jamie baum septet+ at drom, nyc, may 7

• photography by ©Clara Pereira / text by Filipe Freitas

Flutist and composer Jamie Baum performed her latest compositions, from the poems-inspired album What Times Are These, at Drom in the East Village of Manhattan, accompanied by her stellar Septet+. The lineup featured Jonathan Finlayson on trumpet, Sam Sadigursky on alto sax and clarinets, Chris Komer on French horn, Brad Shepik on guitar, Luis Perdomo on piano, and Jeff Hirshfield on drums, with Matt Clohesy filling in for bassist Ricky Rodriguez. Guest percussionist Keita Ogawa and vocalists Sara Serpa and Aubrey Johnson also made notable appearances.

The concert kicked off with “To Be of Use”, with Baum encountering microphone issues in its first minutes while reciting Marge Piercy’s poem. Resorting to the mic from one of her flutes, she was able to conclude the piece on a high note. In the meantime, the problem was solved, and the next piece, “An Old Story”, showcased a funky groove, featuring an exquisite trumpet solo by Finlayson, who also took charge of the spoken word. 

Throughout the performance, Johnson and Serpa took turns on stage, contributing relevant vocal layers, while Shepik and Sadigursky had several opportunities to display their sinewy phraseologies boosted by a great sound. Baum herself demonstrated her soloing skills in “Sorrow Song” and “Dreams", while Perdomo infused tasteful Latin influences in the percussion-driven “In the Day of Light”, which served as the conclusion to the CD-release performance.
The audience responded with visible delight, energized by a set of strikingly composed and flawlessly executed music.