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Allison Au: Migrations
ByThe alto saxophonist has kept her jazz quartet in towpianist Todd Pentney, bassist Jon Maharaj, with Fabio Ragnelli sitting in the drummer's chair. To this line-up, Au has added a string quartet and a vibraphone, and vocalist Laila Biali. The results are lush, rich and sweepingly gorgeous, reaching well beyond expectations for a musician with only three previous small ensemble efforts under her belt. It is a major work of art. It could be tagged her magnum opus, but it is early in the game. Au surely has much music ahead of her, and some it could very conceivably compete with Migrations for that designation. Compete with it, not eclipse it.
This is an ambitious work. It is Au's musical examination of why people leave their homelands and strike out for new territory, leaving so much behind. Migration is part of the saxophonist's historya grandfather who left Malaysia for Canada, a grandmother who fled the Holocaust in Europe. Migrations speaks to Au's biracial identity, her identity as a Canadian and a child of immigrant parents. And it speaks eloquently,
Au's arrangements embrace Laila Biali's vocalssung, spoken word or vocalesewith deft caresses. The words come from a variety of poetic sources: Emma LaRocque, Ruth Padel, Rae Marie Taylor, Duncan Mercredi, Chief Dan George, Langston Hughes and Wanda Coleman. It celebrates, with the loveliest of soft touches, all who have fled persecution, grinding poverty, war-torn homelands and genocides, and it reaches out a hand to those who have struggled with obtaining acceptance in new cultures, in finding a new home.
The music feels like a jazz/classical hybrid of the most accessible type. It at times brings to mindon a smaller scaleMaria Schneider's masterpiece (one of them) Concert In The Garden (ArtistShare, 2004), which featured Luciana Souza's soaring vocals, and Schneider's flawless arrangements.
Track Listing
Choice; Prayer; The ISM; Progress; Aves Raras; Racing Across The Land; For Russel and Rowena Jelliffe; Them (intro); Them; Keep A Few Embers From The Fire; Migration; Pecola; I Dream A World.
Personnel
Allison Au
saxophone, altoTodd Pentney
pianoJon Maharaj
bassFabio Ragnelli
drumsLaila Biali
piano and vocalsAmahl Arulanandam
celloCatherine Grey
violaJeremy Potts
violinAline Hamzy
violinMichael Davidson
vibraphoneAlbum information
Title: Migrations | Year Released: 2023 | Record Label: Self Produced
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