Jamie Baum: Moving Forward, Standing Still (2004)

Michael P. Gladstone

Senior Contributor since 2003

I came out of my musical hibernation circa 1960 and hit the streets for a new education on the past, present and future.

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Published: August 24, 2004

Jamie Baum: Moving Forward, Standing Still

Flautist/composer Jamie Baum is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music and the Manhattan School of Music. Baum's classical training has greatly influenced her writings and a sizeable portion of her ten compositions on Moving Forward, Standing Still are the direct result. Several tracks show evidence of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring and "Bar Talk" is an homage to Bela Bartok's String Quartets. "Central Park" is influenced by Charles Ives' "Central Park in the Dark."

The assembled group consists of state-of-the-art New York players like trumpeter Ralph Alessi, reedman Doug Yates, French horn player Tom Varner, in-demand pianist George Colligan, bassist Drew Gress, and drummer Jeff Hirshfield. Percussionist Tosuke Yamamoto is added on two tracks. The opening track, "All Roads Lead to You," is a stunning seven-minute number that is a complex multi-layered blending of "The Rite of Spring" and a reference to John Coltrane's "Naima." The bracing effect of the song is added with Doug Yates' early '60s Ornette-ish solo on alto sax at the five minute mark. Alessi impresses on trumpet and flugelhorn throughout this album. Colligan, known primarily as a post bop pianist, here adds Fender Rhodes on several occasions to the mix. Jamie Baum's flute and alto flute work is quite evident, but by no means is she a primarily soloist. The album is more of a team effort of the individual players.

Moving Forward, Standing Still cannot be summarized easily and the complexities of the writing and presentation almost require multiple listenings in order to grasp what lies beneath.

Track Listing: All Roads Lead to You, Spring Rounds, In the Journey, Clarity, Medley:From Scratch/Primordial Prelude, South Rim, Central Park, Bar Talk, Spring, Rivington Street Blues.

Personnel: Jaimie Baum, flute, alto flute; Ralph Alessi, trumpet,flugelhorn; Doug Yates, alto sax, bass clarinet; Tom Varner, French Horn; George Colligan, piano, electric piano; Drew Gress,bass; Jeff Hirshfield,drums; Yosuke Yamamoto, percussion.

Record Label: OmniTone
Style: Modern Jazz