Set for
release on April 15, 2014 via Dowsett Records, Slow Down showcases a finely
meshed unit committed to an organic group sound that incorporates elements of
pop, world and classical music, among other sources. As Conley states,
"The North is a band, not just a piano trio. And our love of music from a
wide variety of genres binds us. We are trying to make music that's as engaging
and fun to listen to as it is for us to create."
The
North formed when French-born Collin, who earned wide acclaim for his 2012 CD
The Calling, teamed up with Hawaiian natives Conley and Lagrimas, Jr. for a
ten-day series of public performances in Hawaii during which the three
musicians developed, in Collin's words, a "musical sympathy." The
chemistry they formed during that initial tour led to a three week Hawaiian
visit in 2012 when the band worked on material for Slow Down (This Isn't the
Mainland). As Conley reminisces in the album's notes: "In a world where
albums are often recorded in a couple of hectic studio days, three weeks
devoted to this creative collaboration among friends was the ultimate
dream."
Slow
Down (This Isn't The Mainland) showcases The North, a masterful and inspiring
new, melody-infused trio featuring pianist Romain Collin, bassist Shawn Conley
and drummer Abe Lagrimas Jr.
Collin's
2012 CD The Calling Earned Wide Acclaim as "a work of art that is worthy
of being held onto for generations to come" (Eric Sandler, The
Revivalist), and "achingly beautifulŠElegiac, almost hymnalŠ" (Ian
Patterson, All About Jazz)
Bristling
with moving melodies, fierce group interaction and virtuosic playing, Slow Down
(This Isn't The Mainland) - the debut album from the cooperative trio, The
North - is Hawaiian-grown; a brilliant musical reflection of the celebrated
sun, surf and soil of the Pacific paradise. Drawing a band name from their
shared love of Oahu's North Shore, home to many of the greatest surf spots in
the world, The North - featuring pianist Romain Collin, bassist Shawn Conley,
and drummer Abe Lagrimas Jr. - is riding a new wave. Eager to blend elements of
pop, world and classical music - among other sources - into the improvisational
mix, the band is also utterly enamored of songful melody. Slow Down (This Isn't
The Mainland) - released on April 15, 2014 on Dowsett Records - showcases a
finely meshed unit committed to a cohesive and organic group sound. As Conley
states, "The North is a band, not just a piano trio. And our love of music
from a wide variety of genres binds us. We are trying to make music that's as
engaging and fun to listen to as it is for us to create."
In many
ways, Hawaii itself willed both the group and the album into being. Conley and
Lagrimas Jr., longtime friends and Hawaii natives, met the French-born Collin
on the U.S. mainland, where each was establishing a growing reputation as a
resourceful instrumentalist. The pull of the islands was strong though, and the
three friends, who were only playing together informally at the time, were
invited to visit Hawaii for a ten-day series of public performances. The effect
was as immediate as it was unexpected. "The chemistry between the three of
us was striking," says Collin, "and the audience felt it. By the time
the tour was over, investors who heard us live and were moved by the music
arranged for us to return the next year to play more shows and make an album.
It was as much the overwhelming reaction of those who heard us play as it was
our own musical empathy that made the band happen." The North was born.
Slow
Down (This Isn't The Mainland) came to fruition during a three week Hawaiian
visit in 2012 when the band worked on the album's repertoire and prepared to
record. They tracked in the sonically accommodating living room of the house
that had been made available for the trio in order to perfect their ensemble
sound away from urban distractions. Joined for little over a week by the
celebrated engineer Jeremy Loucas, The North cut the recording live with a
minimum of takes. As Conley reminisces in the album's notes: "In a world
where albums are often recorded in a couple of hectic studio days, three weeks
devoted to this creative collaboration among friends was the ultimate
dream."
The bulk
of the compositions on Slow Down (This Isn't The Mainland) are by Collin and
Conley, sturdy pieces that balance accessibility and invention. "We all
listen to so many types of music," Conley says, "and we want all of
our influences to come out in our collective sound. But what is most important
to us as a group is melody." This adoration for clearly stated, embracing
compositional form defines such persuasive performances as the undulating
"Great Ocean Road," the Iberian-tinged "Yann's Flight" and
the minimalist ballad, "Northern Dreams." Interspersed among the
originals are inspired group interpretations of Chick Corea's "Humpty
Dumpty," Thelonious Monk's classic, "Light Blue," the
singer-songwriter Christina Courtin's "Join Us Jackson" and Bob
Dylan's anthemic "Blowin' In the Wind," each ingeniously reworked to
capture both the singular flavor of the composition and the imaginative nature
of the group. Instrumental prowess, while seamlessly interwoven into each piece,
is never obscured. Collin's fluidity, Conley's supportive lines and impressive
solo work and Lagrimas Jr.'s perfectly calibrated percussion skills lend the
recording a vivacity that compliments its sparkling sheen.
Every
member of The North is classically trained, and has amassed impressive
credits. French-born pianist Collin,
whom Jon Weber, the host of NPR's Piano Jazz, calls, "A visionary
composer, an extraordinary jazz pianist and a very bright young rising star in
the jazz world," attended the Berklee School of Music and later graduated
from the Thelonious Monk Institute (where he held a full scholarship) in 2007.
He has appeared with Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Jimmy Heath, and Terence
Blanchard, among others, and has recorded two albums as a leader, The Rise and
Fall of Pipokuhn and the 2012 release, The Calling, of which All About Jazz
said, "compositional flair and technique all seduce, but are trumped by
the emotional strength in Collin's writing and playing." Tom Conrad wrote in the New York City Jazz
Record: "Collin is different. He is
not interested in showing off his chops, but rather in telling stories,
portraying moods and developing a disciplined, personal ensemble concept."
And Patrick Jarenwattananon wrote on NPR's A Blog Supreme that Collin is an
artist with "a highly personal, contemporary vision."
Raised
in Hawaii, bassist Conley won a position with the Honolulu Symphony while still
in high school. The winner of a Wagoner fellowship, he studied with the
renowned bassist François Rabbath in Paris. Conley, who has since settled in
Brooklyn, New York, has worked with many prestigious jazz and classical artists
including Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Arturo O'Farrill, Mark Turner, and James
Carter, as well as the notable chamber ensembles, The Knights and Brooklyn
Rider. He can also be heard on numerous
soundtracks including "Moonrise Kingdom," "True Grit," and "Extremely
Loud and Incredibly Close."
A
Hawaiian native as well, drummer Lagrimas Jr. participated in celebrated music
programs including Betty Carter's Jazz Residency in Washington D.C., where he
made his debut performance at the Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts. He
later attended the Berklee College of Music. In addition to The North, he is
also a member of the popular South Korean jazz group, Prelude, and has
collaborated with a host of other musical artists including Eric Marienthal,
Eric Reed, Bill Mays and Lalo Schifrin. Lagrimas Jr.is also a skilled
vibraphonist and ukulele player with five solo albums and is an active educator
with noted musical instruction books to his name.
