Maria Schneider's new album is a majestic work spanning some ninety five minutes across two discs. The Artists Share funding platform made it possible to record Data Lords over four days in autumn 2019 and produce physical CD copies of the album.
Schneider's A-list eighteen piece band is more than up to the mark in realising the composer's vision. The main theme is Schneider's concern with 'the great impact the data-hungry digital world has had on our lives'.
The first disc, The Digital World, centres around Ben Monder's guitar. In addition to the electric guitar Schneider's sleeve notes pointedly refer to Greg Gisbert's 'trumpet with electronics' on CQ CQ, Is Anybody There? and again on the title track with fellow trumpeter Mike Rodriguez the soloist. Monder's playing on this densely textured album invites comparison with Hiram Bullock's contribution to Gil Evans' later work and John McLaughlin with electric-era Miles Davis.
The companion disc, Our Natural World, purposely shows greater restraint in the writing and in the performance of the six tracks. It is the same group of musicians yet Schneider successfully coaxes a collective lyricism from the ensemble.
Schneider's stated intention is 'to get away from every device bombarding me with endless chatter, endless things - endless demands'. The distinctive sound of Gary Versace's accordion adds a different dimension and Donny McCaslin, known beyond the jazz world as a collaborator on David Bowie's final recording, makes a telling tenor sax contribution on the album's closing track, The Sun Waited for Me.
All compositions are by Schneider. Data Lords (Artists Share, cat no. AS0176) is one of the albums of the year and is available exclusively at: www.mariaschneider.com.
Russell
Maria Schneider Orchestra: Maria Schneider (composer, conductor); Steve Wilson (alto sax, soprano sax, clarinet, flute, alto flute); Dave Pietro (alto sax, clarinet, flute, alto flute, piccolo); Rich Perry (tenor sax); Donny McCaslin (tenor sax, flute); Scott Robinson (Bb, bass, contra-bass clarinets, baritone sax, muson); Tony Kadleck, Greg Gisbert, Nadje Noordhuis, Mike Rodriguez (trumpet, flugelhorn); Keith O'Quinn, Ryan Keberle, Marshall Gilkes (trombone); George Flynn (bass trombone); Gary Versace (accordion); Ben Monder (guitar); Frank Kimbrough (piano); Jay Anderson (bass guitar); Johnathan Blake (drums, percussion)
1 comment :
Maria Schneider’s albums are all consistently good and consistently expensive. By my calculations buying the latest cd would cost about £40 delivered to the UK. On that basis, I won’t be buying it.
Dave
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