(THE NEW WAVE OF JAZZ IS ON …) IMPULSE! RECORDS
The legendary Impulse! Records once went through life as The House That Trane Built, a nod to John Coltrane who made the label great in the ‘60s. With artists like Archie Shepp, Alice Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders, the label definitely wrote (free) jazz history. In recent years, new life was breathed into the label and reconnected it with the tradition of former times. In no small way either! Artists like harpist Brandee Younger, Irreversible Entanglements and Shabaka Hutchings are today making a difference in our contemporary jazz scene. No coincidence then that they all found their way to AB. Next in line: The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis.
THE MESSTHETICS AND JAMES BRANDON LEWIS
The curriculum vitae of American saxophonist James Brandon Lewis reads like the ultimate letter of credentials. Legend Sonny Rollins – who was not often known to give praise and was touched by Lewis’ “deep, spirit-seeking sound” – let slip that: “When I listen to you, I listen to Buddha, I listen to Confucius … I listen to the deeper meaning of life. You are keeping the world in balance”. Master guitarist Marc Ribot describes him as “a keeper of the legacy of John Coltrane” and Moor Mother (Irreversible Entanglements) personally tipped him to us as “the new kid on the block”.
Earlier this year, he made an impression in a pretty much sold-out AB Club. His versatility is underscored not only on his latest album For Mahalia, With Love – a tribute to gospel legend Mahalia Jackson – but also in his collaboration with The Messthetics. Basically: the rhythm section of Fugazi – consisting of bassist Joe Lally and drummer Brendan Canty – completed with a guitarist.
Jazzism on his self-titled album: “A jazz guitarist in combination with the rhythm section of an influential hardcore punk band from the latter half of the ‘80s of last century was already something special. But with the addition of super-saxophonist James Brandon Lewis, this already exceptional combo takes it a notch higher in the contemporary jazz universe. Across the board, the fusion of creative minds is complete”.