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Andrew McAnsh: Illustrations

By Dave Wayne
September 7, 2016
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Its liner notes, song titles, and cover art liberally peppered with references to Japanese culture and Zen Buddhism, Andrew McAnsh's debut recording, Illustrations was inspired by the young trumpeter / composer's journeys through the Land of the Rising Sun. However, McAnsh's original compositions—far from displaying any direct influences of Japanese ethnic music—are relentlessly hard-hitting modern jazz inventions along the lines of recent offerings by fellow trumpeters

John Blevins

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">John Blevins and

Ron Miles

cornet
1963 - 2022

" data-original-title="" title="">Ron Miles and

Dave Douglas

trumpet
b.1963

" data-original-title="" title="">Dave Douglas. Like Blevins, McAnsh works with a large-ish ensemble sporting a beefy front line of trumpet, trombone, tenor saxophone and—on several pieces— wordless vocals. Resolutely acoustic and infused with challenging cutting-edge modern jazz moves, Illustrations eschews the big band jazz-funk sound of similarly-outfitted youthful collectives such as

Snarky Puppy

band / ensemble / orchestra

" data-original-title="" title="">Snarky Puppy and

Lettuce

band / ensemble / orchestra
b.1992

" data-original-title="" title="">Lettuce. While there's not much in the way of funky fusion on Illustrations, there's absolutely no shortage of energy or invention and only an occasional coup de chapeau to more traditional Blue Note-affiliated sorts of sounds.

Ostensibly a student ensemble based at Toronto's Humber College, McAnsh's backing band provides remarkably fluid and mature accompaniment. There's none of that stilted feel one often perceives when less-experienced musicians are sight-reading complex scores. McAnsh and his band completely own his rather complicated, consistently forward-leaning music. Solo opportunities aren't wasted either. Though McAnsh is an engaging and resourceful improviser somewhat in the mold of

Kenny Wheeler

flugelhorn
1930 - 2014

" data-original-title="" title="">Kenny Wheeler, pianist

Chris Pruden

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Chris Pruden's virtuosic solos on "4 for 5," "Osaka," and "Nara, part 2" and guitarist

Geoff Young

" data-original-title="" title="">Geoff Young's shape shifting forays on "Utopia, part 2" and "Osaka" merit special mention. Saxophonist

Jeff LaRochelle

saxophone

" data-original-title="" title="">Jeff LaRochelle has a nice, fat bull tenor sound �� la

Michael Brecker

saxophone, tenor
1949 - 2007

" data-original-title="" title="">Michael Brecker, and

Ian Wright

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Ian Wright's dynamic, somewhat pushy, drumming keeps the energy level high throughout.

Three of McAnsh's pieces—"Utopia," "Illustrations," and "Nara"—are prefaced by brief rubato preludes which explore similar harmonic territories as do the ensuing "Part 2" sections. This serves Illustrations quite nicely, providing contrast and breathing space to music otherwise dominated by high-energy, up-tempo, odd-metered charts and acrobatic soloing. The inclusion of a female voice on several of these pieces also gives McAnsh's music an unexpected depth and dimension. The way the horns make room for Mjaa Danielson's warm alto on both parts of "Utopia" and Mara Nasrallah's somewhat more delicate soprano on "Confabulation" and "Nara" really give the music a lighter, airy feel. Nasrallah's spoken word on "Confabulation," however, feels a little forced.

Illustrations is yet another in a hopefully endless parade of recordings by young Canadian jazz artists such as

Allison Au

saxophone, alto

" data-original-title="" title="">Allison Au,

Peter Van Huffel

saxophone
b.1978

" data-original-title="" title="">Peter Van Huffel,

Peripheral Vision

band / ensemble / orchestra

" data-original-title="" title="">Peripheral Vision and

Myriad3

band / ensemble / orchestra

" data-original-title="" title="">Myriad3 whose surprisingly mature vision filters well-grasped jazz tradition through a 21st Century prism. Best of all, like each of the aforementioned artists, McAnsh and his colleagues perform their music with a rock'n'roll sort of excitement and energy.

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Track Listing

Utopia, part 1; Utopia, part 2; Illustrations part 1; Illustrations, part 2; Confabulation; Seven Seconds; 4 for 5; Nara, part 1; Nara, part 2; Osaka.

Personnel

Andrew McAnsh

trumpet

Andrew McAnsh: trumpet, flugelhorn; Jeff Larochelle: tenor saxophone; P.J. Andersson: trombone; Chris Pruden: piano; Mjaa Danielson: voice (1-4); Mara Nesrallah: voice (5,8,9); Geoff Young: guitar (1-4,10); Wes Allen: bass (1-4,10); Soren Nissen: bass (5-9); Ian Wright: drums.

Album information

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

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