SAADIF means in arabic "meeting" and is the result of the collaboration between Amir ElSaffar, New York multiethnic scene’s rising star, and the Italian trio HYPER+.
An original album between tradition and innovation, where the "beyond-jazz" of Hyper+ is mixed with Iraqi maqam music.
In these last years, physical and cultural borders sadly seems to be stronger than ever and cultural barriers keep on standing. Musical projects built upon the idea of make identity meet offer different ways of relationships and artistically innovative narratives in integration.
In this perspective the collaboration between trumpeter Amir ElSaffar (New York multiethnic scene’s rising star) and the platform HYPER+, that allows to Nicola Fazzini, Alessandro Fedrigo and Luca Colussi trio to work with different guests, is a stunning, expressive, meeting.
In this quartet, the original method of ElSaffar (musician who has collaborated with artists like Vijay Iyer, Don Byron, Cecil Taylor or Marc Ribot), using the microtones found in Iraqi maqam music to create an innovative approach to harmony and melody, stimulates fellow musicians (who work together in the renamed XY Quartet) to explore new acoustic and electric paths, between tradition and innovation.
Born in Chicago to an American mother and an Iraqi father, Amir ElSaffar plays the trumpet, the santur and sings traditional Iraqi music. After undergoing classical training the focus of his work has been on jazz, collaborating with great names of contemporary jazz.
After an italian tour in November 2015, the quartet has recorded (for nusica.org label) “Saadif” (“meeting”) at Casa della Musica in Trieste. Published in April 2016, the record contains original tunes, mostly composed by ElSaffar. “Saadif” carries the listener on an evocative journey, cunningly structured, rich of shades and colorful, a music where urban tensions and multicultural relationships are able to light sparkles of future sounds.
nusica.org is free, eco-friendly, digital, conceptual
Guitarist Dave Stryker hit on a ‘groovy’ idea with 2014’s Eight Track, his reimagining of classic pop tunes from the ‘70s with his working trio plus vibes. Their hip renditions of those tunes were eagerly received by audiences and critics alike. Eight Track was the #1 most-played CD on WBGO for the year and reached #3 on JazzWeek Radio chart. “Styker’s Eight Track is straight up fun,” wrote Dan Bilawsky in All About Jazz while Steve Greenlee declared in Jazz Times: “Forget those Time-Life collectors’ editions sold on late-night infomercials. Buy this.” Downbeat’s Ken Micallef called it ”a stone groove.”
Stryker put his own personal spin on Eight Track and now continues that successful formula on Eight Track II, his 27th recording as a leader. (His previous CD “Messin’ with Mister T” was #1 on JazzWeek and made many end-of-the-year lists including 4.5 Stars in Downbeat). Returning from Eight Track are Stryker’s longtime right-hand man Jared Gold on B-3 and the exciting McClenty Hunter on drums. Special guest this time out is vibraphonist Steve Nelson, a longtime member of Dave Holland’s quintet and big band who has also played and recorded with such giants as Jackie McLean, Kenny Barron, Johnny Griffin,George Shearing, and Mulgrew Miller. “Steve is a great cat and a very soulful player,” says Stryker. “I really like what he did on this album.”
“A lot of people like hearing these tunes that they grew up with,” says the guitarist, who remembers playing some of these ‘70s staples on the 8-track console in his ’69 GMC van with shag carpeting back in his youthful days in Omaha, Nebraska. “It brings people in and they’ll go with you when they hear a tune that they recognize. But the challenge, always, is to find tunes that I can do my thing to, improvise and play as creatively and musically as I would on any jazz standard. And I enjoy the challenge.”
Four years after moving from Omaha to New York in 1980, Stryker began playing on the organ circuit with bluesy Hammond B-3 organ master Jack McDuff, who had seen such great guitarists as George Benson, Pat Martino, Grant Green and Billy Rogers pass through the ranks of his band. So dealing in that earthy B-3 format on Eight Track and Eight Track II is like returning home for Stryker. But 30 years later, the guitarist’s six-string expression has deepened while his blues-and-bop chops remain razor sharp.
“I’m very grateful that I had the opportunity to play with masters like McDuff and Stanley Turrentine, guys who played that style and just had it in their blood. There’s nothing like being able to be on the bandstand with guys like that. Now I try to play my own way and stretch things a little bit. It’s still in the pocket but I feel like I’m trying to have my own take on things with this new group.”
