New
Songs of Resistance, a recording born of its time and for its time, is an
artful musical response to today’s undeniable political and social tensions. As
interpreted through the penetrating vision of Jason Yeager, a pianist, composer
and arranger of uncommon skill and inventiveness, the album makes stunning use
of three distinctive vocalists and a host of agile instrumentalists to assert
its positive message of defiance and unity. Yeager blends his own compositions–instrumentals,
and others with original lyrics–with songs by the celebrated Latin American
composers Chico Buarque, Violeta Parra, Victor Jara, and León Gieco.
Maintaining the original Spanish and Portuguese lyrics for these works as a
token of respect and solidarity, Yeager aligns the anger and confusion felt by
the peoples of both the United States and Latin America. (Significantly,
Yeager’s composition “Somos Cinco Mil” adapts excerpts from Jara’s poem of the
same name, the last work the activist artist completed before his 1973
execution at the hands of Chile’s repressive military government.) Suffused with rage yet also infused with
courage, New Songs of Resistance attempts to speak truth through the power of
music.
The
album was released on October 4, 2019 via Outside in Music, with earlier
releases of two tracks as singles: “Gracias a La Vida” (on September 6) and
“Apesar de Você” (on September 20), both arranged by Yeager and performed by
his evocative and virtuosic ensemble. Yeager and his group will perform an
album release concert at the Regattabar in Cambridge, MA on October 23 at 7:30
PM (www.regattabarjazz.com).
Utilizing
the expressive vocals of Erini, Farayi Malek, and Mirella Costa, the clarinets
of Matthew Stubbs, the trumpet of Cosimo Boni, the flugelhorn of Milena Casado
and the cello of Naseem Alatrash alongside the electric bass of Fernando
Huergo, the drums and percussion of Grammy winner Mark Walker, and his own
adroit piano work, Yeager constructs an atypical and alluring musical palette.
Although he speaks of Danilo Pérez, Edward Simon, Miguel Zenón and Guillermo
Klein as models of composers who have integrated jazz, Latin, and chamber
music, Yeager’s work as a composer-arranger has a style of its own, one that honors
the overall shape of a piece rather than spotlighting any particular soloist.
Even his own skill as a pianist is thoroughly and intentionally assimilated
into the fabric of the music.
“I have
a deep connection with Latin folk music,” Yeager states. “Eleven years ago, I
spent five months in Argentina as an International Relations exchange student
while also studying traditional folk songs and instruments. I developed a love
for the nueva canción movement of songwriters like Violeta Parra and León Gieco,
the folk music that galvanized the people of Latin America against the region’s
oppressive governments. This music was joined with a social movement that
addressed political themes. This made a huge impact on me. I can connect this
music to my work because for me, the term ‘jazz’ as a genre is just a label, a
construct. While jazz is certainly rooted in African American traditions and
culture, I also think of it as a process of engaging with all categories of
music--to deeply absorb sounds in an authentic manner and creatively express
them in new ways. And we see jazz as a form of resistance in the work of many
of my musical heroes, like John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, and Max Roach.”
Make no
mistake, Yeager is unhappy with the current situation in our country and is
straightforward in his criticism. As Farayi Malek declares in Yeager’s
composition “In Search of Truth,” “Do you deny the past?…do you deny the
truth?…do you deny the warming planet?…We must be better than this.” Yet, for
Yeager, hopelessness is not an option. Indeed, Chico Buarque’s “Apesar de Você”
(“In Spite of You”), a buoyant samba sung by the exuberant Brazilian singer
Mirella Costa, is a form of hopeful resistance that points to better days
ahead. And in an effort to connect this politically charged and socially
relevant music with real-world action Yeager is donating a portion of the
proceeds from all album sales (CD hardcopies and digital downloads) to RAICES
(Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services), a leading organization
that serves immigrants and refugees from Latin America and beyond at the
U.S.-Mexico border. “People are hurting and I’m trying to make sense of all
this through music. This is my way of pushing back against oppression,
exclusion, and violence, my way of standing up for inclusion and truth. I
always intended to have the music express an uplifting and inspiring message.
In spite of all that is happening, we will persevere. Let’s move forward and
fight for what is right—this situation is only temporary.”
Originally
from Boston and now based in New York City, award-winning pianist, composer,
and educatorJason Yeagercreates music that is deeply expressive and
multi-faceted, defying convention while reveling in the traditions of jazz,
blues, 20th century classical music, and Latin American folk songs. Yeager has
recorded five albums under his own leadership, including the critically
acclaimed United(with Jason Anick), which was awarded 4.5 stars and rated one
of the best albums of 2017 in DownBeatMagazine. He has performed with such
noteworthy artists as Luciana Souza, Steve Wilson, Ran Blake, Noah Preminger,
Sara Serpa, Ayn Inserto, Matt Wilson, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Sean Jones, and
George Garzone. As both a bandleader and sideman, Yeager has played in such venues
as Carnegie Hall, the Blue Note, Birdland, Smalls, and in clubs, concert halls,
and festivals across the US and internationally. A committed educator, Yeager
currently serves as Assistant Professor of Piano at Berklee College of Music,
where he has taught since 2012.
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