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Reaching Out
James McGowan
Label: Self Released
Released: 2024
Duration: 01:18:54
Views: 250
Tracks
Personal Credo; Imagine (Part 4); Reaching Out; Minding My Time; Alone In A Crowd; Imagine (Part 5); Corean Poultry (Tribute To Chick Corea); Blue Lament; Pause; Elegy; Imagine (Part 6); Time To Rise (Ft. Alex Moxon, Bonus Track); Chaotic Good; Journey Together; My Story; Reflection; Song Without Words
Personnel
James McGowan
piano
James McGowan Ensemble
composer / conductor
Alex Moxon
guitar, electricJP Lapensee
bass, electricJamie Holmes
drumsCendrine Despax
violinJean Despax
violinOlivier Philippe-Auguste
violaMaxime Despax
violaValérie Despax
celloCal McGowan
celloEd Lister
trumpet
Petr Cancura
saxophoneMark Ferguson
tromboneMike Tremblay
saxophone, tenorJamaal Amir Akbari
poet / spoken wordAlbum Description
Reaching Out builds upon Reaching In as an extended story told through music, spoken-word poetry, and visual art of a protagonist's journey from struggles of isolation, low self-worth, social anxiety, addiction, and loss, to finding peace, acceptance, belonging, and a sense of community. This multi-movement suite is composed and performed in a classical-jazz fusion style, capturing an abstract sense of the composer's autobiographical story. Using powerful musical expression and recurring motivic gestures the work conveys deep emotions and extra-musical meaning. Supplemented by poetry, the instrumental music itself and the paintings of Reaching In and Reaching Out guide us through a narrative of overcoming personal challenges to offer an uncertain, yet hopeful future.
The two-album project is in six acts, where each song is a “scene” in the story. The different instruments of the ensemble each have a voice in telling the story, as well as representing broad ideas. Piano—the thoughts of the protagonist; Strings—the emotions of the protagonist; Horn section—the engagement with others and the community; Rhythm section—the protagonist's heartbeat, energy and well-being. This multi-movement suite is composed and performed as a fusion of jazz and classical styles, featuring powerful musical expression, recurring themes and pervasive musical motifs.
Album uploaded by James McGowan