The intrepid quartet kicks off Eight Track II with the Isley Brothers’ anti-war protest song “Harvest for the World,” which they handle as a vibrant shuffle with some hip reharmonizations. Stryker’s warm-toned flow of notes is mirrored by Nelson’s glistening vibes on the catchy head. The guitarist takes his time building an impressive solo, which is brimming with double-timed flurries and blues-soaked lines.
Their take on Marvin Gaye’s anthemic “What’s Going On,” title track of his 1971 song cycle addressing drug abuse, poverty and the Vietnam War -- themes that still resonate with relevancy today -- opens with a delicate balladic intro featuring vibes and guitar in unison. As they fall into the familiar theme, rendered here in 6/8, Stryker ‘sings’ the melody through his axe before developing that motif through the course of his probing solo. Nelson explores in introspective fashion on his vibes solo and Gold pushes the envelope on his own dextrous solo as Stryker comps pianistically behind him. The band shifts to a 4/4 groove for the last minute of the piece, giving the listener a little jolt.
Another Gaye staple, 1972’s “Trouble Man,” is given an earthy shuffle-swing treatment. Nelson channels his inner Bobby Hutcherson on his envelope-pushing solo here while Stryker remains firmly rooted in a blues ‘n hard bop bag, summoning up some Wes-like octaves along the way.
A mellow rendition of John Barry’s evocative “Midnight Cowboy,” the Grammy-winning instrumental theme from the 1969 movie of the same name, features nice octaves work and gentle extrapolation by Stryker. Nelson’s luminous solo is underscored by McClenty’s supple brushwork and Gold’s luxurious B-3 cushion.
Stretching the rules a bit, Stryker next leaps out of the ‘70s and into the early ‘80s for a killer uptempo swing version of Prince’s 1984 hit, “When Doves Cry,” fueled by McClenty’s rapid-fire ride cymbal work and Gold’s unerring walking basslines. Stryker’s cooking here, while both Nelson and Gold bring some heat of their own with incendiary solos. Hunter adds an exhilarating drum solo to put an exclamation point on this burner.
A gentle reading of Stevie Wonder’s “Send One Your Love” showcases Stryker’s lyrical side while the quartet digs into The Temptations’ “Can’t Get Next to You” with visceral intensity, spurred on by Hunter’s muscular backbeat. “That’s what I love about McClenty,” says Stryker. “He can swing but he’s got a serious pocket too, and he can slam!” Gold delivers the kind of show-stopping solo here that harkens back to the golden days of the organ lounges. “I played with McDuff, I got to play with Jimmy Smith and Dr. Lonnie Smith, and they were all masters,” says Stryker, “but of the new generation, Jared is my man. His harmony is heavy. His lines are not the typical thing you hear from organ players. I really think he’s special.”
Their rendition of The Zombie’s “Time of the Season” is handled as a cool shuffle swing number with the guitar-vibes combo upfront and Gold’s hip, syncopated basslines percolating underneath. Stryker lets it rip in his solo here and is followed by Gold and Nelson, who each turn in dazzling solos. The three exchange eights with Hunter at the tag in classic bop fashion.
A driving rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Signed Seal Delivered” features one of Stryker’s most inspired solos on the record. From that dynamic number, they slide into the alluring James Ingram ballad “One Hundred Ways,” handled with relaxed soulfulness by the crew. They close with a tough shuffle-swing rendition of Cream’s ‘Sunshine of Your Love” that sounds like something Stryker might have played with McDuff up at Dude’s Lounge in Harlem back in the day. Everyone gets a taste on this foot-stomping finale. “I have a long history with that song,” says the guitarist. “I actually played it as a solo guitar piece in my 6th grade talent show!"
These nostalgic ‘70s anthems are deeply ingrained in Stryker’s consciousness. And the earthy feel of the organ quartet sound is imbedded deep in his bones after 30 years of playing on the scene. He successfully, joyfully combines the two on Eight Track II.
(condensed from the liner notes by Bill Milkowski)
Gabriel Dávila is a jazz guitarist from Caracas, Venezuela. He has performed and taught in Venezuela, Colombia and the U.S. for over 10 years. His debut album "UNO" was released in 2014. His second album "Familia" was released in August of 2016. This album is dedicated to his family and it includes a set of originals in different ensemble configurations. He currently resides in Chicago.
