Sean Imboden: Communal Heart

Sean Imboden's Large Ensemble Has a Communal Heart

Sean Imboden was bitten by the big band bug early on. It is understandable. Both his parents were musicians, and his father taught him to play clarinet when he was in sixth grade. As a teenager, besides playing in middle school and high school bands, he sometimes sat in on gigs with his father's ensemble. After college, he moved to New York City and became involved with the touring Broadway show circuit, playing these shows for eight years, including two tours of Japan as the featured soloist with Blast! II Shockwave. "I continued to have the persistent feeling I wanted to return to creative music," Imboden stated through email, "which was always my first love. I felt an intense desire to improvise, write music and create my own sounds."

Eventually, the opportunity arrived to form his own band, which has culminated in the release of his first album, Communal Heart, recorded with one of the few modern jazz big bands in the Midwest. The opening track, "Fire Spirit," is the musical personification of this feeling, sensing the music surge toward you with the force of a sonic freight train. It sends a charge of electricity through your core as if you were plugged into a wall socket. The trumpet solo by John Raymond is the flickering spark at beginning of the fire, and Imboden's tenor saxophone solo is the roaring flame.

Upon hearing "Dance of Inquiry," your musical earth shifts. The piece embodies every aspect of big band that people love—energy, excitement, surprise, swing (thank you, Mel Lewis—but through Imboden's pen these elements are synthesized with innovation, artistry and sophistication. Andrew Danforth's trombone solo is melodic and lyrical, recalling the playing of valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer with the bands of Gerry Mulligan and Thad Jones/Mel Lewis. Imboden's soprano saxophone solo has a very warm tone and brilliantly dances around the rhythm section in a playful fashion.

In a way, "Certified Organic" is the theme song for how Imboden has developed his music and band. "Everything we create is grown from the ground up," he quips, "no pesticides are used, just the grit and persistence of myself and bandmates." Guitarist Joel Tucker rocks out on a simplified 2-measure vamp, while Raymond's trumpet solo crests over the form of the song. Matt Pivec shines with a beautiful alto saxophone solo on the dramatic "Someone To Watch Over Us," and the last track on the album, "Portal Passage," symbolizes the transformative experience we go through when we open ourselves up to new scenarios and possibilities in life. Mark O'Connor is featured with a free-spirited tenor sax solo.

When asked if there was a theme to the album, Imboden answered: "I think on an abstract/musical level the pieces work well together in that there is a good balance of the core musical elements (melody, harmony, rhythm) throughout the album. I think of it like sculpting a large stone slab into an image you have in your mind. Each day I came back to a part of the music and chipped away at a particular section to try to get it so it feels just right." He likens the album to sitting down for a multi-course meal. "I hope listeners are inspired and refreshed to hear something unique and innovative. I always want my music to sound fresh, unexpected, and on some level surprising or unpredictable. I hope people are moved to be the best version of themselves, but also just enjoy the 38 minutes they spent listening."

Imboden chose to title the album Communal Heart because of the strong sense of community he feels whenever the band gets together for a rehearsal or gig, as well as the overwhelming support they received with a Kickstarter campaign. This is contemporary big band composition at a high level, liberating form and harmony from prior constraints while still approachable and enjoyable for all by way of his fluidity of phrase and natural gift for creating a melody that will leave you humming for days.

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