The imaginative, adventurous, and prodigious trombonist, composer, and bandleader Joe Fiedler returns with Journey To Bowerbird, the fourth recording from his critically acclaimed ensemble Big Sackbut. Featuring Fiedler alongside Ryan Keberle and Luis Bonilla on trombones, Marcus Rojas on tuba, and Satoshi Takeishi on drums, the album continues the group’s singular exploration of low brass as a vehicle for bold, expressive, and deeply engaging music.
The concept for Big Sackbut dates back to the late 1980s, when Fiedler first encountered the electrifying force of the World Saxophone Quartet in performance. “The drive and energy that they put forth was quite compelling,” he recalls. “The tunes had a wonderful balance of ‘tight-looseness’ that totally sucked me right in… I immediately thought of how I might incorporate my image of these elements into a trombone-driven project.” Those ideas lingered for more than two decades until, around 2010, a conversation with Ryan Keberle and an invitation to perform in a New York Slide Workers Union series finally brought the vision to life.
Across Big Sackbut’s recordings—including Journey To Bowerbird—the music transcends its unusual instrumentation. It’s entirely possible to be swept up in the sound without consciously noting the ensemble’s makeup. But to do so would miss a key part of the experience: the remarkable range of timbre, tone, rhythm, harmony, melody, wit, and emotion drawn from three trombones and a tuba. With the addition of Satoshi Takeishi on drums, the group gains an added propulsion, giving the new album a dynamic, driving edge.
Fiedler’s recordings have never been mere blowing sessions or reinterpretations of familiar material. Instead, each project represents a deliberate artistic step forward, shaped by significant experiences in his musical life. Journey To Bowerbird is no exception.
The album’s origins trace back to a pivotal invitation from legendary bass trombonist Dave Taylor. In early 2025, Taylor asked Fiedler to perform in a brass quintet presentation of Angels of the Inmost Heaven by composer Lucia Dlugoszewski as part of the Pure Lucia festival at the Bowerbird music space in Philadelphia. The ensemble included an extraordinary lineup: Peter Evans and Chris Coletti on trumpet, and Eric Reed on horn.
What initially seemed like a straightforward engagement quickly revealed itself as a formidable challenge. “At first glance it looked to be unplayable,” Fiedler admits. Despite a career that includes over a hundred recordings and thousands of performances, he found himself struggling to make progress even after weeks of dedicated practice. For the first time, he considered stepping away from a project.
But the weight of Taylor’s trust—and their long-standing relationship as mentor and colleague—kept him committed. Fiedler completely rethought his approach, meticulously re-notating the score, breaking it into manageable sections, and mapping out alternate slide positions and tonguing techniques. He devised a rigorous practice regimen: four hours a day, split into two sessions, all focused on mastering a single nine-minute piece.
The results were transformative. Over three months, every aspect of his playing—accuracy, tone, range, endurance, and focus—reached new levels. Rather than growing fatigued, he found himself increasingly drawn into the subtleties of Dlugoszewski’s music. The eventual performance was a success, but more importantly, it sparked a new creative direction.
Inspired by that intense period of growth, Fiedler reimagined how he might compose for Big Sackbut. He set out to merge elements of brass chamber music and Dlugoszewski’s edgy, demanding language with the structures and spirit of jazz. The outcome is Journey To Bowerbird, an album that channels discipline, discovery, and imagination into a vivid and compelling sonic experience.
Critics have long recognized Fiedler’s unique voice and the ensemble’s impact:
“The group rips, dances and converses… the quartet is so tight that they sound like one big, polyphonic low-brass organ.” — DownBeat Magazine
“An adventurous trombonist, [Fiedler] conceived Big Sackbut as something like a brass answer to the World Saxophone Quartet.” — The New York Times
“Innovative and fun… moving between avant-garde and more mainstream sounds.” — LEO Weekly
With Journey To Bowerbird, Joe Fiedler continues to expand the possibilities of low brass, transforming technical challenge into artistic triumph and reaffirming Big Sackbut as one of the most inventive ensembles in contemporary jazz.
No comments:
Post a Comment