Jane Ira Bloom: Like Silver, Like Song (2005)

Jim Santella

Senior Contributor since 1997

Jim Santella has been contributing CD reviews, concert reviews and DVD reviews to AAJ since 1997. His work has also appeared in Southland Blues, The L.A. Jazz Scene, and Cadence Magazine.

Recent articles (1,677 total)

Published: April 29, 2005

Welcome to the 21st Century.

With her electro-acoustic design, Jane Ira Bloom forges into exciting territory. She lifts her proud interpretation of straight-ahead, mainstream jazz into a higher realm.

Using electronic devices, Bloom and her musical partners shift sound patterns into what we've come to know as science fiction effects. The band alternates a traditional acoustic presentation with its exotic synthesized sounds, while Bloom ensures that her soprano saxophone is given a clear path.

"Altair 4" roams the heavens in search of alien life forms, while "Vanishing Hat" emphasizes the pure essence of the saxophonist's clarion tone and swinging sense of rhythm. Bloom's quartet brings her audience a combination of novel ideas and traditional sounds; her original compositions stretch the modern mainstream envelope.

The Rodgers and Hammerstein classic "I Have Dreamed" features the saxophonist's lyrical dance a cappella in a heartfelt remembrance. As bassist Mark Dresser joins her in midstream, the song continues to ooze a beautiful texture. Elsewhere, the program roams between soulful kicks and swirling impressions. Bloom's highly expressive quartet captures the spirit of a generation of jazz artists who respect the past, live the present, and sample the future. With her recommended Like Silver, Like Song, the innovative soprano saxophonist has created a notable session that comes with a balanced share of what we know and what we think. There's no turning back. The future is here.

Track Listing: Dreaming in the Present Tense; Unconscious Forces; Singing in Stripes; Altair 4; Vanishing Hat; White Light; No Orchestra; Magnetic; In an Instant; Mercury; Night Skywriting; Dark Knowledge; I Have Dreamed; Singing in Stripes.

Personnel: Jane Ira Bloom- soprano saxophone, live electronics; Jamie Saft- keyboards, electronics; Mark Dresser- bass; Bobby Previte- drums, electronic drums.

Record Label: ArtistShare
Style: Straight-ahead/Mainstream