Nate Mercereau - 'plays two versions of a melody by Tiziji Muñoz' (How So)

You might have heard of jazz guitarist Tiziji Muñoz from his work on Pharoah Sanders legendary 1977 LP Pharoah, which is currently getting the deluxe reissue treatment courtesy of Luaka Bop. Nate Mercereau wanted to pay tribute to Muñoz in his own way.

Mercereau explains:

Tisziji Muñoz is a very special musician and person that I find continually inspirational. Among many other things, he represents and embodies freedom. I first heard Tisziji's music around 2015, at a point in my life when it was incredibly meaningful to come into contact with his energy. There is rare information and intention in his playing and in his albums that I’m still discovering and learning from. Listening to his music, I am reminded of all infinite possibilities.  In the spirit of celebration and appreciation of Heart-Fire Sound, I’m sharing these two versions of an excerpt of his song Thank You All Great Spirits (Thank You For Your Love).

In my continual search for radical sound, I found myself looking for what felt like under represented intention in music. This search coincided with writing my own music from this place, the music that I wanted to exist, that I wanted to hear, with the intention of sharing the process of exploration and discovery. This led me to Tisziji Muñoz. His music hit this place I was searching for, and also was something completely different and unexpected with how far out (and in) he takes it. 

I first heard Tisziji's guitar on Pharoah Sanders's album, Pharoah. Like many others, I connected with that album, specifically the piece Harvest Time, where Tisziji is well featured. I did a search of his name and found several live videos of him leading his own groups with legendary exploratory musicians like Pharoah and Rasheid Ali, and I immediately connected to his sound.  Tisziji’s willingness to share the moments of searching on the way to discovery is what I really resonate with.  It feels very true to what it’s like to be alive.  

The live version, track 1, came from a concert at The World Stage in Leimert Park, where I was part of a quartet with Carlos Niño and Will Logan led by Surya Botofasina. At one point in the middle of an immersive exploration, Surya played a chord progression that opened up space for a part of the melody of Thank You All Great Spirits (Thank You For Your Love) to happen, which I had been listening to in the car on the drive over. We make music together in such a way that anything can happen, and this is a wonderful example of the freedom available when making music with this group....I played the first part of Tisziji's melody over the chords, and it sparked the next wave of group creation. The second version, solo, is an extension or epilogue to the live version, using my guitar as a sampler controller, with sounds I created from samples of my guitar synthesizer. 

-Nate