1. Cheo 04:27
2. Chela 05:32
3. Pikal 04:57
4. Para Andrea 07:03
5. Breathe 05:12
6. #ILY 05:43
7. Worst Best Friend 07:20
8. Keep Trying 06:02
9. Tough Titty 05:56
Gabriel Davila - guitar
Tony Glausi - trumpet
Josh Hettwer - tenor sax
Matt Hettwer - trombone
Lyle Hopkins - bass
Ken Mastrogiovanni - drums
Most compositions by Gabriel Davila. #ILY by Josh Hetwerr, Worst Best Friend and Tough Titty by Lyle Hopkins.
Recorded @ University of Oregon, Eugene, OR by Gabriel Davila. Mixed by Gabriel Davila. Mastered by Enrique Schironi Mazzei. Design by Waleska Belisario at ABV Taller de Diseño. Photography by Federico Prieto and Jonathan Corona.
Guitarist Cameron Mizell Releases a Beautifully Produced, Melody-Minded Trio Album, Negative Spaces, via Destiny Records on October 7
Mizell’s fifth release finds the Brooklyn-based guitarist joined by kindred-spirit keyboardist Brad Whiteley and drummer Kenneth Salters in a set of irresistible originals
In the liner notes to Negative Spaces, the writer recounts a conversation he had with its maker, guitarist Cameron Mizell, about how it is absence as much as presence that defines music. Mizell explained: “As musicians develop their skills, the focus is on creating sound. Get the note out of the instrument, and then repeat… fill the silence with your sound. But there comes a point where you have to learn not to play. If you play constantly, the most memorable moment of your performance will be the time you didn’t play. An artist understands this and knows how to ‘play’ rests, how to let a musical idea breathe, develop and tell a story.” This ideal underscores the title of Negative Spaces, Mizell’s fifth album, a trio disc with kindred-spirit keyboardist Brad Whiteley and drummer Kenneth Salters, to be released on October 7, 2016, by Destiny Records.
The spaces between the notes are indeed as vital as the notes themselves on Negative Spaces, with an emphasis on less is more; the magic of this music lies in melody, the catchy tunes hinting at not only vintage jazz but rock’n’roll and all manner of Americana, with Mizell’s guitar ‘singing’ a set of irresistible instrumental songs. If “Big Trees” can evoke Bill Frisell in his avant-folk mode, the track “Take the Humble” is the sort of song that should make Steely Dan green with envy, the playful, syncopated tune seemingly tailor-made for some sly Donald Fagen lyrics. “On my past trio records, I composed from the groove up, but I wrote the songs of Negative Spaces from top down as if I were a vocalist, away from my guitar, with pen and paper,” explains the 36-year-old, Brooklyn-based Mizell. “I even transcribed singers like Sam Cooke to get into how they phrased a melody. The idea with a lot of improvised music is to see how far out you can get. But with this album, I wanted to rein it in, create singable melodies and allow room for music to happen around them.”
Negative Spaces follows Mizell’s Destiny album from 2015, The Edge of Visibility, an atmospheric solo EP that All About Jazz praised as “hypnotic.” The review in No Depression extolled the album’s virtues at length: “Combining improvisational jazz with traces of progressive rock and avant-garde experimentalism, Mizell explores the sounds of the dreaming and waking world. This is a thought-provoking album, one that lingers in the memory long after it has ceased spinning.” On The Edge of Visibility, Mizell created an enveloping aura of sound with only his customized Fender Telecaster, looping device and various tone-bending, oscillating effects. His playing remains gorgeous on the new trio album, yet the sound and gestures are leaner, even more dynamic. Negative Spaces still has a lush overall feel, with Mizell’s guitars complemented by Whiteley’s variety of keyboards: Hammond organ, Wurlitzer, piano, synth bass and Fender Rhodes. On drums, Salters can go from sounding like a full percussion section to adding apposite touches with only brushes.
About his trio partners, Mizell says: “Both these guys are such amazing, open-minded musicians. I met Brad 15 years ago playing in a big band at Indiana University, and he has been on each of my group records. He’s so versatile, playing synths with Regina Spektor and playing organ for mass in a cathedral in the Bronx, not to mention leading his own groups on piano. He always serves the music, being able to shred but not always feeling compelled to show it. If I’m the ‘singer’ on this record, then Brad is the ideal accompanist. Kenneth has crazy chops, too, but he’s also about favoring musicality over technique. In the song ‘Clearing Skies,’ he orchestrates this long, slow burn ideally; he stokes the dynamic energy of a track as well as any drummer I’ve heard.”
Negative Spaces ranges from ambient-accented ringing chords in the pair of title tracks to the rocking funk of “Get It While You Can.” The near-epic “Clearing Skies” features one of Mizell’s most dramatic guitar lines, while the groove of another album highlight, “Barter,” suggests John Scofield at his slinkiest. The title of “Yesterday’s Trouble” came from a phrase that the grandfather of Mizell’s wife liked to use, one that struck the guitarist as like a quip from a Tom Waits song. “I’m not Marc Ribot,” Mizell says, “but the playing in that track was my nod to the gritty, quirky sound he has given a lot of Tom Waits songs.” With the continuity of favorites from Frisell’s Disfarmer to Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here in mind, Mizell created melodies that echo and complement one another, imbuing the album with a satisfying, suite-like sense of unity.
To Mizell, music should also reflect the wider world. There are subtle sound effects – birdsong, kids playing, a boat horn – recorded in his Brooklyn neighborhood, along with references to personal experiences and special places. The song “Whisky for Flowers” got its title from Mizell’s customary exchange with his wife, who has become a connoisseur of bourbon, buying it for her husband as he buys her blossoms. Mizell’s wife was also the ideal sounding board for the sensibility the guitarist was trying to cultivate with Negative Spaces. “She’s my barometer for the writing and playing of music like this – chops don’t matter to her, not a bit,” he says. “If she hums something later that I’ve played her, I know I’m on the right track. And she hummed tunes from this record a lot.”
Cameron Mizell
Guitarist-composer Cameron Mizell, a Brooklyn resident for the past decade-plus, was born and raised in St. Louis and educated in music at the University of North Texas and Indiana University. In New York City, he has played with rock bands, singer-songwriters, bluegrass acts and Latin groups, as well as for Broadway musicals and dance companies. He has also worked in the music business on the label side, with years at Verve Records and, as label manager, Destiny Records.
As a bandleader, Mizell has ranged from jazz-funk to Americana, recording the album Tributary in 2010 with his trio featuring keyboardist Brad Whiteley and drummer Kenneth Salters. Prior to that, Mizell released a trio disc with Whiteley and drummer Mike Fortune, Life Is Loud, in 2007. The guitarist made his debut on record with an eight-piece ensemble for Cameron Mizell, released in 2004. His most recent release before new trio record Negative Spaces was a ravishingly atmospheric album for solo guitar, The Edge of Visibility, from 2015.
In 2008, Mizell decided to combine his knowledge of the industry with his understanding of life as a musician and put it to good use. Together with Dave Hahn, Mizell founded the website Musician Wages, which offers music industry advice geared toward the working musician. The site has become a thought-leader in the musician community thanks to Hahn and Mizell’s commitment to integrity, practicality and an honest perspective from their own careers.
Cameron has kindly asked me to say a few words about Negative Spaces, since I was there when he got the idea for it. Am I a musician? No. I’m a dentist with chronic insomnia and an almost debilitating interest in space. But let’s get on with the story.
It all started with the Cosmos series. After tossing and turning one night I decided a show about science would be just the thing to put me to sleep. But I ended up watching for hours, mesmerized by space—how its not just some empty thing we move through but that it can bend and twist and invert itself and all this other stuff. I finished the series in three nights but I couldn’t stop thinking about space. So I bought one of those little beginner’s books, A History of Space that Doesn’t Take Up Much. Stupid title, I know, but it was fascinating.
It started with ancient philosophy, but the only thing I remember about that part was Plato’s idea that there was a sort of receptacle that acts as a cradle for the cosmos—as if even space had to have some other kind of other space to happen in.
