A Revolving Alliance [CD]

A Revolving Alliance has multiple meanings, of course. It revisits some of the broader themes of hope and despair (as they relate to American society) that were part of Slocum's recording With Love and Sadness (Sunnyside, 2021). But that record, commissioned by Chamber Music America's New Jazz Works program and composed as a single suite with multiple movements, was focused more specifically on systemic racism in America. A Revolving Alliance "deals more broadly with my seemingly delusional hope that everything we are witnessing currently in the US (i. e. , the unraveling of the fabric of a democratic society) might still somehow be cyclical, that we may find our way back towards becoming a more compassionate society," commented Slocum. The recording is designed, shaped, and programmed around a narrative arc. Unlike the "melody first" approach that the drummer/composer takes with many compositions, the title track here developed from a bass line that follows a winding path through a dance in a mix of meters. "Yerazel" is an Armenian word that means "to dream. " Compositionally, Slocum created a floating, somewhat mysterious, mood of innocence and beauty. By the third track, "A Disappearing Path," many of the main themes of the recording have emerged. "I envision 'Solstice,' and it's placement in the sequence of the recording, as a kind of flashback to and reflection on a brighter time in the past before many precious things became lost and broken. The closing piece, 'A Dissolving Alliance,' speaks for itself," said Slocum. Slocum once again enlisted the producing acumen of Jerome Sabbagh who possesses, "a rare gift of being able to hear and articulate many of the sonic nuances that can deeply enhance a listener's experience," said Slocum. This is an all-analog project, recorded live to two-track analog tape, with the trio in the same room and no edits, punches, or "fixes. " Slocum elaborated, "More and more I find myself drawn to the magic, mystery, innocence, and interplay that can often be found in first takes. Of course, in this 'live-to-two' setting, our legendary recording/mixing engineer, James Farber, effectively becomes the fourth member of our ensemble. Everyone is given equal weight - James is a master who records musicians the way we would like to be heard. We also experimented with various panning possibilities in the studio - ultimately all agreeing that having the guitar in the left channel, drums in the right channel, and the bass in the middle, brought the most depth, emotion, and clarity to the music. The sound that James Farber captured in the studio was so impressive that, during mastering, Bernie Grundman used no EQ, bypassing the board entirely to get the cleanest signal. " Slocum's first inspirations were Max Roach (on Clifford Brown's Study In Brown, and with Buddy Rich on Rich Vs Roach), Philly Joe Jones (on Cookin' With The Miles Davis Quintet), and Roy Haynes (on the albums Thelonious In Action, Chick Corea's Now He Sings, Now He Sobs, and Haynes' We Three). Through prolific sideman work over many years, and leading his own band with eight must-hear albums (visit www. MattSlocumJazz. Com to explore his discography), Slocum has distilled these, and many other, influences, into what made these artists legends to begin with; vivid individuality. Slocum has been on his own path for many years, unconcerned with anything outside of cultivating, composing and performing music which represents his own artistic aesthetic and vision; music which resonates with and stimulates his fellow musicians; and music that finds music lovers yearning to hear master musicians in their prime. He has accomplished all of this and more with his new recording, A Revolving Alliance.