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Embodied Hope

by Andrew Bain

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    High quality, 6 panel digifile with a velvety soft-touch laminate finish

    Includes unlimited streaming of Embodied Hope via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 5 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $10 USD or more 

     

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

    Comes with album artwork booklet PDF + album cover photo as a jpg
    Purchasable with gift card

      $7 USD  or more

     

1.
2.
Hope 12:12 video
3.
Practice 06:43
4.
5.
Surprise 06:01
6.
Listening 09:27
7.
Trust 11:01
8.

about

PERSONNEL

Andrew Bain - drums
George Colligan - piano
Jon Irabagon - tenor saxophone
Michael Janisch - double bass

ALBUM CREDITS

Recorded 11, November 2016 (Wincraft Studios, England)
Engineer - James Towler
Mixed by Alex Bonney
Mastered by Peter Beckman (Technology Works Mastering)
Artwork by Diana Mackie
Graphic Design by Elaine Crouch
Produced by Andrew Bain
Executive Producer - Michael Janisch

credits

released November 10, 2017

ABOUT THE ALBUM

New routes in musical exploration are at the heart of drummer Andrew Bain’s episodic suite, Embodied Hope – a project with pianist George Colligan, saxophonist Jon Irabagon and bassist Michael Janisch. An influential percussionist and educator based in Birmingham, England (and a first-call sideman both in the UK and the States), Bain’s own research has led him to study a concept which seeks to link improvisation with the increasingly topical issues of human rights, community and social transformation. Taking jazz as a metaphor for positive change in the world, and based on seven aspects – listening, surprise, accompaniment, practice, responsibility, trust and, ultimately, hope – this work is defined both by its distinct flexibility of expression and the quartet’s ongoing appraisal of what it progressively achieves.

Andrew Bain explains that, rather than counting himself as a composer, he’s a writer of music for improvisers: “Like all good music written with improvisation in mind, Embodied Hope starts with an idea and a vibe, as well as melodies, chord sequences, solo sections and as many boundaries as I want to provide. But apart from that, it’s all in flux and very much up to the band, even in terms of suite order, solo order, etc. I trust these guys with where they take things – an experimental journey evolving on the road, night after night”.

The approach is melodic and full of singable melodies originally conceived at the piano. Each movement is developed from a different perspective, with Bain’s intricate though powerful percussion subtly directing group improvisation; so rather than a stated theme and variations, there’s individual symbolism in each piece. ‘Surprise’ begins with a drum spotlight (so a surprise in itself), and then the solos from three written cues start to arrive – not in a traditional way, but by interrupting each other, challenging more conventional song formats. The free, opening section of ‘Listening’ sounds largely improvised, yet isn’t, because it grows out of ten specific lines of melody written in a similar key center (albeit with no set tempo); and the drummer reveals that ‘Accompaniment’ was originally intended as the ballad, a moment of solace: “But as we rehearsed, it became this classic Coltrane rumble-and-tumble, elevating it with some kind of higher energy. So, importantly, I realised that together we had decided this was something different, and it became the opener to the suite.”

Recorded on the twelfth day of a two-week tour of workshops, masterclasses and performances, the session presented its own challenge – after all, how is it possible for improvisers to decide on the definitive version of a constantly evolving work? But it’s precisely that captured moment in time from which the sparks of originality fly, whether through Jon Irabagon’s rapid sax invention in feverishly-swinging ‘Practise’, George Colligan’s typically artful Steely Dan quote in the solid groove of ‘Responsibility’ or a theme-tune-like amiability woven into ‘Trust’.

Echoing the album title, driving, anthemic ‘Hope’ synopsizes what has become important to the band in this process – how they have made it relevant to themselves through their social interaction; how the concept has literally been embodied as they have memorized the music; and the positivity arising from what they fashion and develop together. “The best music that I play is with musicians I really trust”, says Bain. “Not that it’s cosy and we all know what we’re going to do, but that we’re comfortable to push each other, over and over, with every performance. When you’re in that space, there are so many things the music could be… and that’s as good as it gets”.

PRESS HIGHLIGHTS

"​Bain's skilled and memorable compositions on Embodied Hope are expertly executed with first rate playing and shimmering moments of sheer brilliance.​"​
​★★★★​ ​All About Jazz​

“His own [Bain's] playing is a revelation as he combines power with detail and precision in a bright, busy, colourful and imaginative display behind the kit.”
★★★★ The Jazz Mann

"Ingenious writing devices that bely Bain’s modest claim that he’s a writer of music for improvisors rather than a composer... An uplifting listen."
Jazz Views

"Liquid, experimental magic conjured up by a group of talented improvisers caught on the wing."
Jazzwise Magazine

"Bain is always a vital driver behind the kit, ever engaged and urging his fellow players on.​.. and as a composer brings a strong melodic sense to his tunes.​"
London Jazz​

"Bain has gathered a group of fine musicians and created an impressive suite... A must hear."
Written in Music

"Funky piano, paint-stripping tenor from Irabagon, sound bass (as ever) from Janisch and amazing drumming from Andrew Bain"
Bebop Spoken Here

“Uplifting solos and mature musical dialogue from these top notch, virtuoso musicians.”
Jazzma

“A life-enhancing and hope-filled album.”
Sandy Brown Jazz

"Here's a quartet that knows exactly what it's doing... What separates them from the contemporary jazz pack is the speed of their responses."
Jazz Journal

“An uplifting surprise of an album and well worth exploring.”
Jazzma

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Andrew Bain Birmingham, UK

The Whirlwind Artist Page for drummer and composer Andrew Bain.

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