The really great stuff, though, was about the scientific revolution. Isaac Newton said space was real and absolute, the way most people think of it. But he had this German rival Leibniz who said space wasn’t really a thing at all but was just our way of understanding the relations between things. And apparently this debate never really ended and scientists like Mach and Einstein went on arguing about it into the twentieth century. That last part about modern physics was a bit over my head, I admit. But the gist of it is that instead of small particles we now think of the cosmos as composed of a bunch of tiny strings of different length vibrating at different frequencies. Still though, nobody knows if the strings produce space or if, like Plato said, there has to be some kind of space already there for the strings to be in. But I think my favorite bit was something Newton said about space being like the sensory apparatus of God. How crazy is that—we’re all here moving around and bumping into each other without ever suspecting that we’re really inside God’s central nervous system!
So one morning I call Cam, who might have been up already, and get him to meet me for coffee. “We’re gonna talk about space again, aren’t we Hector?” Indeed. So he lets me go on for a few minutes and I’m doing my best to sound like I’ve been thinking about this stuff for more than a couple weeks. I notice this guy at the table across from us—a real ancient mariner type, thin and with a gnarly dark beard. In profile I could see his brown eye revolving slowly around the room. He was nodding along sometimes like he was listening to us. It was really eerie. And he was nodding at the wrong times, like he was hearing the conversation with a ten-second delay. Or maybe he was hearing it in advance. Was that even possible? I looked at Cam and motioned to the old sailor with my eyes. “You’re paranoid Hec.” Fine, so I went on with my little space jam.
Finally I asked him what he thought. “Listen, unless you’re Stephen Hawking you’re probably not going to understand space just by thinking about it.” I admitted I was no Steve H. So what do you do? “You get to know space by learning how to manipulate it. For me that’s about music. People always associate music with time but when I’m playing I usually think about space. Groove doesn’t exist without rests and harmony is as much a sum of pitches as it is the absence of others. Melody has to be phrased between pauses, just as intonation is determined by the space between pitches.” “Bring it down a little, man. I played the recorder for like two months.”
“Okay, think of it this way. As musicians develop their skills, the first thing they learn is to play. The focus is on creating sound. Get the note out of the instrument, and then repeat it until you can do it consistently. Fill the silence with your sound. But there comes a point where you just have to learn not to play. If you play constantly, the most memorable moment of your performance will be the time you didn't play. The artist understands this and knows how to play rests, how to let a musical idea breathe, develop, and tell a story. Without negative spaces, music would be…” “Noise,” I said, happy to fill in the blank. “Sure, why not.”
I slowly let the idea of negative spaces sink in. “Right, so you make meaning through a pattern of negative spaces—a poetry of precise absences.” Come on, that’s pretty good for a dentist! I went on in my most scholarly voice: “It reminds me of the Australian aborigines. For millennia people have discovered shapes in the Milky Way, but they were the only ones who found a pattern in the darkness between the stars. A pattern of negative spaces in the shape of an emu.” “Yeah, I know. I saw Cosmos.” Should have quit while I was ahead. But now that the ball was rolling we came up with more and more examples—from music and language to sex and sound and trees and the deep web. Some were better than others.
And all the while the old sailor’s head moves up and down thoughtfully, like he’s right there with us. I saw him take a bottle of Wild Vines out of his jacket pocket. No cap. Guess he didn’t need it. As he takes his swig he turns his whole face to us and for the first time I notice he’s got one brown eye and one blue one. And one of those old Roman noses. I always notice noses because an ancestor of mine wrote a book about them. He puts the bottle away and slowly says “En-ri-que.” I guess it was his name but he said it more like it was a comment on something. Then this young waitress walks by and you could see his head turn. The old sailor had a wandering eye. Which one?
“Look at the light shine through that!” he says. What? “They go all the way up!” “Her legs?” “Nawh man the spaces! Sexiest part of a woman, professor. And it ain’t even there! Put that on the list.” And with that the ancient mariner left us, if he was ever even there. I couldn’t believe it. “This is a sign. Obviously. We need to write this up. A theoretical study of negative spaces, with chapters on the cosmos, the human body, and the arts and sciences. It’s going to mean lots of long nights but we can do it. It’s what Enrique would want.” Cam wasn’t convinced. “Come on, man, I need this. I need something to do and I’m so fucking tired of teeth!”
On his third solo album for HUBRO, string magician Stein Urheim, based in Berlin, Bergen and Strandebarm, really gets serious about honing his complex expressive skills. His previous album garnered excellent reviews internationally, and has become a force to reckon with among listeners.
