Little (i) Music/jeff lederer: Press

Mary LaRose: The Blue Guitar (little(i)music 10)

***1/2 Stars

Honoring the memory of her railroad-working father, singer LaRose teams with guitarist Marc Ribot, saxophonist/bass clarinetist Jeff Lederer and other denizens of the New York downtown scene in inventing a distinct, resounding music shaped by hyper-active imaginations that pack bitter irony into compressed intensity. Before they're finished, LaRose's crew has wreaked wonderful havoc on old train songs and on songs associated with John Lennon, Led Zeppelin and the Protestant sect know as the Shakers. LaRose may be daddy's little girl, but her gene pool also includes Ornette Coleman, Jimmy Page and Woody Guthrie.

The United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, more commonly known as the Shakers, may have dwindled in numbers (celibacy being a central tenet of theirs), but they've left behind a legacy of simple living, sturdy furniture and inspired music. Compared to other Christian denominations, the Shakers, in keeping with the nature of their trembling services, ploaced a greater emphasis than most on spontaneous composition. Scribes captured these wild sonic inspirations, using a unique form of noatation. Recently, the jaz saxophonist Jeff Lederer poured over transcipts in Shaker archives and was inspired to create the band Shakers n' Bakers, an ensemble that heads toward the firmament.

The most unlikely and unprecedented musical endeavor I’ve come across since hearing Uri Caine’s amazing adaptations of Mahler, Bach, and Schubert, Shakers n’ Bakers (the name of a group and their eponymous first CD) straddles several universes both stylistically and conceptually. A brief note on the back of the CD explains that it is dedicated to the exploration of ‘Vision Songs’ received by women of the Shaker religious sect during ecstatic spiritual trances. Co-led by multi-reed player Jeff Lederer and vocalist Mary LaRose, Shakers n’ Bakers is the manifestation of several years of in-depth study and thought, and a CD that I have been playing on a near daily basis since I received it.

Though there are thousands of Shaker hymns and songs, the Vision Songs (also known as Gift Songs) are in a class by themselves. Often multi-sectioned, with abrupt and frequent changes in tempo, time signature, and tonal center, the songs may also feature lyrics in ‘inspired’ languages attributed by the Shakers to African, Native American, and extraterrestrial sources. While I have no idea how historically accurate Lederer and LaRose’s adaptations are, the music that they present on Shakers n’ Bakers is some of the most powerful and amazing stuff that I have heard in the 21st Century.

In an odd sort of way, the Shakers n’ Bakers synthesize the concept of music repertory with the sort of open-ended free-associative approach that sits most comfortably in the post-Ayler world of avant garde jazz. Yet, Shakers n’ Bakers are not an iconoclastic crew of turntable-toting Downtown hipsters on a mission to revolutionize Jazz-as-we-know-it. Quite the contrary – they seem to go out of their way to be bookish, homespun and un-hip. Their gently whimsical and unassuming approach seems almost dangerously low-key in today’s ultra-carnivorous mass media jungle.

The music is another story altogether – a dizzying trip through some very obscure corridors of quirky Americana. The first track – ‘Me can not wear de great long face’ – has no less than three extremely piquant melodies. Yet it is also some of the most powerful avant-jazz I’ve heard in a long time, with amazing David Moss-like extreme vocals from Miles Griffith, exultantly dynamic drumming by Alison Miller, and Lederer’s cavernous, howling tenor. ‘Hack-a-ling, Shack-a-ling’ starts off with more odd vocalizations only to morph into a funk throwdown between Lederer and Jamie Saft’s ring modulated and echoplexed Rocksichord (the same keyboard favored by Sun Ra!).

The energy level never really ebbs, even though some of the pieces have a concentrated and really beautiful meditative inner stillness (e.g., ‘Balls of Simplicity’, ‘Sojourner’s Song’). Here, and throughout the CD really, Mary LaRose’s vocals are warm and suffused with grace and humor. Many of the Vision Songs – ‘Dismission of Great I’, ‘I am Mothers’ and the amazingly powerful ‘Love and Blessing’ – have folksy, chant-like melodies, a la Stephen Foster which lend themselves really well to Lederer and LaRose’s rocking anthem type of approach (though they never really play it 100% straight!). Ornette-inspired freebop, and more of Saft’s remarkably odd keyboard conjuring, crops up in ‘From the Moon / Ine Vine Violet’. The most complex piece is the odd-metered ‘Great I, little i’, a feature for Lederer’s fiery and eloquent soprano sax. Throughout all of this, drummer Alison Miller and bassist Chris Lightcap are flat-out amazing – not only do they negotiate all of the odd twists and rhythmic modulations, they fill the music with inspired, fiery, and daring artistry.

