CODE Quartet - Genealogy (Friday, April 23rd on Justin Time Records)

CODE Quartet is a collective based out of Montreal. Formed four years ago by Christine Jensen on saxophones, Lex French on trumpet, Adrian Vedady on acoustic bass, and Jim Doxas on drums, the group came together with the equal goals of composing and improvising in a chordless-quartet setting.   

The primary motivation for the formation of the group has been to build on the freedom of expression pioneered by Ornette Coleman’s seminal group of the 1950s, with two horns interacting with acoustic bass and drums.

They prioritize the idea that each voice within the collective is given equal weight, blurring the boundaries between lead and supporting voices, between frontline instruments and the rhythm section.

The group have spent the past three years sculpting their original compositions as a team, leading them to some exciting performance opportunities. Over the past four years, they have performed residencies at jazz clubs in Montreal as well as The Wellington Jazz festival in New Zealand in June 2019. 

The group’s principal focus is to present original compositions, orchestrated exclusively for this particular ensemble, weighing heavily on their improvisatory reactions to the written material. The  result is their album Genealogy.

Genealogy will be released worldwide on Friday, April 23rd on Justin Time Records

1. Tipsy (French) 7:41

2. Watching it All Slip Away (Vedady) 5:55

3. Genealogy (French) 4:57

4. O Sacred Head, Now Wounded (Traditional) 5:45

5. Wind Up (Jensen) 5:56

6. Requiem (Vedady) 7:16

7. Day Moon (Jensen) 8:03

8. Beach Community (French) 5:33

Christine Jensen on saxophones

Lex French on trumpet

Adrian Vedady on acoustic bass

Jim Doxas on drums

Pre-order

Orchestre National de Jazz de Montréal and Christine Jensen - Under the Influence Suite (2017)

Christine Jensen dirige l’Orchestre national de jazz de Montréal dans deux œuvres d’envergure. La première est l’une de ses compositions, une œuvre en cinq mouvements qui rend hommage à de grands artistes du jazz qui l’ont aidée à façonner son propre style comme compositrice et improvisatrice, soit John Coltrane, Lee Konitz, Wayne Shorter, Kenny Wheeler et Jan Jarczyk, son premier professeur.

Le programme comprend aussi une suite extraite de l’immortel opéra Porgy and Bess de Gershwin dans un arrangement de Gil Evans; une suite que Miles Davis et son ensemble ont enregistrée, sous la direction d’Evans, et qui a triomphé dès sa parution en 1959. Cette collaboration, l’une des plus réussies entre Evans et Davis, demeure une étape marquante de l’histoire du jazz orchestral. Cette suite réunit tous les extraits les plus célèbres de l’opéra, incluant Bess, you is my woman now, It ain’t necessarily so, There’s a boat that’s leaving soon for New York et, bien sûr, Summertime.

01. Orchestre national de jazz de Montreal & Christine Jensen – Part I: Ouverture (For Kenny Wheeler) (1:16)

02. Orchestre national de jazz de Montreal & Christine Jensen – Part I: Starbright (For Kenny Wheeler) (15:25)

03. Orchestre national de jazz de Montreal & Christine Jensen – Part II: For Jan Jarczyk (6:20)

04. Orchestre national de jazz de Montreal & Christine Jensen – Part III: Drum Interlude (For John Coltrane) (1:34)

05. Orchestre national de jazz de Montreal & Christine Jensen – Part III: Leap (For John Coltrane) (7:55)

06. Orchestre national de jazz de Montreal & Christine Jensen – Part IV: Sweet Lee (For Lee Kanitz) (5:56)

07. Orchestre national de jazz de Montreal & Christine Jensen – Part V: Anthem (For Wayne Shorter) (5:38)

08. Orchestre national de jazz de Montreal & Christine Jensen – Part V: Chant (For Wayne Shorter) (7:07)