Jazz
The Microscopic Septet
John Zorn (saxophone); Phillip Johnston (soprano saxophone); Don Davis (alto saxophone); Danny Nigro, Paul Shapiro, John Hagen (tenor saxophone); Dave Sewelson (baritone saxophone); David Hofstra (tuba, bass instrument); Joel Forrester (piano); Richard Dworkin (drums)
* Amy Davis - Cover Art
* Art Spiegelman - Cover Art
* Carl Seltzer - Engineer
* Craig Hella Johnson - Production Coordination
* Danny Miller - Producer
* Dick Lucas - Engineer
* Jason Candler - Remastering
* Lars Klove - Photography
* Richard Foreman - Liner Notes
* Terry Gross - Producer
Active for a dozen years, the Microscopic Septet were widely recognized as "New York's Most Famous Unknown Band." The group started with a basic reeds-and-rhythm texture (soprano, alto, tenor and baritone sax, piano, bass and drums) that was sonically similar to the sound of the Swing Era. However, they employed these textures to address a widely eclectic range of styles, from free-form music to R&B, rhumbas and ragtime. The result was a brilliant blend of fresh-sounding orchestration and inspired soloing. Beloved in New York, where they generally drew capacity crowds, "The Micros" were one of the most celebrated of the many cutting-edge units associated with experimental music's best-known venue, the Knitting Factory, during the peak years of the "Downtown" music movement in the mid 1980s onward. This beautifully packaged and annotated set includes new cover artwork by Pulitzer-prize winning illustrator Art Spiegelman, new notes by leader Phillip Johnston, lots of great photographs and newly remastered versions of the first two albums by the band: "Take The Z Train" and "Let's Flip!", as well as quite a lot of never-before released material, including the well-known theme to the NPR show Fresh Air. The majority of this set has never appeared on CD and all of it has been unavailable for a number of years.
The Microscopic Septet recorded sporadically during its decade or so of existence, though this unusual group has captivated those who have discovered their work. Co-founders Phillip Johnston (soprano sax) and Joel Forrester (piano) wrote most of the group's material, featuring some twisted swing that borders on Raymond Scott-like novelty at times, though it's far looser in its execution. Seven Men in Neckties: History of the Micros, Vol. 1 is the first of two double-CD volumes (including the albums Take the Z Train and Let's Flip!) that compile the entire recordings of the Microscopic Septet, while also adding several previously unissued performances.
Highlights from the studio sessions include the schizophrenic "Take the Z Train," the humorous "Pack the Ermines, Mary" and the long-running "Fresh Air Theme," which has been heard every weekday on the NPR radio series since the early '90s. The music from Let's Flip! represents the band's only live recording. "The Lobster Parade" is a loopy Latin number, while "Let's Flip!" teases the listener with references to such pieces as "Killer Joe," "Fly Me to the Moon" and "Old Devil Moon" as it saunters on its way. The one standard heard is a breezy rendition Billy Strayhorn's "Johnny Come Lately" which showcases baritone saxophonist David Sewelson and Phillip Johnston on soprano sax. While it is a shame that the Microscopic Septet wasn't able to record more frequently, fans will definitely want to pick up this two-CD compilation and its companion, Surrealistic Swing.
--- Ken Dryden, All Music Guide
"A truly distinctive sound that pumps Basie boogies, zestfully shifts from tangoed unison to Dixieland discordance with Mingus precision and sax solos that reach Eric Dolphy free and Earl Bostic blue within the same tune; this is one band that can afford to be seriously original and share a playful humor"
--- Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide
"Posterity is going to remember the Microscopic Septet as one of the best bands of the 1980s."
--- The Philadelphia Inquirer
Microscopic Septet
Active Decade: '80s
Born: 1981
Genre: Jazz
Styles: Modern Creative, Progressive Big Band, Post-Bop, Experimental Big Band
The Microscopic Septet was one of the most distinctive jazz ensembles in New York during the '80s and early '90s. Combining a love for the big-band sound with a progressive approach to arrangement and composition, the Micros managed to be nostalgic and futuristic at the same time.
Founded by N.Y.U. dropout and soprano saxophonist Philip Johnston, the group that came to be known as New York's most famous unknown band featured pianist Joel Forrester, tenor saxophonist Paul Shapiro, baritone saxophonist Dave Sewelson, bassist/tuba player Dave Hofstra, and drummer Richard Dworkin. For a time, the group's alto sax slot was filled by John Zorn, later replaced by Don Davis. Though Johnston originally planned to add brass to the ensemble, the septet's sound was so refreshing as it was that he left it with four reed and three rhythm players.
From their first regular gigs in 1981, it was clear that the Microscopic Septet sounded and acted differently than most bands in the New York jazz scene. Combining their basic reed and rhythm lineup with eclectic compositions and soloing, the Micros were neither jazz classicists nor strictly avant-garde, but something more unregimented. Indeed, this fluid, cutting-edge nature made them a fixture at the Knitting Factory, one of the city's premiere experimental music venues.
Despite glowing reviews from the alternative music press for their witty, surrealistic approach to jazz, the group failed to attract much mainstream attention to their work, possibly because it was so difficult to classify. Consequently, over the 12 years the Microscopic Septet played together they recorded only four albums: 1982's Take the Z-Train, 1984's Off Beat Glory, 1986's Let's Flip, and Beauty Based on Science (The Visit) from 1988. From 1988 onward, they were not able to record at all, leaving many of their later pieces unrecorded.
The Micros disbanded in 1992, with Johnston moving on to film-scoring work and playing in the Unknown and Transparent Quartet, among many other gigs; virtually all of the Septet members lead their own bands, along with collaborating occasionally and performing solo. Forrester formed People Like Us, who also counted Hofstra among its members.
---Heather Phares, All Music Guide |
