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STEVEN BERNSTEIN - DIASPORA SUITE (CD)Steven Bernstein Diaspora Suite On CD The ever-prolific trumpeter, arranger, composer and bandleader Steven Bernstein is back with his latest recording Diaspora Suite, the fourth installment from his critically-acclaimed Diaspora series on Tzadik Records. True to the high standards set by its predecessors, Diaspora Suite further evolves the concept of radical Jewish music, however, this time around Bernstein contributes all twelve original compositions. The music was recorded in one day during a marathon session at Bay Studios in Bernstein’s hometown of Oakland. He was joined by a nonet of fellow California-native musicians, including Jeff Cressman on trombone, Peter Apfelbaum on tenor saxophone and flute, Ben Goldberg on clarinets, Nels Cline, John Schott and Will Bernard on guitars, Devin Hoff on bass, and Josh Jones and Scott Amendola on drums and percussion. Channeling the Sephardic tradition of darkness and light, Bernstein presented the musicians with a loose sketch of the music they’d be recording and left the rest up to divine intervention, not to mention the adroit improvisational skills of his collaborators. Bernstein allowed the music to be heavily influence by the music he grew up with. The very idea for such an approach was an evolution in and of itself. First, Tzadik Records’ founder, John Zorn, strongly encouraged Bernstein to focus exclusively on original material for his next Diaspora project. With that thought in mind, the Diaspora Suite concept snapped into focus for Bernstein when performing at Robert Altman’s memorial service. He’d previously worked with the legendary movie director scoring the music for his film Kansas City. Altman had always been a proponent of improvisation within his work, creating a framework for the storyline, but largely allowing the actors to develop their characters on the screen. The dynamics of such a path can clearly be heard within the sprawling performances captured on Diaspora Suite. The line-up features some of Steven Bernstein’s oldest friends (Peter Apfelbaum, Jeff Cressman and Bernstein have been playing music together since the sixth grade). Also within the Diaspora Suite band are five original members of the Hieroglyphics Ensemble. The chemistry is palatable as soaring horn figures break apart on cue, giving way to fearless improvisations like the solos by Schott and Apfelbaum on “Simeon (Yis May Chu).” It’s easy to envision the frenetic bandleader madly conducting the ensemble in the studio. The sparse, intertwining saxophone, trumpet and clarinet lines on “Asher” are supported by a delicate arrangement that pairs a perfect combination of finesse and grit. One might deduct that Bernstein grew up with The Fillmore West in his backyard by the blazing psychedelia and guitar freak-outs of “Zebulon.” It’s precisely this kind of fierce and fearless improvisation that defines Diaspora Suite from track to track. Steven Bernstein Diaspora Suite Track Listing 1. Reuben |
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