Grass Roots by Grass Roots : Sean Conly / Alex Harding / Darius Jones / Chad Taylor

[AUM075]

Darius Jones: alto sax, composition
Alex Harding: baritone sax, composition
Sean Conly: bass, composition
Chad Taylor: drums, composition

essence treatise from the group:

A GRASS ROOTS musical movement implies that the creation of the music and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures within the arts/music community. Grassroots music is made at the local level, not designed like a corporate product. It is like a home cooked meal, simmered long with lots of love, for a fuller flavor than its mainstream counterparts. GRASS ROOTS is made up of a unique group of musicians who believe in the power of music to change our reality. They have volunteered their time and efforts to this music with dedication and care, just as many other volunteers in the community have given their time to supporting local concerts. This intensive aural sharing can lead to helping the international fellowship of man: musicians, thinkers, listeners, in other words – all of us!


"We bear witness to the hive mind in the music itself. A shared ecstasy shines forth in each second of this recording — what an amazing thing to celebrate." –Bryon Hayes, Exclaim!

"The strong personalities of everyone come out on these recordings, not in competition but in cooperation. Harding’s burly baritone finds companionship with Jones’ passionate, room-filling alto. Conly and Taylor proactively initiate the direction of a song, providing guidelines that the saxophonists can easily exploit. Sharply defined blues or r&b themes serve as launching pads for abstract expeditions. The mixture of spontaneity with clear-cut harmonic construction is made possible by the symbiosis forged. Grass Roots’ first project fulfills the promise of its members, and then some." –S. Victor Aaron, Something Else!

"When [Jones and Harding] pair up for the sprinting melody lines that launch many of these pieces, it’s honestly one of the most exhilarating sounds in jazz circa 2012. Conly and Taylor are a loose but keenly attuned rhythm section, locked in with each other and swinging like mad. A multifaceted and carefully considered record that also happens to muster an almost convulsive energy."
–Phil Freeman, Burning Ambulance

"Brap! There are few sounds as satisfying as the brassy belch of a baritone sax. Like The Thing’s Mats Gustafsson, Alex Harding treats his baritone as an extension of the rhythm section, anchoring the pieces with fat, stomping riffs. But he also uses it as a lead instrument, coaxing lyrical phrases and atavistic howls from its valves, around which the brilliant altoist Darius Jones ducks and weaves. Taking in bluesy free-bop, exotic Ethio-jazz, and avant-garde abstractions, Grass Roots remains remarkably cohesive, distinguished by its taught and muscular post-hip hop sound, and the group’s highly sensitive use of space." –Stewart Smith, The List

"This rough-and-ready avant-garde cohort has a searing new album, its self-titled debut. A mix of loosely sketched compositions (by all four members) and collective free improvisation, it embraces the lineage of 1970s free jazz, without succumbing to fixed nostalgia."
–Nate Chinen, The New York Times

"Grass Roots effortlessly bounce from epic blues 'n' soul throb, swinging be-bop, improvisational wizardry and chaotic skronking, sometimes all within the same composition.
–Brad Cohan, Village Voice

"According to Merriam-Webster’s English Dictionary, the primary definition of grass roots is “the very foundation or source.” Rarely however, has “the very foundation or source” of an art form been as raw as the torrid expressionism featured on the self-titled AUM Fidelity debut of the cooperative American quartet Grass Roots. Hailing from various locations across the country, the muscular front line is comprised of Richmond, Virginia-born alto saxophone phenomenon Darius Jones and Detroit native Alex Harding on baritone saxophone, with the elastic rhythm section consisting of bassist Sean Conly, originally from Kansas City, and Chicago-raised drummer Chad Taylor.

