2017 marks 30 years since bassist extraordinaire Charnett
Moffett burst onto the scene with his Blue Note debut, Net Man. Barely 20 years
old but already drawing attention for his virtuosic but soulful contributions
to seminal recordings by Wynton Marsalis and Stanley Jordan, Moffett
immediately staked out his position as one of the leading voices of his
generation, uniquely adept at juggling tradition and innovation, explosive
freedom and deep-pocket swing, with a fleet but muscular sound that remains instantly
identifiable.
Due out May 19 from Motéma Music, Moffett's Music From Our
Soul is at once a summation and a celebration. The album brings together a
staggering all-star line-up of collaborators from throughout the bassist's life
in music, in a variety of contexts and combinations that range from an
Ellington classic to original compositions spanning free-jazz combustion,
Coltrane-inspired spiritual seeking to blistering funk workouts, vigorous swing
and powerhouse rock fusion. Legendary saxophonist Pharoah Sanders,
ground-breaking guitarist Stanley Jordan, journeyman lead pianist Cyrus
Chestnut, and iconic drummers Jeff "Tain" Watts, Mike Clark and
Victor Lewis all share profound history with Moffett, but more importantly they
also share a boundless passion for spontaneous creation that rushes forth from
every note on this album.
"We have no choice but to continue to move
forward," Moffett says. "You have your history, but time only goes
one way. It never goes back. That's something that's beyond our control, so we
have to be in the moment of where we are."
Three decades on from his recording debut as a leader, and
over four decades since his first professional performance at age 8 in The
Moffett Family Band, Moffett can look back on a richly storied career. It began
at a remarkably young age in the family band led by his father, drummer Charles
Moffett; was forged in his formative years in the thriving Bay Area fusion
scene; developed along parallel tracks in the classically-oriented classrooms
of Juilliard and the hothouse Greenwich Village club scene in early-80s New
York City; and continued to evolve through experiences with iconic artists like
Art Blakey, McCoy Tyner, Sonny Sharrock and Ornette Coleman, (Charnett is on
his Pulitzer prize winning Sound Museum), along with like-minded peers
including Wynton Marsalis and others from the Marsalis family, Kenny Garrett
and longtime compatriot Jordan.
Incredibly, all of that rich and diverse history can be
heard on the eclectic yet cohesive Music From Our Soul. The human soul, after
all, continually grows and evolves over the course of a lifetime, enriched and
enlightened by every encounter and experience. So if an artist truly plays from
the soul, as Moffett has throughout his career, their music can't help but
expand and deepen in similar ways.
"It's important to always express what you feel quite
honestly and convey that in your music regardless of the style or sound that
you're trying to create," Moffett says. "I naturally have the feeling
to want to change, like a lot of artists. It took a lot of time and patience
and care and consideration and thought from many different perspectives, but I
feel like we were able to achieve a sound that is really true, that represents
the history of my career, being influenced by different ways of expressing
myself as a jazz artist."
Regardless of the emotional core of the pieces on Music From
Our Soul, an exuberant joy shines through every piece, reflecting the
electrifying chemistry of these musicians and the deep connections shared
between them. Not least of those is the combination of Moffett and Jordan - a
partnership that stretches back more than three decades and that bears echoes
of the landmark tandem of Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, not just in their
dual innovations but in the acrobatic way their agile lines dodge and weave
around each other (it's notable in this context that Moffett started out
playing trumpet, and in many ways still thinks like a horn player). Jordan's
astounding versatility becomes even more jaw-dropping on three cuts where he
plays guitar and piano simultaneously.
"Charnett and I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area
music scene in the 1970s," Jordan recalls. "Back in those days the
scene was all about creativity. Mixing jazz with rock was cool, but selling out
was not an option. Charnett has stayed true to his roots and today he has
become a leading force in the creative music movement. It's my pleasure and
honor to support his vision and his mission."
Sanders was a close friend of Moffett's father's who later
hired the bassist for many of his own projects; Mike Clark was influential as a
member of fusion pioneers The Headhunters with whom Moffett has crossed paths a
number of times over the years. Chestnut, Lewis and Watts can trace
collaborations with the bassist in terms of decades, not years - Watts all the
way back to Wynton Marsalis' GRAMMY® winning milestone Black Codes (From the
Underground). "Everyone on this album is a phenomenal, sensational
artist," Moffett says. "It was an amazing opportunity and a fantastic
experience to share their creative input."
Of course, the pivotal moments and transformations in life
are not always positive ones. Many of Moffett's mentors - including the great
Ornette Coleman - have passed on in recent years. An even more personal tragedy
struck earlier this year when Moffett lost his wife of 30 years, actress and
spoken word artist Angela Moffett.
"The only thing I can do now is put my energy into
something that's positive, with a lot of life and love in it," Moffett
says. "That is definitely the art form of improvisational creative jazz
music. It definitely lets you know that life is always expanding and things are
always evolving."
Stanley Jordan appears courtesy of Mack Avenue Records and
Cyrus Chestnut appears courtesy of HighNote Records.
Upcoming Charnett Moffett Shows
March 31 - Tavern On The Lake - Hightstown, NJ
April 21 - Exit Zero Jazz Festival - Convention Hall Stage -
Cape May, NJ
(Album Release Celebration w/ Brian Jackson, Jeff
"Tain" Watts)
April 22 - Exit Zero Jazz Festival - Iron Pier Craft House -
Cape May, NJ (solo)
June 14 - Blues Alley - Washington DC
July 27 - Scullers - Boston MA
Charnett Moffett · Music From Our Souls
Label: Motéma Music · Release Date: May 19, 2017