“Shakers n’ Bakers” is a triumph of both Lederer’s and LaRose’s musical scholarship. More importantly it is a triumph of truly inspired collective music making - this is one of the best bands I have ever heard, and the whole CD literally sparkles with their energy, intuition, guts, brains, sweat, and love. If only all entertainment could be this… entertaining. "Shakers n' Bakers" sends chills down my spine every time I hear it. I cannot wait to hear more!



Tracks: Me can not wear de great long face; Dismission of Great I; Hack-a-ling Shack-a-ling; Balls of Simplicity; From the Moon / Ine Vine Violet; I am mothers; Limber Willow; Love and Blessing; Sojourner’s Song; Song of Colovin; Great I, little i; Thank God for Women

Record Label Website: http://www.littleimusic.com

Artist's Website: http://www.littleimusic.com

Reviewed by: Dave Wayne

Featured Artist: Shakers n' Bakers


CD Title: Shakers 'n Bakers

Year: 2006

Record Label: little i music

Style: Free Jazz / Avante Garde

Review:
The most unlikely and unprecedented musical endeavor I’ve come across since hearing Uri Caine’s amazing adaptations of Mahler, Bach, and Schubert, Shakers n’ Bakers (the name of a group and their eponymous first CD) straddles several universes both stylistically and conceptually. A brief note on the back of the CD explains that it is dedicated to the exploration of ‘Vision Songs’ received by women of the Shaker religious sect during ecstatic spiritual trances. Co-led by multi-reed player Jeff Lederer and vocalist Mary LaRose, Shakers n’ Bakers is the manifestation of several years of in-depth study and thought, and a CD that I have been playing on a near daily basis since I received it.

Though there are thousands of Shaker hymns and songs, the Vision Songs (also known as Gift Songs) are in a class by themselves. Often multi-sectioned, with abrupt and frequent changes in tempo, time signature, and tonal center, the songs may also feature lyrics in ‘inspired’ languages attributed by the Shakers to African, Native American, and extraterrestrial sources. While I have no idea how historically accurate Lederer and LaRose’s adaptations are, the music that they present on Shakers n’ Bakers is some of the most powerful and amazing stuff that I have heard in the 21st Century.

In an odd sort of way, the Shakers n’ Bakers synthesize the concept of music repertory with the sort of open-ended free-associative approach that sits most comfortably in the post-Ayler world of avant garde jazz. Yet, Shakers n’ Bakers are not an iconoclastic crew of turntable-toting Downtown hipsters on a mission to revolutionize Jazz-as-we-know-it. Quite the contrary – they seem to go out of their way to be bookish, homespun and un-hip. Their gently whimsical and unassuming approach seems almost dangerously low-key in today’s ultra-carnivorous mass media jungle.

The music is another story altogether – a dizzying trip through some very obscure corridors of quirky Americana. The first track – ‘Me can not wear de great long face’ – has no less than three extremely piquant melodies. Yet it is also some of the most powerful avant-jazz I’ve heard in a long time, with amazing David Moss-like extreme vocals from Miles Griffith, exultantly dynamic drumming by Alison Miller, and Lederer’s cavernous, howling tenor. ‘Hack-a-ling, Shack-a-ling’ starts off with more odd vocalizations only to morph into a funk throwdown between Lederer and Jamie Saft’s ring modulated and echoplexed Rocksichord (the same keyboard favored by Sun Ra!).

The energy level never really ebbs, even though some of the pieces have a concentrated and really beautiful meditative inner stillness (e.g., ‘Balls of Simplicity’, ‘Sojourner’s Song’). Here, and throughout the CD really, Mary LaRose’s vocals are warm and suffused with grace and humor. Many of the Vision Songs – ‘Dismission of Great I’, ‘I am Mothers’ and the amazingly powerful ‘Love and Blessing’ – have folksy, chant-like melodies, a la Stephen Foster which lend themselves really well to Lederer and LaRose’s rocking anthem type of approach (though they never really play it 100% straight!). Ornette-inspired freebop, and more of Saft’s remarkably odd keyboard conjuring, crops up in ‘From the Moon / Ine Vine Violet’. The most complex piece is the odd-metered ‘Great I, little i’, a feature for Lederer’s fiery and eloquent soprano sax. Throughout all of this, drummer Alison Miller and bassist Chris Lightcap are flat-out amazing – not only do they negotiate all of the odd twists and rhythmic modulations, they fill the music with inspired, fiery, and daring artistry.

