Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Sketches: Volume One

5

Sketches: Volume One

By

Sign in to view read count
Sketches: Volume One
Compositional specificity can be a blessing and a curse. It's easy to understand how having every last instruction set to paper can be helpful when it comes to starting the music making process, but the flip side of that argument is that there's nothing left to actually create if everything is already there in black and white on the page.

Jazz, as a form of creative music, has always wrestled to find a balance between structure and freedom, and it often ends up falling into one of several categories: free and potentially formless music that pays no mind to the idea of notation; (semi-)scripted music with openings for improvisational elements; and wholly scripted affairs that leave no space for individualized exploration. The majority of what's considered jazz falls into that middle category, as does the music presented here, but the collectively-operated, Brooklyn-based quintet known as Sketches plays at that idea from a different angle. Each band member brings a sketch to rehearsal, and that small bit of music becomes the basis for a composition that's ultimately written by another band member. Then, the band fleshes out the pieces together, with each musician adding their thoughts and ideas to the mix. The members of Sketches consider this to be "truly collaborative composition," and it's hard to argue with that thought after hearing the methodology of construction and the music itself.

In creating music in such a fashion, the sketcher and composer must each come to terms with where their personality exists and where the personalities can meet. As a listener, it's difficult to suss out these separations and likenesses, but the music definitely speaks to a process of shared creation. No two songs sound alike, yet everything benefits from a sort of sonic connectivity from track to track. The music itself can be funky ("Cornerstone"), bluesy ("Dusk On The Porch"), haunting ("Shadow Search") or cautiously curious ("Knew").

No single personality dominates here, but everybody makes their mark. Drummer Ziv Ravitz sounds best when he's guiding the group with his cymbal work ("Trust"), bassist Martin Nevin's personality is most noticeable in more spacious environments, and pianist Jarrett Cherner brings beauty into the picture and serves as a go-between, linking the horns and the rhythm section together ("Running With The Princess"). Trumpeter Matt Holman and saxophonist Jeremy Udden both sound terrific, whether working in tandem, weaving around one another, or standing apart during solos.

These songs may have all started life as unfinished bits and pieces, but they've grown into wondrous creations under the watchful eyes of these men. Hopefully a Volume 2 will follow.

Track Listing

Trust; Dark; Cornerstone; Dusk On The Porch; Shadow Search; Knew; Chain Letter CCC #1; Running With The Princess.

Personnel

Matt Holman: trumpet, flugelhorn; Jeremy Udden: alto saxophone; Jarrett Cherner: piano; Martin Nevin: bass; Ziv Ravitz: drums.

Album information

Title: Volume One | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: BaldHill Records

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create 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.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve 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.

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.