Bulgaria and Serbia. They have been on the rise ever since, touring on both U.S. coasts as well as returning to the continent. AllAboutJazz.com praised the trio as “a fresh sound... uncluttered and open... capable of grabbing a listener’s attention and holding it indefinitely,” calling their debut “a highly enjoyable album that leaves one thirsting for its successor.” With Quiet Spaces a captivating successor has arrived, inviting a closer listen.
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