In 2011
the members of the BJU (formed in 2006) composed new music for their first
collaborative effort, the recording, A Portrait of Brooklyn. These performances
marked the first time that the BJU members came together as an ensemble, and
the result was praised unanimously, with Hank Shteamer of Time Out New York
calling the BJU Ensemble, "a valuable collective that spotlights underrated
local bandleaders", and Chris Smith adding in The Winnipeg Free Press
that, "Brooklyn has a thriving jazz community, and an association of
artists committed to building a greater awareness of original music coming from
there - the Brooklyn Jazz Underground."
From its
inception the BJU, a highly influential group that inspired the formation of
other artist collectives around the world, including The Paris Jazz
Underground, The Queens Jazz Overground and The LA Jazz Collective, has always
placed a premium on original composition. The band's much-anticipated second
recording, 7 X 7, offers a collection of seven compelling works conceived by
each member of the septet, featuring David Smith (trumpet), Adam Kolker (tenor
sax, bass clarinet), Anne Mette Iversen (bass), Rob Garcia (drums), and also
featuring the addition of vocalist Tammy Scheffer, who plays a shifting role
here as a vocalist and as a third "horn", pianist David Cook &
drummer Owen Howard, empowering the ensemble alongside Rob Garcia with a dual
drummer thrust.
While
each piece exemplifies the character of the individual composer, the ensemble
devised a cohesive element to lend unity to the entire recording: "The
Shorty," a brief composition derived from each of the seven original
works. The creative twist was that these variations were to be composed by a
fellow BJU artist. "We literally drew names from a hat to pick which
composition was to be our 'assignment.' Whether inspired by a melodic phrase, a
harmonic structure or simply the vibe of the initial work, each 'Shorty' in
turn, found its own character," explained Owen Howard (from the liner
notes).
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