Steph Richards - Supersense [CD]

As one of the most exciting artists working in jazz’s avant-garde, Steph Richards is no stranger to challenging listeners’ expectations. But the trumpeter, composer and bandleader is pushing in a still more unusual direction on her new release Supersense. Along with a trio of fellow all-star improvisers — Jason Moran, Stomu Takeishi and Kenny Wolleson — Richards tapped acclaimed multimedia artist Sean Raspet to create singular, abstract scents to both inform and accompany the recording. Once exposed to the scents, which were culled from such idiosyncratic sources as "cricket exoskeletons," the musicians responded with improvised performances. Scratch & sniff scent cards accompany physical copies of Supersense, and the record's mission — to bring some of the tactile feeling of concert-going to the at-home listener — has never been more relevant than during the COVID-19 pandemic.