The Jamie Baum Septet +
In This Life
Sunnyside 1363
****
This album roars out of the opening gate with the
blistering “Nusrat,” a nod to Qawwali vocalist Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, whose
presence reverberates throughout the record. Baum opens everything up with a
short, breathy flute statement before the full band jumps in with the horns on
blast. Drummer Jeff Hirshfield’s splashy restraint is pushed relentlessly by
tabla player Dan Weiss who doubles up on the intensity as the furious melody
stutters with lightning speed. Guitarist Brad Shepik makes a jarring leap into
the madness towards the end, wielding enough might to cut a car in half. The
intensity pulls back for the next few tracks. The tribal funk of “Ants and
Other Fatihful Beings” is demolished by a jarring piano solo from John Escreet
that does not quite pair up with the meticulous arrangements of Baum’s melody
while “Richie’s Lament,” a tune dedicated to Richie Beirach, one of four listed
producers on the album, revels in space with a hymnal-like quality. Bass
clarinetist Douglas Yates ascends over that roominess with measured confidence. Baum
later tackles two compositions from Khan including “The Game” from his early
90s English fusion Mustt Mustt. The performance is driven by
Escreet’s bouncing simplicity with Shepik bubbling up in through the seams. The
tune is played like a fairly straight-forward jazz affair, eschewing the pop
production values of the original as well as the rugged melisma of Khan’s
vocals. It’s Pakistani origins are buried way deep. Baum’s long-gestating
record is heavily influenced by her travels in Southeast Asia but the overall
sound of the project cannot be pinpointed to any location on the globe. She
effortlessly blends seven or eight voices into an orchestra that at times feels
unstoppable.
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