Artist..........: Rob Mazurek Quintet
Album...........: Sound Is
Genre...........: Jazz
Label...........: Delmark Records
Catnr...........: DELMARKDE586
Source..........: CDDA
Rip.Date........: 03-03-2010
Street.Date.....: 17-02-2009
Quality.........: VBR/44.1kHz/Joint Stereo
Url.............: http://musique.fnac.com/a2603961/
Size............: 90.63MB
Song.Title :
01. As If An Angel Fell From The Sky 6:50
02. The Earthquake Tree 8:54
03. Dragon Kites 7:06
04. The Star Splitter 4:39
05. The Hill 7:52
06. Le Baiser (The Kiss) 3:16
07. The Lightning Field 3:31
08. Cinnamon Tree 4:49
09. The Dream Rocker 3:06
10. Beauty Wolf 5:56
11. Microraptagonafly 6:42
12. Aphrodite Rising 4:48
13. The Field 3:04
14. Nora Grace 0:55
Runtime: 71:28 min
Release.Info :
Currently residing in Brasilia, Brazil, but making frequent returns to his
hometown of Chicago, cornetist Rob Mazurek is the quintessential international
artist, and one of the Windy City's most prolific scene leaders. A former hard
bop prodigy, Mazurek long ago took the road less traveled, developing into one
of today's most creative sound sculptors. Moving beyond the confines of
traditional performance, he has expanded his reach as a multi-media artist while
continuing to lead the Chicago Underground, Exploding Star Orchestra, Mandarin
Movie and Sao Paulo Underground.
A magnanimous collaborator, Mazurek's numerous collectives all possess their own
distinct identity. Billed as the debut of the Rob Mazurek Quintet, Sound Is
marks the first ensemble session (besides the Chicago Underground's 1998 Delmark
debut, Playground) recorded under his own name since his mid-nineties hard bop
releases for the Hep label, making this album unique in his recent discography.
Featuring some of Chicago's finest; Mazurek's quintet reveals a mixed
pedigreeùequal parts indie rock and jazz. Drummer John Herndon (Tortoise, the
For Carnation) and electric bassist Matthew Lux (Isotope 217, Iron and Wine)
bring an accessible pop sensibility to the driving rhythms and soaring melodies
of Mazurek's sanguine tunes. Acoustic bassist Josh Abrams (Town and Country,
Black Earth Ensemble) and vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz (Loose Assembly,
Rolldown) provide sophisticated harmonies and colorful textures befitting their
jazz lineage.
Like visionary trumpeter Bill Dixon, (with whom he has recorded) Mazurek uses
mutes, false fingerings and myriad extended techniques to explore the endless
timbral possibilities of his instrument. Possessing a vast dynamic range, he
veers from torrents of bristling linearity and hazy chromaticism ("The Hill,"
"The Lightning Field") to sumptuous lyricism ("Cinnamon Tree,"
"Microraptagonfly"), revealing a surfeit of expressionism as the unit's sole
horn.
Equally impressive is the elastic rhythm section. Lux weaves melodious bass
fragments into infectious ostinatos while Abrams embellishes dulcet harmonies
with sinuous arco and plucky pizzicato. Herndon provides rambunctious
muscularity to "The Hill," freewheeling verve to the riotous "Aphrodite Rising,"
and nuanced finesse on the sublime tone poem "As if an Angel Fell from the Sky."
Adasiewicz's effervescent accents elevate the date, particularly on
"Microraptagonfly," a serene duet with the leader, and "The Field," an ebullient
showcase for his billowy cadences.
Mazurek's enthusiasm for experimentation never overshadows his skill as a
tunesmith however. The album beguiles with cinematic atmospheres; muted horn,
moody bass and understated vibraphone conspire on the noir "Le Baiser (The
Kiss)," while "Dragon Kites" and "The Star Splitter" elicit Eastern modality
with ritualistic fervorùregal meditations brimming with hypnotic drones,
scintillating bells and exclamatory brass. "Beauty Wolf" is the most ambitious
cut, an episodic fusion of tranquil acoustic motifs and glitchy electronica.
Sound Is serves as both question and answer, offering the most focused
demonstration of Mazurek's multi-faceted aesthetic to date; a potent blend of
populist accessibility, inventive electro-acoustic tonalities and edgy
improvisation.
Contact : crossfader@hush.ai
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