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Mike Holober & the Gotham City Orchestra: This Rock We're On: Imaginary Letters

By Angelo Leonardi
November 11, 2024
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Mike Holober & the Gotham City Orchestra: This Rock We're On: Imaginary Letters

Dopo gli ultimi superlativi album orchestrali (Balancing Act, Palmetto 2015 e Hiding Out, Zoho 2019) la nuova incisione di

Mike Holober

piano
b.1957

" data-original-title="" title="">Mike Holober con la Gotham Jazz Orchestra non dovrebbe stupirci, eppure questo doppio album ci ha nuovamente colpito.

L'aggiunta di

Chris Potter

saxophone, tenor
b.1971

" data-original-title="" title="">Chris Potter,

John Patitucci

bass
b.1959

" data-original-title="" title="">John Patitucci,

Nir Felder

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Nir Felder e della cantante brasiliana

Jamile Staevie Ayres

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Jamile Staevie Ayres all'orchestra rende infatti il progetto quanto mai esaltante. Questi nomi completano un organico gi�� nutrito di solisti ragguardevoli come

Marvin Stamm

trumpet
b.1939

" data-original-title="" title="">Marvin Stamm e

Scott Wendholt

trumpet
b.1965

" data-original-title="" title="">Scott Wendholt alle trombe,

Ben Kono

saxophone, tenor
b.1967

" data-original-title="" title="">Ben Kono,

Jason Rigby

saxophone, tenor
b.1974

" data-original-title="" title="">Jason Rigby,

Charles Pillow

saxophone

" data-original-title="" title="">Charles Pillow,

Carl Maraghi

saxophone, baritone

" data-original-title="" title="">Carl Maraghi e

Adam Kolker

woodwinds

" data-original-title="" title="">Adam Kolker ai sassofoni e flauti,

Alan Ferber

trombone

" data-original-title="" title="">Alan Ferber e

Mark Patterson

trombone
b.1960

" data-original-title="" title="">Mark Patterson ai tromboni,

" data-original-title="" title="">Jody Redhage Ferber al violoncello oltre lo stesso leader al pianoforte.

Esploratore e appassionato di natura, Holober ha concepito una maestosa suite che lega jazz e musica da camera in un tributo ad ambientalisti, artisti e attivisti che hanno dedicato l'esistenza a proteggere la natura incontaminata.

In particolare lo sviluppo dell'opera associa temi cameristici, con testi interpretati da Jamile Staevie Ayres, ad altrettanti brani orchestrali di stampo jazzistico, in omaggio a Rachel Carson, Ansel Adams, Sigurd Olson, Wendell Berry e altri. La personale scrittura di Holober �� alimentata dal legame con l'estetica orchestrale moderna e non perde eleganza anche nei momenti di forte groove: docente al City College di NYC e alla Manhattan School of Music s'�� distinto per altri progetti orchestrali con la Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, la Hessischer Rundfunk di Francoforte e la WDR Big Band di Colonia.

La struttura unitaria della suite renderebbe improprio isolarne dei momenti ma il brano d'apertura con il lungo e fervido assolo di Chris Potter, �� esemplare nel fondere tensione e ricercatezza. Un momento magistrale in un percorso comunque ricchissimo, in cui ricordiamo l'ottima prova di Nir Felder alla chitarra ("Erosion"), il cantabile sviluppo di "Dirt Lover's Almanac" con Patitucci e Pillow protagonisti, il serrato dinamismo di "Domes" (Kono e Wendholt), il multiforme "Skywoman Falling."

Album della settimana.

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Track Listing

Lay of the Land; On This Rock; Dirt Lovers Almanac; Another Summer; Tides; Another Summer Epilogue; Virginia; Dear Virginia; Domes; Refuge; Tower Pulse; Erosion; Three Words for Snow; Boundary Waters; Noetry; Skywoman Falling; This Rock We're On.

Personnel

Mike Holober

piano

The Gotham Jazz Orchestra

band / ensemble / orchestra

Chris Potter

saxophone, tenor

John Patitucci

bass

Jamile Staevie Ayres

vocals

Jody Redhage Ferber

cello

Charles Pillow

saxophone

Ben Kono

saxophone, tenor

Jason Rigby

saxophone, tenor

Adam Kolker

woodwinds

Carl Maraghi

saxophone, baritone

Tony Kadleck

trumpet

Marvin Stamm

trumpet

Scott Wendholt

trumpet

Stuart Mack

trumpet

Matt McDonald

trombone

Mark Patterson

trombone

Alan Ferber

trombone

Jason Jackson

trombone

Sara Jacovino

trombone

Jeff Nelson

trombone, bass

Nir Felder

guitar

Additional Instrumentation

Mike Holober: composer, lyricist, Fender Rhodes; Liesl Whitaker: trumpet; Ronan Rigby: child voice on "This Rock We��re On"; Jared Schonig: drums; James Shipp: vibraphone; Virginia Mayhew: tenor saxophone.

Album information

Title: This Rock We're On: Imaginary Letters | Year Released: 2024 | Record Label: Palmetto Records

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