Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Jacob Garchik: Assembly

Jacob Garchik: Assembly

By Hrayr Attarian
July 17, 2022
View read count

Trombonist and composer Jacob Garchik is versatile and restlessly inventive. His past work has ranged from a brass-only orchestra to a guitar-heavy ensemble as well as a unique take on gospel music. His sixth release, the provocative Assembly, evokes film soundtracks with a touch of fantasy. The nine originals make a cohesive whole with a creative momentum which does not slack.

The opening track "Collage" has two distinct layers; in the background Garchik and soprano saxophonist

Sam Newsome

saxophone, soprano
b.1965

" data-original-title="" title="">Sam Newsome engage in a boppish duet over percolating beats; overlaid on this are the group's tense and symphonic refrains which boom and roar. The two diverse styles form a musical version of the title, and juxtapose in stimulating contrast.

The following track, "Pastiche," launches with an intense head, drummer

Dan Weiss

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Dan Weiss driving the tune with his thundering polyrhythms. Garchik takes center stage, improvising with elegance and passion over Weiss and bassist

Thomas Morgan

bass, acoustic

" data-original-title="" title="">Thomas Morgan's tight, hypnotic, vamps. Pianist

Jacob Sacks

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Jacob Sacks punctuates the interplay with block chords before taking off on a breathtakingly agile performance as the rest of the quintet follows a pace or two behind.

Morgan's thumping lines and Newsome's muscular, elastic phrases engage in a blues-tinged dialogue on "Bricolage." Weiss and Garchik fade in and out of the conversation. Newsome's extemporization grows more dissonant, and concludes the track on a melancholic note.

Sacks' crystalline pianism marks the haunting "Idee Fixe," with its eloquence, as the horns play the repetitive motif in unison. Over Garchik and Newsome's repeating bars, Sacks, Weiss and Morgan take turns with brief solos. Sacks' extemporization remains rooted in the mainstream with a delightfully angular edge.

Meanwhile, "Fantasia" showcases Garchik at his most innovative. It is a sonic experimentation with Garchik and Newsome overlapping mesmerizing sound effects. Within this atmosphere a trombone-led quartet plays a very "traditional" soulful and spontaneous melody with a laid back cadence. The otherworldly electronic sounds fade in and out, sometimes drowning the other component of the piece while at other times being overcome by it.

Garchik's oeuvre continues to change and mature with each new album. Assembly is rooted in previous recordings and is refreshingly novel. It is another highlight in a uniformly superb career, and a milestone in Garchik's growth as a composer, band leader and improviser.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Collage; Pastiche; Bricolage; Homage; Fanfare; Id��e Fixe; Fantasia; Impromptu; Reverie.

Personnel

Jacob Garchik

trombone

Sam Newsome

saxophone, soprano

Jacob Sacks

piano

Dan Weiss

drums

Thomas Morgan

bass, acoustic

Album information

Title: Assembly | Year Released: 2022 | Record Label: Yestereve Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Continuing our visit to the '90s wit...
< Previous

Mary Lou Williams, Sheila Jordan & C...
Next >

Jacob Garchik Concerts

Sep 20 Sat

Mary Halvorson: Amaryllis

Solar Myth
Philadelphia, PA

Apr 21 Tue

Stephan Crump - Slow Water

Krannert Center For The Performing Arts
Urbana, IL

Apr 24 Fri

Stephan Crump - Slow Water

The Cleveland Museum Of Art
Cleveland, OH

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.