Jason Robinson: Blue Salience: For Yusef Lateef

From a single note a song takes form. From a single seed a tree grows. Consider Yusef Lateef's own words from "Where Are The Goodies?" Spheres: Stories by Yusef Lateef (Fana Publishing, 1976), "To find out in a hurry whether the roots are where the rich dirt is, look up at the tree and see if the branches are soulful." His writing was as evocative of spirituality and human communication as it was given to compositional foundations and creative ideation.

The most breathtaking music often branches, buds, and unfurls similar to the way trees signal the end of their winter dormancy. Such a joyful celebration of music—indeed of life—is reimagined by Jason Robinson and performed by his 17-piece Janus Orchestra on the album Blue Salience: For Yusef Lateef.

To be clear, this remarkable series of suites is for Lateef, rather than by Lateef. It is clearly of Robinson and by Robinson. Yet he has masterfully channeled the spirit and energy of the late composer and performer he has been inspired by and lionized. Robinson deftly captures Lateef's endearing and enduring philosophy when he writes, "It's... what happens when you gaze out over the forested hills, listening carefully to the trees whispering among themselves, and feeling like I, too, am growing roots, among the trees of this place, among the cherished people of my community."

Music and nature both hold the power to evoke profound emotions. And Robinson and Lateef have demonstrated their ability to celebrate these forces together. Just as rain sometimes mists softly at first before growing to a heavy downpour, and just as dawn breaks with a single bird's song before building to a cacophony of mixed voices, so too does the music contained within this 135-minute, 11-movement suite swells from the voice of an individual instrument or distinct pair before growing into a triumphant, multilayered wave of acoustic energy that crashes onto the listener. It is easy to be pleasantly swept away in the tumult.

As a band leader, composer, saxophonist, flutist, and scholar, Robinson possesses a rare capacity to envision what the so-called sound worlds of Lateef might hold for players and listeners today and conceive of what they might make of the current social, political, and environmental climate. The result is a musical creation that embodies love, joy, and hope. He delivers a body of work that at times invokes cool-running streams, verdant pastures, and still evenings, when at others flares with the heat of the summer sun, the color and vibrance of autumn leaves, and even the prescribed burns that keep forests alive.

This album opens with "The Curved Path," which begins with a soft, single upright bass line that is soon joined by the featured players Haneef Nelson (trumpet), Eric Hofbauer (guitar), Brian Landrus (bass flute), Marty Ehrlich (bass clarinet), and Richie Barshay (drums). This sets the tone for the tracks that follow.

While not discordant, Lateef's compositions at times challenged Western listeners with his incorporation of avant-garde textures, microtones, and unusual scales. He described his work as autophysiopsychic, a term he coined to encompass the physical, mental, and spiritual origins of his compositions. That same approach is palpable here. The composition is magnificent. The range of instrumentation is staggering. The orchestration is splendid. The individual performances are riveting. And the collective creative output is enthralling.

There is a game in which children are asked to listen closely to a recording and name each instrument they hear. Piccolo. Trombone. Piano. Clarinet. Tuba. It is a pity that this playfulness and careful, attentive practice rarely persists into adulthood. This rich soundscape constructs the perfect playground for such a whimsical exploration. Throughout these movements, even those with a trained ear might be baffled to identify each individual sound and identify its source. The options are plentiful. Is that a timpani? Are those tubular bells? Is that a cuíca? Yes, yes, and yes. All of that and more. A clarinet, an alto flute, sleigh bells, a violin, a train whistle, and a chorus of voices.

"Blue Salience," the third and title track, with its sparse, almost minimalist beginnings, allows listeners to catch their breath following the gasping and uproarious "Soul Keepers," which proceeds it. Then it too invites the audience to keep pace as it drives forward.

"Fathom" provides some respite with its slow, sultry soloing and leaner ensemble subtleties.

Along with this recording's spectacular instrumentation, spoken word text—excerpted from Lateef's writings—is interspersed, sometimes arrestingly, throughout these suites. This is a reminder to all that he was the inspiration behind the project and the person to whom this massive undertaking is dedicated.

The ensuing individual movements proceed through subsequent tracks, each employing unique tonal devices and distinctive rhythms. Individual speakers and singers make their appearances, as do choruses of voices—commingled through "Horizon" on "Golden Hue" and elsewhere. Free expression abounds, urging listeners to embrace peace and love, dance with unbridled joy, listen intently to tease out constituent components, or passively soak in the sound.

"Gates of Truth" features the full ensemble in glorious overlapping instrumental conversation, alongside Nelson, Hofbauer, and Erlich (this time on Bb clarinet), particular attention is paid to the contributions of Avery Sharpe (bass), Zoe Murphy (trumpet), Bill Lowe (tuba), Angel Subero (bass trombone), and Felipe Salles (tenor saxophone).

The final track "Dub Spirits" (on the vinyl edition only) is arguably the most contemporary offering of the entire set (part dance mix, part head-bobbing groove), and it leaves listeners wondering whether more will one day follow.

So, what lies unseen beneath this tree's canopy? Are roots growing deeper, reaching out, connecting through a web of threads for nutrient sharing? Our human community should be so fortunate, and with that both Lateef and Robinson would doubtlessly be pleased.