Saxophonist and composer Quinsin Nachoff has become renowned for
his unique and ingenious mergers of modern jazz and contemporary classic music.
His music daringly ventures to the farthest edges of both idioms while dancing
elegantly along the often uneasy borderline between them. While it shares the
same roots, Nachoff's new Ethereal Trio takes a somewhat different approach -
as the name implies, there's something looser, more elusive and free-ranging,
about this trio as opposed to the more rigorous hybridization of some of
Nachoff's other ensembles (Flux, the Horizons Ensemble, Magic Numbers).
In part, that's due to the musicians involved.
The Ethereal
Trio - whose self-titled debut will be released May 19, 2017 via Whirlwind
Recordings - teams Nachoff with two of modern music's most forward-thinking
artists: bassist Mark Helias and drummer Dan Weiss. Both are inveterate
explorers well-versed in absorbing a variety of complex musical vocabularies
and expressing them in personal and compelling fashion. But the singularly,
well, ethereal feeling of this music can also be credited to Nachoff's astute
compositions, which blend methodically composed material with free
improvisation in a way that leaves enticing, inspirational space for all three
to roam.
"As a contrast to some of my other recent
projects," Nachoff says, "this ensemble allows me to explore as a
saxophonist, visiting different pillars and languages within the jazz tradition
but striving for a personal sound and narrative."
The Ethereal Trio was birthed directly from the composer's
interest in merging jazz and classical influences. Nachoff was commissioned by
the Penderecki String Quartet to compose "Stars and Constellations:
Scorpio," a piece for string quartet and saxophone trio, which prompted
the New York-based, Canadian-born saxophonist to further the idea of
establishing a chordless trio as a distinct project away from his larger
ensemble successes. A stand-alone concert with seasoned Helias and Weiss
created the conceptual spark, and following the writing of new material early
in 2016, a series of concerts in New York, Toronto and Montreal neatly led to
this recording.
"I enjoy writing this way as it gives me two distinct
voices that I can really work with," Nachoff says. "As a bassist,
Mark Helias is such an experienced musician - I can compose harmonically or
contrapuntally and he always expands it to such an extent that we're never
missing harmony; if we play in more of an open setting, it leaves us more freedom.
Dan Weiss is a master of dealing with anything rhythmically -so he can be very
free within even something very structured. All three of us love to investigate
different colors and extended techniques, so many different directions are
possible. Once we've understood what the direction is for each composition,
that's when the magic starts to happen."
Each piece on the album has its own plot and internal logic,
yet the trio's predominant vibe is searching and otherworldly - hence the
"ethereal" tag, which should not be understood as implying something
delicate or dreamlike. This is fiery, passionate, relentlessly venturesome
music that boldly seeks new discoveries in the far reaches of Nachoff's
structures. The titles seem to juggle left and right brain notions in
provocative ways, suggesting a mixture of art and science that finds equal
stimulation in both the speculative and the cerebral.
"Clairvoyant Jest" opens the album with Nachoff's
saxophone dancing across rhythmically twisted swing, characterized by double-stopped,
open-stringed bass and harmonics which highlight the harmonic motion.
"Gravitas" follows, focusing on freer response and reflection as its
questioning saxophone motifs are interpreted by arco bass. Suggesting a change
in our imaginative picture of the world, "Imagination Reconstruction"
pairs sax and Helias' bass harmonics magnificently, and the ten-minute
progression of "Portrait in Sepia Tones" ramps up into a superbly
percussive maelstrom. "Push-Pull Topology" possesses an underlying
walking bass thread, stretching and pulling different rhythms - fives over
fours over threes - while the bristling landscapes of "Subliminal
Circularity" summon the leader's equally raw and rippling saxophonic
tones.
Quinsin Nachoff relishes the freedom and the opportunities
this trio offers: "I'm regularly involved in projects which include a lot
of composing, arranging and organizational effort to make them happen. This
Ethereal Trio album became much more about simply playing the saxophone, which
was extremely fun and rewarding - and these musicians are such a pleasure to
play with. That's the world I like to live in."
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