T
It’s not surprising to learn that Ambrose Akinmusire is a fan of owls, given his impressive jazz career and skillful trumpet playing over the past 15 years. He has received numerous praises during this time, often being compared to the great Miles Davis. Like Miles, Akinmusire believes in the power of simplicity and has titled his latest album “Owl Song” to reflect the birds’ ability to peacefully coexist in a chaotic world filled with constant information overload.
Akinmusire had the option to simply perform Owl Song as a mellow reflection with his renowned guitar collaborator Bill Frisell – however, it is the combination of that atmosphere and the subdued, swinging jazz rhythms from occasional Wynton Marsalis drummer Herlin Riley that creates the enchantment of Owl Song. The first version of the title track begins with the gentle rustle of Riley’s brushes gliding over the light thumping of the bass drum, followed by a slow trumpet melody featuring rich low notes and elongated, high-pitched resolutions, accompanied by Frisell’s reverberating guitar chords.
The cleverly timed exchange of paired figures with single tones on Weighted Corners and the harmonious interplay of trumpet and guitar on Grace give this music a minimalist feel, but its range of sounds is much more expansive. Frisell effortlessly weaves in circling trumpet notes, bending pitches, and stuttering fanfare-like phrases, while Riley adds a New Orleans street march beat to the wriggling post-bop improvisations. The opening of Owl Song 2 features a procession of serene single tones and gentle tom-tom sounds that gradually build into a ballad-like story, revealing its euphoric melody and harmony piece by piece. As the title suggests, Owl Song is not loud, but its quiet message is joyously vivid and even spine-tingling.
Out this month as well
Pianist and composer Myra Melford from the West Coast revisits the lineup from 2022’s For the Love of Fire and Water for her album Hear the Light Singing (RogueArt). This album features deeper improvisational connections between saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock, cellist Tomeka Reid, guitarist Mary Halvorson, and drummer Lesley Mok. Melford also incorporates her own spiky yet beautiful themes into the mix. The legendary British bandleader Mike Westbrook’s quintet, Solid Gold Cadillac from 1972, with saxophonist and actor George Khan, returns after 50 years since their debut on the innovative Cadillac label with Live 1972. Their sound remains a powerful fusion of free jazz led by saxophone, R&B influenced guitar reminiscent of Cream and the Rolling Stones, and dreamy atmospheric themes, notably on their rendition of Westbrook’s famous Metropolis. Finally, Swiss-born pianist Sylvie Courvoisier presents an enchanting avant-jazz album inspired by French visual artist Odilon Redon titled Chimaera (Intakt). She collaborates with New York musicians Wadada Leo Smith on trumpet, Drew Gress on bass, and Kenny Wollesen on drums to create evocative musical landscapes.
Source: theguardian.com
