Nicholas Mycio: Please Plant Flowers

Jazz guitarist Nicholas Mycio's third studio release, Please Plant Flowers, stands as a profound testament to the power of music as a mirror for personal history. Far from being a mere collection of songs, the album represents a diligent search on Mycio's part to create a body of work that reflects the significant events occurring at various points in his life. Across eight original tracks, the guitarist invites his audience on a sonic journey that is as deeply personal as it is musically sophisticated.  This is to say, sonically, the listening audience is in for a real treat with this album.

Throughout the record, no time is wasted as Mycio bravely explores heavy themes of war, displacement, illness, and death.  The first song on the album, "Siniy," means blue in Russian, and it serves as a precursor to the other themes presented in the project.  The track  "Shadow Puppets" draws from Mycio's time in active war zones and the persistent "shadow," as he describes it, of those experiences, while "Elegy for Norman," written after the passing of his great-grandfather, focuses on acknowledging loss without dwelling in sadness. Even while presenting such heady and difficult concepts, the guitarist manages to vary the mood with pleasing soundscapes. For instance, "Signals in Black" reflects the struggle to find good moments during hard times—influenced by the music of Thelonious Monk—while "Melancholia" reaches back to a teenage hospitalization, capturing a feeling that the guitarist suggests can be "gentle in a weird way."

Furthermore, the success of Please Plant Flowers is also due to the exceptional supporting cast Mycio has assembled. Joining him on this musical journey are bassist Kyle Colina and drummer Sam McCarthy. Mycio's decision to record the album as a trio was a strategic one; it serves to showcase the intimacy of the project. This intimacy is palpable in "Dreams of Many," an early, optimistic composition that Mycio admits he found difficult to play for years as events in his life intensified. Still, as the listener dives into the music, the subtle nuances and individual contributions of each musician become clear, turning these compositions into truly memorable collaborative efforts.

The tracklist is meticulously curated to follow a narrative arc. At the center sits the title track, "Please Plant Flowers," written, Nicholas says, during a period of exhaustion and fear. It expresses a simple, poignant wish for peace. Furthermore, Mycio demonstrates a keen eye for detail in the sequencing, carefully varying the speed and mood of each selection. The album eventually closes with "When I'm Gone," which completes the phrase introduced by the album's title track.  

Mycio's Please Plant Flowers is a remarkable achievement that transcends the boundaries of traditional jazz. By blending technical virtuosity with raw, autobiographical honesty, Mycio has created a record that feels both urgent and timeless. It is a musical treat that rewards focused listening and offers a deep sense of connection to the human experience. For anyone looking for music that speaks directly to the soul, this album is a journey well worth taking.