art assignment ...

This disc Ambrose Akinmusire is a disappointment from my point of view. This young trumpet player who is in his thirties, was noted in three burgers well done (Prelude (To Cora), Do not Fight the Inevitable Consequences and especially the pianist John Escreet). He signed their third opus and his second leadeur appeared under the label Blue Note (When The Heart Emerges after Glistening released in 2011). A very talented trumpeter, certainly, but whose major flaw is to multiply more or less doloristes tracks. So of course it's beautiful, very beautiful, but my god it all feels complacency and mothballs. I know the music of Ambrose Akinmusire is under the spotlight at the moment (Jazz Mag of the last issue has even awarded an "IMPACT"). The taste and the musical language change from time to time. And Ambrose is right not to play the old mode (the neo-bop so dear to Marsalis, Pelt and many others). The taste should be the new, we are we rehashing. Either. It is also necessary to build a project that makes sense. Personally, despite the quality of the set (the album is still not bad), several things bother me here: First, it is this whiny mindset of our artist, and then all these voice a little too invasive ... It spoils the intent in my opinion. Too assignment kill the message ("Ceaseless Inexaustible Child" or the use of the voice of a kid of six years on "RollCall for Those Missing") pour into the syrupy, even in evangelical choruses; complacency and this way to the public like children, that which also provides some mixed feelings. Terence Blanchard with A Tale Of God's Will (published by Blue Note also) had shown the way anyway (after the passage of Hurricane Katrina .... he made the same kind of album "firefighter"). Weep, weep over the fate of the wounded of life. But do we not all in any degree whatsoever? Will you moan so far? Let us never forget that the assignment is still what spoils the most beautiful things (Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane and Miles had understood very well ...). Yet trumpet Akinmusire has that indescribable ... Lack of light just a little darkness and sincerity ... It's not all to do in the cross, still have to play it, it pulse, there is a suitable direction and a little darkness ...

From the post-Marsalis era, yet it is (certainly even) one of the best ambassadors of his instrument. A sincere welcome anyway. This latest album, The Imagined Savior is Far Easier to Paint is part of a logical continuity in terms of his previous album, and has of course some instrumental qualities (the intro to "I Nimah"). Sensitive work, very American was here in the soul, as evidenced by the opening theme, nostalgic ("Marie Christie"). This trumpeter Jeremy Pelt close (by phrasing) but much finally Christian Scott (in writing term, inspiration pulls jazz-pop raking off ...) has still the merit of renew in an album quite well constructed but which turns out in the end, despite the good will of its author, a beautiful tote peeping into a mystic and doleful sentimentality. Nothing revolutionary here, nothing new either. The intention of our artist, as is clear, is to make an impression on the detestable situation in the ghettos of a well chiselled writing with arrangements drawn by line but pulling a coquettish expression of this grace sometimes little understood we'll call "sentimentality" here, which, in some American artists, is the poetry of the heart reaches the surface of being, is pouring out into simpering in divine ways among musicians is called spiritual, thus giving results for the least disappointing. There would of course some against-examples, such as the surprising "Inflatedbyspinning" in which musicians demonstrate a spontaneous impulse. Of course, it is a very accessible jazz whose quality can not be questioned. But he should have in my opinion a more demanding artistic director. One may prefer a more invigorating jazz and taking more risks (such as that found at Jonathan Finlayson, Dave Douglas and especially Peter Evans, which in terms of musical and risk-taking ideas, are otherwise more subtle.

However, Ambrose Akinmusire offers some surprising compositions, although here and there we can mention a few doubts about the choice of speakers (which comes out for example this singer on "Our Basement"?). All in all an hour of music that is listened to with a lot of mixed feelings (of course in concert, I would move, the last beach is the most interesting title because it is a capture "live"). As I pointed out to the last album of Brian Blade (Landmarks, Blue Note 2014), there has to be a desire in many American artists to appease auditors (exaggerating the dramatic aspect or rather trying to to appease the extreme tensions that underlie the US company), and globally, to appease the current state of the world (buzzing in full boil). As if the musicians felt deeply the wounds, the torment of their contemporaries, with justifiable probably assignment (Akinmusire length returns to this teenager beaten by cops and still held in prison by now ...). So commitment, yes. But complacency assignment or not. Music is the universal language par excellence. There are feeling and saying anything our felt nothing would be unfortunate. Unfortunately, The Imagined ... is a product too consensual, that is its major flaw. The revolt of Max Roach (Freedom Now Suite We Insist!) Or more recently, the anger of a Matana Roberts (Coin Coin Chapter One: Gens De color seem more carriers of meaning here all n. is not catastrophic but sometimes these records speak volumes about the gloom of our world, as if whatever turbulent was about to happen, or burst. The end of a beginning, incipit ... While others play, not to appease but to decide ... They approach rather "Nietzschean" of music (I think of the trumpeter Peter Evans therefore, but also the saxophonist Ivo Perelman, the pianist Matthew Shipp, and closer to home, all these European musicians, as extraordinary saxophonist what Matthew Donarier). No comparison. None not complacency about current events. This is not the same philosophy jazz anyway. Meanwhile, do not spoil this meager pleasure, one can listen to The Imagined ... as if you would just a few crumbs ... Sorry for being so long and so painful .. . 3 stars (because I'm not too bad guy on this one then ...).