Ambrose Akinmusire - Owl Song

December 18, 2023

Label: Nonesuch Records, 2023

Personnel - Ambrose Akinmusire: trumpet; Bill Frisell: guitar; Herlin Riley: drums.

Trumpeter and composer Ambrose Akinmusire continues to showcase his artistry, this time with a surprising and intimate trio, featuring the remarkable talents of guitarist Bill Frisell and drummer Herlin Riley. In this ensemble, Akinmusire, known for his monstrous technique and improvisational prowess, leads a group that emits light through their instruments across eight new compositions penned by Akinmusire himself. These pieces, dressed in an aesthetic that exudes warmth, serve as a reaction to the overwhelming assault of information, as explained by the bandleader.

The opening track, “Owl Song 1”, sets the tone with absolute lyricism, incorporating delicate trumpet melodicism, a wonderful textural tapestry weaved by Frisell (he combines single-note expression and chordal color like no one), and a soaring groove with a conspicuous kick drum beat. “Weighted Corners” features a pleasantly shimmering collage of two fingerpicked guitars and thematic trumpet lines, creating a relaxed 4/4 pacing with soft hand percussion.

To the gently tribalistic rhythm of “Flux Fuelings”, add Frisell’s brilliant guitar work on the lower registers for an enigmatic touch, and Akinmusire’s long high-pitched notes soaring above, and you have a nicely contrasting piece with a distinct identity. The intensity eases on the following track, “Grace”, where the trio, showcasing a perfect understanding of space and texture, sports precise unison intervals over deep drum sounds.

Akinmusire pays personal tributes to his collaborators in heavenly dramatic duets: “Mr. Frisell’’ features the guitarist guaranteeing an airy pulse while delivering rippling melodic fluxes jointly with the trumpeter; “Mr. Riley” plays like a New Orleans march intensified by well-placed trumpet accents. Despite recording together for the first time, the trio demonstrates an innate understanding of each other’s playing, evident in the ambient-inclined “Henya”, which closes the album as a prayerful rubato lament. Looped guitar, poignant yet wide-ranging trumpet, and scintillating drumwork lead us to a definitive heartbeat, reaffirming we’re alive.

Owl Song is an enjoyable, refreshingly accessible, and fundamentally peaceful work from a trailblazing trumpeter in excellent form. Eschewing formulaic patterns, this outstanding outfit is blessed with inspiration, communication, and exploration. What more could one ask for to close 2023 in big?

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Owl Song 1 ► 03 - Flux Fuelings ► 04 - Grace

Ambrose Akinmusire - On The Tender Spot of Every Calloused Moment

July 9, 2020

Label: Blue Note, 2020

Personnel - Ambrose Akinmusire: trumpet; Sam Harris: piano; Harish Raghavan: bass; Justin Brown: drums.

Besides being one of the most reputable conceptual thinkers out there, trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire is a prominent figure on the scene, modernizing the parameters of jazz and blues to create music that is utterly appealing and innovative.

The 11 tunes comprising On The Tender Spot of Every Calloused Moment, his sixth album as a leader, point to a well-defined direction that is very much Akinmusire’s line of action. The topic at the center of the album is the continual struggle endured by black people in America, which, according to the latest occurrences - including the murder of George Floyd and massive gentrification - finds itself in an opportune time to urge change on social issues.

The sections of “Tide of Hyacinth” fluctuate between stirring and serene with much lyricism to appreciate. The tempos, whether rubato or camouflaged by odd-meter, have direct influence on how the rhythm shapes, while the energy, following the dynamics of each passage, can be as much enveloping as invigorating. The spoken word of Jesus Diaz, uttered in the Yoruba language, evokes pure African chants.

“Yesss” opens quietly as a ballad and closes strongly as a scream of hope. At the outset, the trumpet notes are long, precise and emotionally-charged, strongly backed by unaggressive bowed bass and consolidated piano. The quartet then dives in an atmospheric supplication where trumpet wails sit on top of sustaining synth clouds and sluggish syncopated beat. Other equally beautiful, and sometimes dolorous balladic reflections are found in cuts like “Reset”, a touching meditation on quiet victories and celebrated defeats with penetrating trumpet echoing off into infinity, and “Roy”, which uses a more familiar structure and aesthetic - drawn from the Baptist hymn The Lord’s Prayer - to pay homage to the late trumpeter Roy Hargrove. “Cynical Sideliners”, dressed up with a gossamer Fender Rhodes fabric (provided by Akinmusire) and haunting vocals by Genevieve Artadi, also falls in this tranquilizing, if socially enlightened, category.