"As the most visibly celebrated member, Jones hardly needs an introduction; his four previous AUM Fidelity releases have deservedly garnered widespread critical acclaim. His singular approach to the alto exudes a deep, soulful authenticity that hearkens back to the rugged individualism of a previous era. Although Jones’ star is on the rise, Harding’s stalwart reputation has been well documented as a sideman in the bands of Ahmed Abdullah, Hamiet Bluiett and Elliott Sharp, as well as a bandleader of his own accord. Inspired in part by Jones’ unfettered zeal, Harding holds his own in the upstart’s company, matching each of Jones’ trenchant cries, guttural slurs and multiphonic bellows with his own equally ecstatic variations. Taylor’s work with Rob Mazurek in various editions of the Chicago Underground collective and an assortment of non-jazz related artists – such as Iron and Wine and Sam Prekop – instills his attentive trap set permutations with an omnifarious sensibility comparable to Conly’s malleable bass technique. In addition to performing in Jones’ regular quartet, Conly’s diverse resume boasts sideman gigs with an array of musicians, including Regina Carter, Paquito De Rivera and Greg Tardy. Together these four sublimate ego for mutual ideology; each contributes to the writing process, with obvious consideration paid towards maintaining a unified group sound.

"Even at their most outward bound, as on the manic collective improvisation, “Ricochet,” they manage to maintain a sense of focused identity. Their predilection for New Thing-era aesthetics manifests immediately on the spirited opener, “Hotttness,” which alternates between episodes of Ayler-esque frenzy and Arkestra inspired groove – a creative arc that similarly underscores tunes like “Lovelorn” and “Schnibbett.” The latter number demonstrates the group’s effortless mastery over modulating tempos and sudden shifts in texture and tone, segueing gracefully from coiled angularity and hushed pointillism to affecting catharsis. Whether careening with virtuosic precision on the old fashioned swinger “Flight AZ” or regaling with phantasmagoric detail on the impressionistic tone poem “Hovering Above,” Grass Roots conveys the egalitarian nature behind its name with infectious enthusiasm."

–Troy Collins, Point of Departure


Original AUM Fidelity exhortation text from 2012:

Grass Roots members: alto saxophonist/composer Darius Jones has been astonishing folks with his voluminous gifts since arriving in NYC, and worldwide since the release of his debut, Man’ish Boy (A Raw & Beautiful Thing), in 2009. Drummer/composer Chad Taylor has contributed extensively to the greatness of both the Chicago and New York music scenes; his long-running Chicago Underground Duo/Trio/Quartet/Orchestra project with cornetist Rob Mazurek has brought him perhaps the greatest acclaim to date. Taylor’s previous blessed appearance on AUM Fidelity was as 1/3 of Triptych Myth’s The Beautiful [ https://aumfidelity.bandcamp.com/album/the-beautiful ]. Alex Harding is one of the very few modern musicians who have mastered the baritone saxophone, and he has performed and/or recorded with everyone from David Murray to Aretha Franklin; Sun Ra Arkestra to Angélique Kidjo. Most recently, he is an original cast/band member of the musical FELA! (both on Broadway and the traveling group). Bassist/composer Sean Conly has been integrally active in numerous NYC jazz scenes since the mid-90s, touring and/or recording with a vast array of artists, from Andrew Hill to Regina Carter; Paquito DeRivera to Stefon Harris.

Because each member of Grass Roots composes for this group, each track (in its multiple layers) is distinct unto itself yet integral to the whole. Their sectional arrangements evince great thought & attention to detail; the performances thereof always bring the soul of unfettered expression. Orchestral fanfares evolve into monster grooves with longing melodies; gloriously searing free sections lock down again into monster grooves. Mackadocious!

[ The final piece on the album, improvised at the conclusion of the session, after the principal work had been accomplished, is something else entirely. While listening, my own mind conjures an alien landscape rich with flora and fauna, which the group then proceeds to explore, seemingly from the perspective of a giant dragonfly. ]


* Full art & notes included as PDF booklet with Digital Album. 

Darius Jones has created a recognizable voice as a critically acclaimed saxophonist and composer by embracing individuality and innovation in the tradition of African-American music. Jones’ music is a confrontation against apathy and ego, hoping to inspire authenticity that compels us to be better humans.

Photograph by
Ebru Yildiz

dariusjonesmusic.com
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