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James Brandon Lewis: Molecular
ByThat is quite the introduction to the saxophonist/composer, and if a certain amount of effortperhaps even a good deal of effortmay be required to fully comprehend exactly where Lewis is coming from on an intellectual level, there really is no necessity of making that effort. It isit always isabout the music. Indeed, how many listeners have a full grasp of Ornette Coleman's concepts of Harmolodics? But the music...
This is a regular quartet line-upLewis on tenor sax, Aruán Ortiz playing the piano, Brad Jones on bass and Chad Taylor at the drums. But the music they make is anything but regular. The set opens with "A Lotus Speaks," a torrid four minutes, urgent, agitated and dark-hued, achieving three minutes in an unexpected and gorgeous resolution, like a curtain has lifted and Lewis has discovered one of those truths.
"Of First Importance" is an intense ballada seeming contradiction in terms, but appropriate. It is melancholic, and unfolds compositionally with a simplicity/complexity dynamic, while "Helix" turns up the ferocity knob considerably, bringing Dewey Redman, Joe Henderson's Power To The People ( Milestone Records, 1969) era, and Sonny Rollins' Freedom Suite (Riverside Records, 1958) to mind.
Besides his first rate and somewhat unconventional compositions and his powerful playing, Lewis' biggest strength here is manifested by ability to create forty-six minutes of music with a continuity of focus and artistic vision, sounds that are engaging and challenging at the same time, tender and thoughtful one minute, fiery and raw the nextthe gently anthemic title tune, the ominous "An Anguish Departed," the unabashedly lovely "Loverly" that closes out the album. James Brandon Lewis is a provocative and exciting artistic voice.
Track Listing
A Lotus Speaks; Of First Importance; Helix; Per 1; Molecular; Cesaire; Neosho; Per 2; Breaking Code; An Anguish Departed; Loverly.
Personnel
Additional Instrumentation
Chad Taylor: mbira.
Album information
Title: Molecular | Year Released: 2020 | Record Label: Intakt Records
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About James Brandon Lewis
Instrument: Saxophone, tenor
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