“Shakers n’ Bakers” is a triumph of both Lederer’s and LaRose’s musical scholarship. More importantly it is a triumph of truly inspired collective music making - this is one of the best bands I have ever heard, and the whole CD literally sparkles with their energy, intuition, guts, brains, sweat, and love. If only all entertainment could be this… entertaining. "Shakers n' Bakers" sends chills down my spine every time I hear it. I cannot wait to hear more!



Tracks: Me can not wear de great long face; Dismission of Great I; Hack-a-ling Shack-a-ling; Balls of Simplicity; From the Moon / Ine Vine Violet; I am mothers; Limber Willow; Love and Blessing; Sojourner’s Song; Song of Colovin; Great I, little i; Thank God for Women

Record Label Website: http://www.littleimusic.com

Artist's Website: http://www.littleimusic.com

Reviewed by: Dave Wayne

Rating: 94/100 (learn more)
It's not often that you get the chance to draw a line (however indirectly) between an 18th-century religious subculture and modern jazz. Here's the backstory: the newly formed Shaker communities eschewed the musical fare of established churches, instead relying on "vision songs," thought to be of divine origin, transferred to an individual by deceased Shakers, angels or the Savior. The song was often learned while the recipient was in a trance, offering up the new spiritual message in tongues. Shakers N' Bakers take a similarly radical approach to the Shaker vision song. The idea of applying free improvisation to this source material might lead you to prepare for some wacky solos overlaying jazzed-up arrangements of the original song. Well, you would not have prepared yourself properly. This track sounds like the 1972 disco hit "Soul Makossa" as if sung by Kate Bush in duet with Captain Beefheart. A thick & funky groove develops thanks to some great saxophone and organ work, while vocalists Mary LaRose and Miles Griffith leap octaves, squeak, moan and grumble with abandon – an edgy jazz version of speaking in tongues. One of the most exciting tunes I've heard this year, by far.

Reviewer: Mark Saleski

Sometimes odd matches promise the most perfect couplings. Such is the case with the second release of the New York-based improvising ensemble, Shakers N' Bakers. They succeed beautifully with inspired interpretations of 19th century spiritual vision songs by the radical Utopian religion community known as the Shakers. The ensemble transfers the original texts through the musical lens of the revolutionary figures of free jazz, most notably Albert Ayler, while spicing an ecstatic stew with quotes from contemporary modern composers including John Adams, Gyorgy Ligeti and Arvo Part.
This coupling makes more sense after thoughtful consideration. The Shaker vision songs, mostly attributed to the period of Mother Ann (1837-50), were received in states of inspiration, and their authorship is attributed to spirits which took possession of the recipients. Shakers N' Bakers features arranger/composer/saxophonist Jeff Lederer, vocalists Mary LaRose and Miles Griffith, keyboard wizard Jamie Saft, bass master Chris Lightcap and drummer Allison Miller.



The group's collective improvisational style references diverse genres such as reggae, ecstatic gospel singing, free jazz sax flights and even modern minimalism, as exhibited on "Even Shakers Get The Blues." The piece references the title of alternative writer Tom Robbins' Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1977), quotes John Adams' "Road Movies Part 2," and interprets original Shaker texts, all transformed into an explosive and passionate R&B anthem that calls "Our leader has to go." "The Roar of G_D," turns Gyorgy Ligeti's well-known "Hungarian Rock" upside down, with a new arrangement shifting through a nervous, punk drumming introduction, guest Mark Feldman's folksy violin and an intense duet between LaRose's clear and gentle voice and Griffith's rowdy guttural vocal, concluding with a dreamy violin solo.

References to the outer space sonic excursions of the Sun Ra Arkestra are found in the wordless singing of "Chinese!!!," based on another Shaker vision song that may have been based on a "moon" language (as the Shakers often claimed), featuring Saft's urgent organ flights. "Lay Me Low" is an infectious gospel, spotlighting Lightcap's articulate bass playing and Saft's church-like organ solo. "Laughing John's Interrogatory" has a soaring sax solo by Lederer that leads a euphoric religious procession.

The closing "Limber Zeal" is based on Estonian composer Arvo Part's "Spiegel im Spiegel," written just prior to his departure of Estonia in 1978. Feldman and Saft follow the original melancholic score, while the vocalists and readers offer spiritual words of advice from various Shaker texts like "keep the fire burning," which states the importance of keeping the freedom of the spirit, amidst Miller's fractured drumming pattern, offering an ironic commentary about this innocent conviction.

A provocative and inspired work of art.