Urheim plays an impressive number of string instruments on the album, but we can also hear several tracks featuring vocals, harmonica, pocket cornet and tape experiments, while producer Jørgen Træen makes a contribution on modular synth. Urheim has had an interest in Norwegian folk music for a long time. Together with Benedicte Maurseth he won first prize in the “open class” category in the National Contest for Traditional Music in 2013, and on “Strandebarm” he interprets a Norwegian fiddle tune for the first time on an album.
In the course of his life as a musician Stein Urheim has gathered impressions and input from a musical world that knows no boundaries, and on this album he presents some of the most exceptional and exciting treasures he has discovered along the way – all filtered, naturally, through his distinctive musical temperament. This is strikingly personal music, which could most likely not have been made at any other time in history.
The tonal point of departure for the compositions on this record is reminiscent of French music of the early 1900s and American ragtime and standards of the 1920s and 30s. The soundscape combines acoustic and electronic elements to generate a compelling result. Urheim is thoughtful and meditative without being withdrawn or sombre.
“Strandebarm” was recorded in Strandebarm Church, not far from the house where Urheim has stayed for long periods of time in recent years. This space was chosen primarily because of its inspiring acoustics, and the music was recorded, as on the previous album, by sound technician Audun Strype. The recording was finalised and mixed at Duper Studio in Bergen by technician and producer Jørgen Træen, who also collaborated very successfully with Urheim on the previous album.
“Strandebarm” is Stein Urheim’s third release as a solo artist, and also his third release on the HUBRO label. He has also released three critically acclaimed duo albums on Bugge Wesseltoft’s Jazzland label, together with vocalist and instrumentalist Mari Kvien Brunvoll. Urheim has also been a member of Gabriel Fliflet’s band Åresong and HP Gundersen’s critically lauded drone band The Last Hurrah.
1. Water - Part 1 4:50
2. Strandebarm 9:38
3. Water - Part 2 4:13
4. Fjellbekken 9:18
5. Oh So Nice 3:28
6. Dragene Over Tempelhof 3:33
7. Berlin Blues 8:06
Design – Aslak Gurholt*, Thomas Nordby, Yokoland
Edited By [Editing], Mixed By [Mixing], Mastered By [Mastering] – Jørgen Træen
Guitarist and composer Avi Rothbard is one of New York’s prominent jazz guitarists and a jazz clinician.
Born and raised in Kibbutz Gan Shmuel, Israel, Avi Rothbard has moved to Boston Mass in the summer of 1995, after receiving a scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music. During his Berklee years, Mr. Rothbard has received The Jimmy Hendrix Award, Boston Jazz Society Award, Guitar Dpt. Achievement Award and The William Leavitt Award. Mr. Rothbard holds a Masters degree in jazz studies from the City College of New York and is also a 2013 recipient of the Bronx Council on The Arts award(BRIO) in the instrumental music category.
A prolific composer, Rothbard’s compositions are featured in several recordings of his peers. In 2014 , Avi Rothbard has won the John Lennon Award for the jazz category.
Since residing in New York City in 1999, Avi Rothbard has led and co-led ensembles in some of the major jazz venues around the world. Mr. Rothbard has worked with jazz veterans, as well as the new generation of jazz masters such as Ben Riley, Jeremy Pelt, Freddy Cole, Wayne Escoffery, Gregory Porter, Ray Drummond, Alex Blake, Mike Clark and Jay Leonhart, to name just a few.
Avi Rothbard’s name is included in Scott Yanow’s book: “The Great Jazz Guitarists: The Ultimate Guide”
"Young Lions" is a term that jazz journalists have been using to describe the long list of straight-ahead, acoustic-oriented jazz improvisers who were born in the '60s, '70s, and '80s, and London native Wayne Escoffery is among the many Young Lions who started building his catalog in the early 2000s. Escoffery, who plays post-bop and hard bop, is a tenor saxophonist with a big, full tone; his influences on the tenor have included, among others, John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Dexter Gordon, Joe Henderson, and Sonny Rollins. Escoffery plays the soprano sax as a second instrument, and his most obvious inspirations on the soprano include Coltrane and Shorter. But whether he is on the tenor or the soprano, Escoffery has maintained a decidedly straight-ahead perspective that is quite faithful to the spirit of the Young Lion movement. Notes by Alex Henderson
1. Sweet Blue (feat. Wayne Escoffery) 6:15
2. How Long Has This Been Going On? 4:03
3. Let's Call This (feat. Wayne Escoffery) 5:50
4. The Shadow of Your Smile 5:27
5. Satellite (feat. Wayne Escoffery) 5:42
6. Confessin' (feat. Wayne Escoffery) 6:50
7. Alone Together 5:00
8. Old Devil Moon (feat. Wayne Escoffery) 4:19
9. Ugly Beauty (feat. Wayne Escoffery) 4:45
10. What Is This Thing Called Love? 3:27
11. Inutil Paisagem 4:44
12. The End of a Love Affair (feat. Wayne Escoffery) 5:37
For Gene, a serious musical journey is always undertaken against the backdrop of the theater of the absurd, whether the musician knows it or not; in it, the quest for meaning is replaced by contentment in the artistic pursuit of beauty.
