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Maria Schneider: Data Lords

By Doug Hall
August 9, 2020
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Maria Schneider

composer / conductor

" data-original-title="" title="">Maria Schneider, jazz pianist, orchestral composer and 2019 NEA Jazz Master, has just released a new double-album, Data Lords (artistShare, 2020), which creates poignant musical imagery about our data-driven world. Schneider, who has been an active advocate for musicians' rights and copyright, has followed-on this impact, citing "big data" companies as manipulators of music, culture and privacy. This collection of uniquely and emotionally rendered original compositions addresses the conflicting relationships between the digital and natural worlds, featuring Schneider's orchestra of 18 world-class musicians.

Not shy to point her finger at the mega-corporations that have control of our lives, Schneider relates her own personal suffocation, "As big data companies clamor for our attention, I know I'm not alone in struggling to find space—to keep connected with my inner world, the natural world, and just the simpler things in life." As is Schneider's trademark, the beauty and range of tones, complexity of compositions and exceptional featured musicianship, offer an extraordinary soundscape to support the potent lyricism.

Data Lords is divided into 2 CD's, with the music on the first CD, The Digital World, focusing specifically on themes of an over data-driven world. Each of these compositions captures a distinct impact of our informational overload-driven society. "A World Lost" creates a mournful sound with guitarist

Ben Monder

guitar
b.1962

" data-original-title="" title="">Ben Monder and tenor saxophonist

Rich Perry

saxophone, tenor

" data-original-title="" title="">Rich Perry taking turns with musical angst. "Don't Be Evil" pokes at Google's original code of conduct motto with powerful and jarring solos delivered by

Jay Anderson

bass
b.1955

" data-original-title="" title="">Jay Anderson (bass),

Ben Monder

guitar
b.1962

" data-original-title="" title="">Ben Monder (guitar),

Ryan Keberle

trombone
b.1980

" data-original-title="" title="">Ryan Keberle (trombone) and

Frank Kimbrough

piano
1956 - 2020

" data-original-title="" title="">Frank Kimbrough (piano). The close of the first CD is the title cut "Data Lords" which builds to a crescendo of sound with driving rhythms over-layered by tremendous solo outbursts by

Mike Rodriguez

trumpet
b.1979

" data-original-title="" title="">Mike Rodriguez (electrified trumpet) and

Dave Pietro

saxophone, alto

" data-original-title="" title="">Dave Pietro (alto saxophone).

The second CD, Our Natural World, finds Schneider creating an introspective, intense and physical landscape of nature, woven into an orchestral soundscape. Opening with "Sanzenin," a huge breath of serenity is taken with floating notes from

Gary Versace

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Gary Versace on accordion, riding over a slow meandering melody of soft horns. Peace. "Look Up" is slow and measured in tempo, with brilliant accompaniment by

Marshall Gilkes

trombone
b.1978

" data-original-title="" title="">Marshall Gilkes on trombone and

Frank Kimbrough

piano
1956 - 2020

" data-original-title="" title="">Frank Kimbrough on piano, soaring with a harmonizing ensemble of other horns. "The Sun Waited for Me," the closing composition of the Our Natural World CD, delivers a positive celebration to the ears which grows out of solo lyrical melodies from

Donny McCaslin

saxophone, tenor
b.1966

" data-original-title="" title="">Donny McCaslin on tenor and

Marshall Gilkes

trombone
b.1978

" data-original-title="" title="">Marshall Gilkes on trombone.

Schneider's Data Lords harnesses complex musical orchestration with originality of concept, running contrast between musical imagery of a data-hungry world versus a struggle to find human space. The inspiration found its way into the artist's life directly, "just as I feel myself ping-ponging between a digital world and the real world, the same dichotomy is showing up in my music." Ultimately Schneider succeeds in telling this story through the mood, tempo and arrangement of these compositions, with a cast of stellar musicians and a conviction to stay true to her advocacy.

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Track Listing

CD 1: A World Lost; Don��t Be Evil; CQ CQ, Is Anybody There?; Sputnik; Data Lords. CD 2: Sanzenin; Stone Song; Look Up; Braided Together; Bluebird; The Sun Waited for Me.

Personnel

Maria Schneider

composer / conductor

Steve Wilson

saxophone

Dave Pietro

saxophone, alto

Rich Perry

saxophone, tenor

Donny McCaslin

saxophone, tenor

Scott Robinson

saxophone, tenor

Tony Kadleck

trumpet

Nadje Noordhuis

trumpet

Mike Rodriguez

trumpet

Keith O'Quinn

trombone

Ryan Keberle

trombone

Marshall Gilkes

trombone

George Flynn

trombone

Gary Versace

piano

Ben Monder

guitar

Frank Kimbrough

piano

Jay Anderson

bass

Johnathan Blake

drums

Greg Gisbert

trumpet

Additional Instrumentation

Maria Schneider: composer, conductor; Steve Wilson: soprano saxophone; Dave Pietro: clarinet, alto ?ute, piccolo; Donny McCaslin: ?ute; Scott Robinson: Bb clarinet, bass clarinet; contrabass clarinet; Tony Kadleck: fluegelhorn; Greg Gisbert: ?uegelhorn; Nadje Noordhuis: ?uegelhorn; Mike Rodriguez: ?uegelhorn; George Flynn: bass trombone.

Album information

Title: Data Lords | Year Released: 2020 | Record Label: ArtistShare

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