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Joseph Herbst: This is Our Environment
ByThe spoken word comes out as a slam poetry accompaniment to the coffeehouse instrumentals. The verses are powerful, often politically charged words that offer a heavy dynamic to the music, driving each new phrase in the composition.
"They Say There Are Beautiful Trees" opens the album with a soft piano introduction. The piano pairs with the slowly building rhythm section that collects the rest of the instruments together for a fierce crescendo. The instrumental that was building throughout the song then breaks away to reveal a piano coda that calls back to the beginning.
"Make No Cents" marks the half-way point on the record. The final moments of the song marks the best blend of instruments on the record with each sound mixing together for a complete movement. The song also stands out as the album's longest but easily the most consistently engaging.
"Estrange Us" serves as the highlight for the record with a complex tenor saxophone solo by bandleader Joseph Herbst at the end that pushes the composition to stand out from the rest. The song provides a more anxious mood and tone compared to the others on the album. It's a high energy song to draw the listener back in before the album's finale.
The album's dichotomy of cool jazz and spoken word is an interesting concept that enlists the idea of a poetry night at a coffee shop. It works well overall and provides a unique listening experience.
Track Listing
They Say There Are Beautiful Trees; Momma Nature (ft. Dasan Ahanu); Solastalgia; Mama E (ft. Cynthia ‘THiA’ Sharpe); Is This My Fault?; Erring of the Revolution Pt. 1 (ft. Yexandra 'Yex' Diaz); Makes No Cents; Erring of the Revolution Pt. 2 (ft. Yexandra 'Yex' Diaz); Iron Eyes; LEGACY (ft. RaShad Eas); Estrange Us; Communion (ft. RaShad Eas); Simple Life (ft. RaShad Eas); Visions of Freedom.
Personnel
Joseph Herbst
saxophoneEvan Taylor
trumpetLiany Mateo
bassLuther Allison
pianoZach McKinney
drumsAubrey Johnson
vocalsAdditional Instrumentation
Peter Martin: guitar; RaShad Eas: spoken word; Dasan Ahanu: spoken word; Cynthia ‘THiA’ Sharpe: spoken word; Yexandra 'Yex' Diaz: spoken word.
Album information
Title: This is Our Environment | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: Next Level
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Live at FarOut, Atsugi 1987
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About Joseph Herbst
Instrument: Saxophone
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