Denver-based trumpeter-composer Joshua Trinidad makes a
strikingly original statement on his RareNoiseRecords debut, In November.
Recorded in Giske, Norway, this highly evocative trio outing features the
adventurous Norwegian guitarist-composer and ECM recording artist Jacob Young
and drummer Stale Liavik Solberg, a central figure on Oslo's improvising music
scene. Brimming with deep and winding lyricism, Trinidad's elegiac seventh
album as a leader is a compelling mix of bold long tones on trumpet,
atmospheric guitaristry, fluid melodic invention and daring group improv, all
delivered with rare authority by the three intrepid improvisers. From the minor
key rubato opener "Beside" to the melancholy soundscape "Bell
(Hymn)" to a darkly entrancing "The Attic" and the stirring
title track, Trinidad and his empathetic crew of deep listeners show respect
toward space and silence on these spellbinding noirish numbers.
Young, whose
principal teacher was the great jazz guitarist Jim Hall and who also took
lessons with guitar great John Abercrombie, switches from edgy wah-wah
inflected statements on electric guitar ("Bedside,"
"Feathers") to gently introspective nylon string acoustic tones on
soothing numbers like "Kin," "Morning Flight" and
"Poem." Solberg, a remarkably interactive drummer, plays sensitive
colorist on the kit on the minimalist "Bell (Hymn)," the mournful
rubato number "Bell (Lullaby)" and the spacious title track, then provides
a solid backbeat on the urgent, rock-fueled closer "Torreon," named
for the town in Mexico where Trinidad's family came from. The trumpeter blows
with burnished tones and relaxed restraint over the top on the eleven stirring
tracks.
Trinidad
explains how the rare chemistry displayed on In November came about: "I
met Jacob Young in the summer of 2007 at the Jarasum Jazz Festival in South
Korea. I was living in Seoul at the time and had the opportunity to meet his
band, which included trumpeter Mathias Eick. I was really into the music coming
out of Norway and enjoyed the songwriting quite a bit. With Stale, I have been
a fan of his since the early 2000s as well. And I really got into his music
when he recorded with UK guitarist John Russell. I was instantly attracted to
Stale's creativity and ability to command improvised music."
Growing up
in Denver, Trinidad gravitated to trumpet at the early age of seven and later
developed under the tutelage of some of the Mile High City's finest trumpeters,
including Hugh Ragin, Walter Barr, Al Hood and Ron Miles. "Studying with
these gentlemen was life-changing," he says, "and I owe each one of
them a great amount of thanks for their support." He adds that Miles, who
has gained international notoriety through his collaborations with the likes of
Ginger Baker, Bill Frisell, Jason Moran and Mary Halvorson as well as his ten
acclaimed albums as a leader, made a particularly strong impression on the
aspiring trumpeter. "Ron is an important mentor to me," he says.
"When I decided to study music, it was such an easy choice to stay in
Denver because of Ron Miles. He really showed me that playing the trumpet was
more than creating music; it embodied so much more. Mr. Miles constantly showed
me that being honest and genuine as a person and in my music was an important
factor. I still look up to Ron. I don't see him as much as I would like, but he
is constantly in my heart."
While
studying music at the University of Colorado at Denver, Trinidad learned piano
while also soaking up the sounds of jazz trumpet. "The first time I heard
some serious jazz trumpet playing was on the early '60s recordings that my Mom
used to play for me of Tony Bennett with Count Basie's Orchestra. Sonny Cohn's
playing on those records were some of the first sounds of trumpet that I can
remember. I also grew up listening to Miles Davis and Lee Morgan and as I got
older, into 20's, I began listening to Arturo Sandoval, Jon Hassell and some
other trumpeters of today such as Cuong Vu, Erik Truffaz and, most notably,
Nils Petter Molvaer."
Though
steeped in jazz during his formative years, Trinidad explored the indie rock
scene in some of his early endeavors. "One of the first bands I was in was
a four-piece band that played music similar to Radiohead," he recalls.
"Later I explored other genres ranging from punk rock and folk to rap and
hip-hop. From each one of those bands I played in over the years I learned a
lot of important lessons about musicianship. And now I think I spend more of my
time not listening to jazz music. I actually spend a lot of my time listening
to rap, hip-hop, folk, rock and punk music. Over the past year I have been
really digging the music of Kendrick Lamar, James Blake, Chance the Rapper,
Sigur Ros, Radiohead and Bjork."
A prolific
composer, shows remarkable growth on his seventh recording as a leader.
"In November is an album that I had been dreaming up for years; I just
wasn't sure how to approach the concept. I have been attracted to the musicians
in Scandinavia for years, specifically, Norway. Through years of listening to
music coming out of Scandinavia I feel that I have found my identity and
myself."
That
identity plays out in Trinidad's zen-like restraint heard throughout In
November. It's an approach that has far less to do with the hot, extroverted
style of bebop and hard bop trumpeters like Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Eldridge,
Clifford Brown, Lee Morgan, Kenny Dorham, Fats Navarro and early Miles Davis
than the cooler, more ambient approach of Scandinavian trumpeters such as
Mathias Eick and Nils Petter Molvaer or Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stanko, whose
signature brooding ECM albums had a direct impact on Trinidad's latest.
"Here in the U.S., many trumpeters play trumpet from a very macho
approach," notes Trinidad. "This whole idea that playing higher,
faster and louder defined a quality trumpet player made me sick. To me, many
U.S. trumpeters play trumpet as though they are playing a sport. However, when
I discovered the music in Norway, I realized that this is not always the case.
I was drawn to that approach much more."
After
reaching out to Young and Solberg about collaborating, the kindred crew met at
Ocean Sound Recording in Giske, Norway to document their special chemistry for
In November. "When they both agreed to do this project, I spent the next
six months writing songs with them in mind," Trinidad recalls. "I
spent many nights thinking about Jacob's guitar and Stale's drums and how I
wanted them to sound together with my trumpet. When we all sat down to play
together for the first time in the studio, it was magical. It sounded better
than I had dreamt. We three connected quickly and through this connection we
were able to explore the music from an honest position."
That kind of
hand-in-glove chemistry plays out in elegant, empathetic fashion throughout In
November, Trinidad's auspicious debut on RareNoise Records.
TRACKS
1. Bedside
2. Bell
(Hymn)
3. Bell
(Lullaby)
4. Feathers
5. Giske
6. In
November
7. Kin
8. Morning
Flight
9. Poem
10. The
Attic
11. Torreon
All
compositions by Trinidad, Young, Solberg.
Published by
RareNoisePublishing (PRS).
Recorded
22-25 November 2015 at Ocean Sound Recordings Studios in Giske, Norway.
Sound
Engineer : Henning Svoren.
Mixed by James
Dellatacoma at Orange Studios, NJ, USA.
Mastered by
James Dellatacoma at Orange Studios, NJ, USA.
Executive
Producer for RareNoiseRecords : Giacomo Bruzzo.
Artwork and
Design : Petulia Mattioli.