For Gene, a serious musical journey is always undertaken against the backdrop of the theater of the absurd, whether the musician knows it or not; in it, the quest for meaning is replaced by contentment in the artistic pursuit of beauty. In the tradition of aesthetics, the profound power of beauty saves us from our own despair. In the Japanese bushido way, the pursuit for unattainable beauty and perfection brings balance to life.
Seeking his own expression of beauty, Gene was joined by kindred hearts and minds. He says, “A great team of musicians came through for the music. I think in this third record together, this is the best work for Thana Alexa and me as Fractal Attraction’s frontline. Our collaboration has grown tighter over the years, as she has gotten to know my music.Cuban pianist, Manuel Valera did a great job. It was my first time working with him. Yasushi Nakamura is one of the best bass players I’ve heard. And of course, Clarence Penn is one of the best drummers in the international jazz scene.”
CD DESCRIPTION
By Travis Rogers
What they have created together, in their own musical heroes’ quest, is a work of sincere expression. The individual movements are magnificent, this is a coherent and wonderful Jazz Opera. Just wonderful.
• Out of the Ashes: the first sound in the album is Thana Alexa’s voice. Gene’s guitar is the sound of resurrection soaring from destruction as Manuel Valera’s piano speaks of reconstruction. It is the rapprochement with life in the absence of meaning.
• Circe's Compassion: Circe, the devastatingly beautiful goddess-enchantress, eventually helps Odysseus after her defeat to him. It is the compassion of friends and foes that guides Odysseus through his journey.
• Jade Stones: Jade, the “blessing stone,” offers benefits to whatever it touches. It has been used as a sacrifice to nature gods and even carved into musical instruments. Jade also symbolizes the wisdom gathered from a peaceful life, allowing us to see ourselves as we really are.
• Kunai: Originally, kunai were farming tools that were soon transformed into weapons. It is most known as weapon of choice for the Japanese Ninjas and Shinobis. A defensive weapon rather than offensive, here the music defends the musicians moving forward into the Gate.
• Torii: A torii is a traditional gate into a Shinto shrine, the portal from to the sacred from the profane. Passing through the torii, however, does not change the view, as it is an open archway, making the difference between the spiritual and the material worlds at best an illusion and, at worst, a lie.
• Forkball (for Ornette): A marvelous elegy and tribute to the life and work of Ornette Coleman, who may have understood these things better than any of us.
• Déjala Que Pase: As a product of Gene spending extended periods in Spain, more recently in San Jose, he has fallen under the influence of Spanish music. Let things pass. It is the moment of realization, no longer looking for an answer.
• Upward and Onward!: After recognition, Gene forsakes the options of escaping existence and leap of faith. Instead, in the most amazing choice of all, he chooses beauty. This is Aristotle’s ascent.
Hope and meaning may be beyond our reach. Stop and hear Gene, Thana, Manuel, Yasushi, and Clarence, making absurdity lose its sting to the sheer joy of beautiful music.
Track Names and Times and Composer:
1. Out of the Ashes 9:45 Gene Ess
2. Circe’s Compassion 8:35 Gene Ess
3. Jade Stones 5:52 music by Gene Ess, lyrics by Thana Alexa
4. Kunai 5:49 Gene Ess
5. Torii (The Gate) 8:58 Gene Ess
6. Forkball 5:03 Gene Ess
7. Déjala Que Pase 6:37 music Gene Ess, lyrics Thana Alexa
