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Drum of Stories

John Hadfield

Label: In A Circle Records
Released: 2023
Duration: 00:37:00
Views: 206

Tracks

Old World New Tower of Liars Spells Map of the Future Drum of Stories Paul Motian's Diary Stolen from the 10th Arrondissement

Personnel

Album Description

In a Circle Records is proud to release "Drum of Stories", a highly anticipated new album by the Grammy award- nominated percussionist & composer, John Hadfield. The album’s core trio is composed of Hadfield and two of the finest Parisian jazz musicians playing today: Gregory Privat (piano) and Chris Jennings (bass). The trio is joined by three renowned guests and long-time collaborators: Syrian clarinetist & composer Kinan Azmeh, jazz saxophone legend Ron Blake, and the Iranian guitar virtuoso Mahan Mirarab. This is how John describes the album: What would drums say if they could talk? This is the question I asked myself in 2022 when I acquired several percussion instruments that had belonged to two percussionists I have long admired, Naná Vasconcelos’ and Colin Walcott. Specifically, it was a large field drum of Colin Walcott’s and an assortment of bells and rattles that belonged to Nana Vasconcelos that sparked this journey. Holding these instruments inspired me to imagine the stories they could tell if they relived the music they had produced in the past. I revisited Walcott and Vasconcelos’ creations as starting points to my own compositions. The seven tracks included in this album more broadly communicate musically the notions and feelings drums would express about themselves, other instruments, and their human players—past and present—if they took a life of their own. It was truly a joy to create and record with these instruments throughout the entire recording process. Honoring the past while creating relevant and contemporary jazz was my main goal for this project. In addition to previously releasing three albums of his own compositions—John Hadfield’s Paris Quartet, The Eye of Gordon and Displaced, Hadfield has also collaborated on more than 100 recordings, including Yo-Yo Ma's Grammy award-winning "Songs of Joy and Peace". John’s ability to cross genres has allowed him to appear with a broad range of artists such as Kinan Azmeh’s City Band, Rachel Eckroth, Nguyen Le’s STREAMS Quartet, the Saturday Night Live Band on NBC, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and the Silk Road Ensemble.

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