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| 4.318 Ft
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| 1. | Echoes play
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| 2. | RudreshM
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| 3. | As Things Change (I Remain the Same)
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| 4. | Dub
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| 5. | Alloy
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| 6. | Waves
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| 7. | No Neighborhood Rough Enough
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| 8. | Living in the World Today
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Jazz
Steve Lehman - Producer, Sax (Alto)
Chris Dingman Vibraphone
Drew Gress Bass
Jonathan Finlayson Trumpet
Jose Davila Tuba
Liberty Ellman Mixing, Mastering
Mark Shim Sax (Tenor)
Michael Marciano Engineer
Seth Rosner Executive Producer
Tim Albright Trombone
Tyshawn Sorey Drums
Yulun Wang Executive Producer
Pi Recordings is pleased to announce the release of Travail, Transformation, and Flow, an important new recording from the Steve Lehman Octet that marks the first fully realized exploration of spectral harmony in the history of recorded jazz. Widely regarded as one of the most advanced musical minds of his generation, Lehman integrates delicate and highly nuanced spectral harmonies into meticulously crafted rhythmic settings. The result is an all-encompassing musical universe that advances a singular conception of rhythm, harmony, and improvisational form.
In spectral music, the physics of sound informs almost every compositional decision. Attack, decay, and timbre provide the source material for orchestration and musical form. The most prominent overtones of a given sound - of a clarinet or a church bell, for example - create a rich framework for microtonal harmonies that, with the help of computer analysis, are organized according to frequency relationships, as opposed to the intervals of a musical scale. Individual overtones are then assigned to specific instruments in an ensemble, and blended together to create striking new harmonies.
Lehman's fascination with spectral music began at Wesleyan University in 2000, when he was first introduced to the work of spectral music's most renowned practitioners Tristan Murail and Gerard Grisey. After attending the U.S. premiere of Murail's Le Partage Des Eaux, at Carnegie Hall in 2001, Lehman invited Murail to speak at Wesleyan and eventually began intensive studies with him at Columbia University in 2006.
On Travail, Transformation, and Flow, Lehman draws extensively from his work with Murail and, remarkably, reimagines spectral harmony as a platform for improvisation. In "Echoes," shimmering microtonal harmonies create a richly imagined setting for Lehman's razor-sharp alto solo over spectral chord changes. Listen to how the trumpet and tenor reinforce the upper harmonics of the tuba, and fuse with the vibraphone to produce an almost electronic sheen. "Dub" and "No Neighborhood Rough Enough," showcase Tyshawn Sorey's astonishing drum work and juxtapose otherworldly sonorities with explosive improvisations. Other compositions, such as "Rudreshm," and "Alloy," provide a counterpoint to the more explicitly spectral works, and extend the ideas put forth on Lehman's 2007 quintet recording, On Meaning. That recording, like this one, underscores Lehman's profound assimilation of Jackie McLean's most forward-looking Blue Note releases; in many ways, Travail, Transformation, and Flow remains deeply connected to the seminal works of that era, including McLean's One Step Beyond and Grachan Moncur's Evolution. Lehman's tempo-stretching arrangement of "Living In The World Today", from Wu-Tang Clan member GZA/Genius's now legendary Liquid Swords, provides a bold conclusion to the album, and makes explicit, the connections between experimental hip-hop, glitch-based IDM (Intelligent Dance Music) and modern spectral music that permeate the entire recording.
Lehman's cutting-edge compositional vision is brought to life by his remarkable ensembles; in this case, a powerhouse octet, featuring an all-star assemblage of performer/improvisers who represent the absolute state-of-the-art on their respective instruments: Mark Shim on tenor saxophone, Drew Gress on bass, Tyshawn Sorey, on drums, Jonathan Finlayson on trumpet, Jose Davila on tuba, Tim Albright on trombone, and Chris Dingman on vibraphone. Lehman's own playing bristles with a white-hot energy that is at once surgically precise and deeply visceral. Throughout Travail, Transformation, and Flow, one senses that he and his entire ensemble are engaged in a passionate dialogue with their musical surroundings. Microtonal playing slices through spectral chord changes; muscular solos negotiate changing speeds and shifting tempi with prodigious ease; and innovative instrumental voices move together to create a bold new sound-world and an electrifying new model for improvised music.
Steve Lehman's reputation as one of the rising stars in modern creative jazz is well founded and realized in this potent CD of original music played with his handpicked octet. It's a democratic ensemble that occasionally allows for single-minded excursions or outbursts within a framework of music that mixes improvisation with certain specific cues and motifs. The music certainly owns a mercurial foundation where each member listens and plays accordingly, but there's a strong curiosity and identity that Lehman establishes, based on the influence of his heroes and peers (Anthony Braxton, Andrew Hill, George Lewis, Mark Dresser, Vijay Iyer, Liberty Ellman, among others) within the current progressive community. Allegiance to the sound of fellow alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa is readily admitted and clearly heard, but there's much more to this rather unique, thoroughly modern music. A front line of trombonist Tim Albright, tenor saxophonist Mark Shim, tuba player Jose Davila, and trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson act independently for the most part, as unison playing is relatively dismissed. With an elusive style similar to rare true love or even passive/aggressive acquaintance, Lehman avoids a solid center or core value in preference to the enigmatic, making the title of the recording more understandable and relevant. At times quirky but not exclusively so, "Echoes" evokes its title in fractured and funky resonance accented by the choppy drumming of Tyshawn Sorey and single vibraphone notes from Chris Dingman, as Lehman waits patiently for the piece to develop before bursting out. "Rudreshm" parallels the kinetic, frantic, snake-like, and dense style of Mahanthappa as utter determination from the other squirrelly horns ratchets the intensity up and up. Staggering funk rhythms dominate, then stall, and revive inexorably during "As Things Change," while a harder odd meter beat from bassist Drew Gress drives "Dub." The contrast of the dense, brawny backdrop during "No Neighborhood Rough Enough" rubs against Lehman's spatial alto, while a lighter "Living in the World Today" sports a hesitant one-beat idea from Sorey that belies the ideas loaded with layered counterpoint, very free within a structural framework. For the most part, this music is astonishing, far beyond convention, but not as totally free to turn off any uninformed listeners. If you listen more than once -- and you should try -- the brainy music of Lehman constantly reveals layer after layer of fresh and inventive progressive sounds that should turn any sensibilities about face. This CD comes highly recommended, especially as a prime example of new, innovative music. ~ Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide |
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