Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Earprint: Earprint

Earprint: Earprint

By Jerome Wilson
October 14, 2016
View read count

Earprint follows the pattern laid down by several newer jazz groups in the last few years. They do short, pithy songs in the four to six minute range, sue choppy rhythms which draw a lot from rock and hip hop and construct intricate, slightly tongue-in- cheek melodies. This concept allows them to explore a large swath of musical ideas from their quartet configuration.

You hear this in the creeping, twisty clarinet and trumpet interplay of "Boardroom," the funky beat and wailing horns of "School Days and the hip hop swagger of "Golden Girder Strikes Again." The rhythm section of Simon Willson and Dor Herskovits often sets the pace. On "The Holy Quiet" they murmur and rustle while

Tree Palmedo

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Tree Palmedo and

Kevin Sun

saxophone, tenor
b.1991

" data-original-title="" title="">Kevin Sun hold long notes above them and on "Malingerer" they set a lively, rolling backdrop for the horns to come swaying in with long, intense phrases.

"Colonel" is powered by a staccato quasi-Caribbean rhythm that allows Sun and Palmedo to dart and dodge like

Ornette Coleman

saxophone, alto
1930 - 2015

" data-original-title="" title="">Ornette Coleman and

Don Cherry

trumpet
1936 - 1995

" data-original-title="" title="">Don Cherry and "Anthem" is a lively mix of shifting tempos and moods with occasional resemblance to

Charles Mingus

bass, acoustic
1922 - 1979

" data-original-title="" title="">Charles Mingus compositions like "Jelly Roll."

All of these eclectic tunes wouldn't sound so good if the four musicians didn't work so well together. Palmedo is a roaring, nimble trumpet player and Kevin Sun is a full-throated, rapturous tenor man. Meanwhile Simon Willson maintains a strong bass pulse and Herskovits' brash, explosive drumming provides tension and drive for the entire band. Like the best of the younger groups, Earprint extends the jazz traditions while at the same time working them into hip, freewheeling new shapes. This debut recording captures a lot of the energy and sense of possibility of modern jazz.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Nonsense; Happy; School Days; Boardroom; The Holy Quiet; The Golden Girder Strikes Again; Malingerer; Clock Gears; Anthem; Colonel; Six Nine.

Personnel

Earprint

Tree Palmedo: trumpet, ocean drum (5); Kevin Sun: tenor saxophone, clarinet (4, 5); Simon Willson: bass; Dor Herskovits: drums.

Album information

Title: Earprint | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: Self Produced

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Out 'N' In
< Previous

Closer Than Before
Next >

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.