Trumpet
Vocals
Vocals
Vocals
Double Bass
Percussion
Guitar
Percussion
A trumpeter of deep expressive resources and a composer of wide-ranging vision, Ambrose Akinmusire has made a home at the crossroads of different musical forms and languages, from post-bop and avant-garde jazz to contemporary chamber music and hip hop, to singer-songwriter aesthetics. His program will include the world premiere of a new composition commissioned by the Pierre Boulez Saal as well as a special trio with Jakob Bro and Gregory Hutchinson brought together for the occasion to present Akinmusire’s The Owl Song II.
When the Pierre Boulez Saal and its curator, Piotr Turkiewicz, first approached me about this commission—and gave me carte blanche in terms of instrumentation and themes—I knew almost immediately that I wanted to do a piece highlighting the voice. It’s one of my favorite instruments to write for, but I don’t have as many occasions as I would like to do so. Not only did I want to focus on the voice, but in particular I wanted to work with Melbourne-based vocalist Gian Slater. I’ve been a great admirer of her body of work and especially her work with the Invenio Singers, the innovative ensemble that experiments with form, compositions, and vocal technique. But unfortunately, geographical distance has prevented us from collaborating until now. It was Gian who brought to my attention the two other vocalist for this project: Kristin Berardi and Matilda Abraham, both also from Australia but currently residing in Luzern and Berlin, respectively. As for the rhythm section, I wanted to keep things spare and fluid, thus my decision to avoid using chordal instruments, and the choice to invite my longtime collaborator Joe Sanders on bass as well as the always creative drummer Savannah Harris. At its core, tonight’s piece is about alignment, in all the senses of the word: including physical, psychological, and musical. The piece has both through-written and open sections to allow the musicians to play within and respond to the composition.