Another dedication, this time to the multireedist Roscoe Mitchell, is made on “Mr. Roscoe”, an avant-garde sort of march amplified by contrasting tonalities, marked by dry wit and delivered at a medium trot. Justin Brown’s inventive drumming is on display here, motivating staggering intensities and trusted routines.

Adopting a deliberate stagnation in its initial phase, “Blues” is radically introduced by prepared piano, extended trumpet techniques, understated rim shots and dispersed bass notes. The busier second half incites to a change of posture, and the group kind of swings in a modern fashion.

On “An Interlude”, bassist Harish Raghavan dishes out a splendid solo introduction before fixating in a continuous rhythmic flow with Sam Harris’ rich harmonic colors atop.

The trumpet work by Akinmusire is absolutely fantastic throughout, cutting across the underlying textures with acerbic twist, painful consciousness, and a fair dose of abstraction. His self-possessed lyrical force is not within reach of common artists.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Tide of Hyacinth ► 02 - Yesss ► 06 - Reset

Ambrose Akinmusire - A Rift in Decorum

November 6, 2017

Label/Year: Blue Note, 2017

Lineup – Ambrose Akinmusire: trumpet; Sam Harris: piano; Harish Raghavan: bass; Justin Brown: drums.

Trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire has only four albums under his belt but his influence in the current jazz panorama is tremendous. A skillful composer, Akinmusire has also put a lot of his musical talent on projects of likes such as David Binney, Esperanza Spalding, Roy Hargrove, Jack DeJohnette, and Tom Harrell.

A Rift in Decorum: Live at the Village Vanguard, a double-disc quartet session that contains only original compositions, was recorded at the cited emblematic New York venue in the company of pianist Sam Harris, bassist Harish Raghavan, and drummer Justin Brown.

The disc one opens and closes with phenomenal masterstrokes. “Maurice & Michael (Sorry I Didn't Say Hello)” makes a great starting point, blooming with urgency and triumphantly demarcating the post-bop territory with stimulating clashes of color. The trumpeter speaks an attractive, modern jazz idiom, articulating his statements with exquisite intervallic engagement. Right after him, the risk-taking Harris juggles with notes and chords to produce imaginative polychromatic effects. The prominent rhythmic foundation doesn’t abstain from the freedom that becomes visible again on the closing tune, “Trumpet Sketch (Milky Pete)”, a metrically daring avant-garde shake with kinetic improvisations. The steam is constantly under pressure, especially during an unaccompanied head-to-head between trumpet and drums.

On “Response”, the title is taken seriously once the pianist responds to the trumpeter’s intro with the same melody, which overhangs on the top of his voicings. While improvising, the bandleader shows how muscular his playing can be without ever losing melodic focus.

“Moment in Between the Rest” cools the heat by conjuring up tranquil soundscapes, in a mix of sadness and contemplation. The lachrymose trumpet lines are set against cordial harmonic progressions, static bass lines, and understated brushed drumming. Even conveying a soothing effect, the tune is not devoid of a few staggering sounds.

Opening disc two, “Taymoors World” feels very close to the latter piece described, but attempting to provoke something more through impulsive rhythmic shifts interposed in an abrupt and unceremonious way.
Like a frantic locomotive, Brown put his drums to talk loud on the last pair of tunes. As extra stimulus, he counts on Raghavan’s anxious bass pedal on “Withered” and a galvanizing collective ostinato on “Umteyo”.

Even not flying so high as in the previous When the Heart Emerges Glistening and The Imagined Savior Is Far Easier to Paint, the groove and gravitas of Akinmusire’s compositions plus his tour-de-force improvisations can be enjoyed here.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Maurice & Michael ► 03 – Moment in Between the Rest ►07 – Trumpet Sketch