After more than 25 years as an in-demand sideman working with some of jazz’s most adventurous voices, bassist and composer Zack Lober steps forward with his most personal work to date: So We Could Live, releasing in 2025 on Zennez Records. Featuring a core trio of rising stars Sun-Mi Hong (drums) and Suzan Veneman (trumpet), joined by Dutch tenor saxophone legend Jasper Blom, the album balances singable melodies with fiery collective improvisation. At its heart, the project is a moving tribute to Lober’s late father and to all who sacrifice so that others may live better lives.
The album was recorded live in one large room at the renowned Wisseloord Studios in Hilversum, The Netherlands. The open setup allowed the group to capture immediacy, spontaneity, and connection. Longtime friend Ben van Gelder produced the session, with Alessandro Mazzieri as recording engineer, Micha de Kanter mixing, and Peter Brussee mastering.
The opening track and lead single, “Joe Type Tune,” pays tribute to Joe Henderson and his iconic chord-less trio The State of the Tenor. A two-bar descending bass line sets the stage for high-energy fireworks from Blom and Hong. “Behind a Myth,” Blom’s contribution inspired by Paul Hindemith, pushes furthest into atonality, while “The Loose End” was designed to leave space and suspense, ending with a musical cliffhanger. Lober’s “Vignette” nods to Wayne Shorter’s Etcetera album, mixing polytonal twists with an open, improvisational spirit.
The centerpiece of the record is Lober’s solo bass medley “Dad / Besame Mucho,” combining his own tribute to his father with his parents’ wedding song, creating the album’s most intimate moment. Blom returns with “Landscape” and “Feathered Head,” the latter inspired by Dave Holland’s Conference of the Birds. The closing title track, “So We Could Live,” builds slowly into an emotional climax, highlighted by Sun-Mi Hong’s dynamic solo.
Born in Montreal and now based in the Netherlands, Lober has built an international career performing with artists including David Binney, Henry Threadgill, Seamus Blake, Butch Morris, Ingrid Jensen, and Christine Jensen. His collaborators on this album bring equally impressive résumés: Blom, winner of the 2019 Boy Edgar Prize, is one of the Netherlands’ most versatile saxophonists; Veneman is a rising trumpeter and composer leading multiple projects across Europe; and Hong has become a vital force on the Amsterdam scene, recording for Edition Records and earning acclaim for her fearless creativity.
With So We Could Live, Lober transforms a career of collaboration into a bold, personal leader statement—one that celebrates family, sacrifice, and the joy of collective creation. By combining accessible melodies with adventurous improvisation, the album offers listeners a moving journey of resilience, intimacy, and connection.
No comments:
Post a Comment