Saxophonist and composer
Quinsin Nachoff brilliantly captures the sound of evolution on his latest
release, Flux, due out September 16 from Mythology Records. Exploring the
elusive terrain between modern jazz and contemporary classical, between the
cerebral and the organic, Nachoff reveals a fervently original sound that
evokes bold, incisive playing from a singularly innovative quartet. Nachoff's
vision asserts that the state of flux can represent shape-shifting invention
rather than uncertainty - though he's certainly not afraid to venture into the
untested unknown.
The
bass-less quartet of Flux is entirely composed of leaders in their own right,
each known for their groundbreaking adventurousness. Alto saxophonist David
Binney, whose Mythology label is releasing the album, is a prolific and
forward-thinking player and composer as well as being an influential producer
whose collaborators have included Donny McCaslin, Uri Caine and Chris Potter.
Pianist/keyboardist Matt Mitchell has seized a place at the leading edge of the
music through his jaw-dropping work with the likes of Dave Douglas, Tim Berne
and Rudresh Mahanthappa. And drummer Kenny Wollesen is a founding member of the
New Klezmer Trio and Sex Mob whose diverse resumé includes work with Bill
Frisell, Norah Jones, Tom Waits and John Zorn.
These four
come together to breathe vivid life into Nachoff's wide-ranging compositions,
which continue to develop his longtime interest in fusing together eclectic
influences from jazz and classical music. Don't mistake this for a "Third
Stream" or "chamber-jazz" project, however; this is radically
creative music that forges its own path.
"The
kind of music that I'm interested in making isn't straightahead in either
genre," says Nachoff, who has composed for string and brass ensembles as
well as jazz big bands. "I like mixing and matching things. I try to find
commonalities between them to put people into different landscapes to improvise
in."
Flux was
born out of a time when Nachoff's life was in a state of flux itself. The
Toronto native was in the process of moving to New York City and finding a new
niche for himself in the jazz mecca's ultra-competitive scene. "It's quite
a transition going from working a lot and teaching at well-respected schools to
starting again from scratch," he says.
Nachoff
discovered kinships with the members of the Flux quartet in different ways:
Binney on shared gigs with bassist Michael Herring, Mitchell during an
Australian tour under Nachoff's leadership, Wollesen simply through hearing the
drummer play with bassist Eivind Opsvik's Overseas ensemble. "I was blown
away by his incredible feel," Nachoff says of his first experience hearing
Wollesen live. "I was infatuated with his hi-hat the whole night - which
was only playing quarter notes!"
At the core
of the sound of Flux is two pairings - the twin saxophone frontline, and the
alchemical, opposites-attract meeting of Mitchell and Wollesen. "The
concept was to put more heady material that Matt can deal with on top of this
really organic feel that Kenny does and have it work as a band sound."
The
compositions that Nachoff brings to the quartet fully explore that tension
between the band's virtuosity and passion, which fuel each other in thrilling
ways. With the two saxophones, Mitchell playing a variety of keyboards
including Fender Rhodes, organ, Wurlitzer, and Moog, and Wollesen incorporating
a variety of handmade percussion instruments, the palette that Nachoff had to
work with, in his often surprising orchestrations, was vast.
Several of
the pieces on Flux began life as commissions for classical ensembles,
reinvented for and by the quartet. Aptly-named opener "Tightrope" is
Nachoff's response to the Toca Loca ensemble's request for a "pop"
influenced piece - allowing for as abstract an interpretation of that proviso
as desired. The piece follows a loose verse-chorus structure with an underlying
rock feel to the rhythm - and Mitchell interpreting two keyboard parts into one
intricate whole.
"Complementary
Opposites" is derived from a suite penned for trumpeter Peter Knight's 5+2
Brass Ensemble and is built on surprising juxtapositions of style and rhythm -
as when a reggae groove suddenly takes over the piece somewhere in the middle.
The two-part "Mind's Ear" comes from a suite written for the Greg
Runions Jazz Orchestra that featured Nachoff and trumpeter Tim Hagans (who gave
the piece its name) as guest soloists. The pieces are marked by unconventional
harmonic motion and jarring tonal shifts.
The
evocative title of "Astral Echo Poem" is an anagram for the name of
its primary influence - Brazliian composer Hermeto Pascoal. Finally,
"Tilted," which erupts with nervous energy, is an apt bookend with
"Tightrope," drawing once again on hard rock inspirations for its
driving beat, complicated by the fleet, snarling melodies.
A graduate
of the University of Toronto, Nachoff has been colliding genres since his 2006
debut, Magic Numbers, which melded a jazz trio with a string quartet. He's
since composed music for a variety of ensembles in both worlds, including the
Penderecki String Quartet, the Toronto Jazz Orchestra, and the Cecilia String
Quartet, as well as his own Horizons Ensemble, Quiescence Quartet, and FoMo
quartet. He also leads the Pyramid Project, which brings together saxophone, brass
quintet and drums and features Ralph Alessi, Jonathan Finlayson, John Clark,
Ryan Keberle, Marcus Rojas and Jim Black.
As a sideman he's performed and/or recorded with Kenny Werner, Howard
Johnson, Tim Hagans, Kenny Wheeler and Don Thompson among others. He has
coached at the Banff Centre for the Arts and taught at the University of
Toronto and Humber College, as well as serving as artist-in-residence at the
Queensland Conservatorium in Brisbane, Australia.
