In February 2015, trumpeter/composer Pablo Masis traveled from his home in New York City to Kabul, Afghanistan as a guest artist with the Afghanistan National Institute of Music for their Winter Academy. While there he gave individual and group lessons to the school’s brass students, taught a series of introductory jazz classes, performed in recitals, and assisted with outreach for Afghanistan’s only music school. His new recording (his fourth), Thought and Memory (BJUR 074), out on Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records on September 8, 2023, is a musical snapshot of these two vastly different cities, both of which have affected Masis greatly, altering and shaping his view of the world.The first half of this recording consists of four compositions, performed by Masis and his rhythm section of Jeff McLaughlin (guitar), Jeff Koch (bass) and David Hawkins (drums). “I wrote these compositions as an embodiment of my experiences of living in New York City,” said Masis. “’Supercollider’” and ‘Anticipation’ are both meditations on life in such a vibrant city. ‘Signal Problems’ was inspired by the experience of waiting on a NYC subway train, stalled in between stations.” The title track, “Thought and Memory”, comes from melodies floating in an out of Masis head during long walks through some of NYC’s dark and moody streets.
The second half of this recording consists of a three movement suite Masis began working on while in Kabul, Afghanistan, in February 2015. Masis elaborates, “I was there as a guest of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music’s (ANIM) Winter Academy. Teachers were brought to the school to give lessons and classes for Afghanistan’s only western music school. During my time there I spent many contemplative hours in my hotel room. Travel was restricted to the school and approved outings, so in my downtime, and with the backdrop of the sights, sounds, culture and history of Kabul, I began writing the music that became the suite you hear on the album.”
The first movement, “An Unfamiliar Dawn”, captures Masis’ experience of a Kabul landscape and sunrise. Towards the end of the movement, the saxophone solo carries the suite into the second movement, representing the journey from the calm of the hotel down into the hustle and bustle of the city and the school. The second movement, “A Future Without Strife”, expresses the energy and excitement of the children at ANIM during the trumpeter’s time there. “Each student was enthusiastic and wanted to learn about Western music. Towards the end of the movement, the drum solo transports us into the third movement.” “Darul Aman”, represents Masis’ visit to Darul Aman Palace, on the outskirts of Kabul. He explains, “I wrote this movement as an elegy both for the palace, and the ending of my time in Afghanistan.”
Originally from Cleveland, Masis spent his childhood years in Northern Arizona on the Navajo Indian Reservation before moving to Billings, Montana. He studied classical trumpet with Robert Levy and received a Bachelor of Music degree from Lawrence University. Following a year of Graduate study in classical trumpet under Dennis Najoom at the University of Wisconsin, he moved to New Orleans and studied with Big Easy legends Terence Blanchard, Clyde Kerr Jr. and Ed Petersen, receiving a Masters Degree in Jazz Studies from the University of New Orleans. After two years in New Orleans, Masis moved to Omaha, Nebraska in 2004, where he was an active freelancer, performing across the Midwest. He attended the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Residency at the Kennedy Center in 2007 and also participated in the Banff Centre Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music, led by Dave Douglas.
Masis recorded his first album of original compositions in 2009, titled Half Past. That same year he made the pilgrimage to New York City, and quickly became an active freelancer and educator. He has performed at venues such as Joe’s Pub, The Blue Note, The Baryshnikov Arts Center, The Waldorf Astoria, Music Hall of Williamsburg, Irving Plaza, Littlefield, Shapeshifter Lab, and The Cornelia Street Cafe, among others. He has also performed with a variety of NYC-based ensembles including Kyle Saulnier’s Awakening Orchestra, Bobby Sanabria’s Multiverse Big Band, and the David White Jazz Orchestra.
In 2012 Masis released his second recording titled Intrinsic, and featuring Chad Lefkowitz-Brown, Alex Brown, Linda Oh and Jared Schonig. Hot on the heels of this release, Masis decided to pursue writing music for a more intimate ensemble, and went into the studio with new music and musicians Aidan Carrol and Jared Schonig to record Rubicon, released in June of 2014.
Masis has performed across the U.S. and Europe including NYC, Seattle, Portland, New Orleans, Washington D.C., Belgium, The Netherlands, and Poland. The trumpeter has presented concerts and masterclasses at Rocky Mountain College, South Dakota State University, and Southwestern Oklahoma State University. The artist currently lives in Brooklyn, where is he on the teaching faculty of the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music.
Upcoming Thought and Memory Tour Dates:
- September 17 – The Soapbox Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
- September 21 - Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Weatherford, OK
- September 22 - University of Central Oklahoma Jazz Lab, Edmond, OK
- September 23 - The Ship, Kansas City, MO
- September 26 - Boiler Brewing Company, Lincoln, NE
- September 27 - Vangarde Arts, Sioux City, IA
- September 28 - R Wine Bar, Sioux Falls, SD
- September 28 - Augustana University, Sioux Falls, SD
- September 29 - South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD
