{"id":5533,"date":"2023-10-31T23:52:38","date_gmt":"2023-10-31T22:52:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.murielgrossmann.com\/?page_id=5533"},"modified":"2023-11-01T00:00:01","modified_gmt":"2023-10-31T23:00:01","slug":"liner-notes-devotion","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/murielgrossmann.com\/?page_id=5533","title":{"rendered":"About this album  \u2014 DEVOTION<\/span>"},"content":{"rendered":"


\nLINER<\/span> NOTES<\/span>  \u2014 DEVOTION<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

   The word \u201cDevo\u00adti\u00adon,\u201d the title of saxo\u00adpho\u00adnist \/ com\u00adpo\u00adser Muri\u00adel Grossmann\u2019s new album, is defi\u00adned by Websters as \u201creli\u00adgious fer\u00advor, pie\u00adty,\u201d or \u201can act of pray\u00ader or pri\u00adva\u00adte wor\u00adship.\u201d Fur\u00adther, it car\u00adri\u00ades \u201cthe act of dedi\u00adca\u00adting some\u00adthing to a cau\u00adse, enter\u00adpri\u00adse, or acti\u00advi\u00adty; the fact or sta\u00adte of being ardent\u00adly dedi\u00adca\u00adted and loy\u00adal.\u201d Grossmann\u2019s music rich\u00adly illus\u00adtra\u00adtes both shades of the word\u2019s mea\u00adning. Devo\u00adti\u00adon is a dedi\u00adca\u00adted aural enga\u00adge\u00adment with extre\u00adme\u00adly talen\u00adted musi\u00adci\u00adans. It reflects a deep spi\u00adri\u00adtua\u00adli\u00adty in com\u00adpo\u00adsi\u00adti\u00adon, expres\u00adsi\u00adon dis\u00adco\u00advery through kalei\u00addo\u00adsco\u00adpic, 21st cen\u00adtu\u00adry jazz.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Gross\u00admann was born in Paris, rai\u00adsed in Aus\u00adtria, and began clas\u00adsi\u00adcal flu\u00adte stu\u00addies at five. She did\u00adn\u2019t begin play\u00ading the saxo\u00adpho\u00adne until she was 21, and for years, only the alto and sopra\u00adno. She taught hers\u00adelf by play\u00ading along with records by Char\u00adlie Par\u00adker, Can\u00adnon\u00adball Adder\u00adley and Ger\u00adry Mul\u00adligan. After picking up the tenor years later she immer\u00adsed hers\u00adelf into the music of Eddie \u201cLock\u00adjaw\u201d Davis, Stan\u00adley Tur\u00adren\u00adti\u00adne and Illi\u00adnois Jac\u00adquet, all of whom influen\u00adced the soul jazz era. She embo\u00addi\u00aded tho\u00adse influen\u00adces as signi\u00adfiers for one of the most iden\u00adti\u00adfy\u00ading aspects of Grossmann\u2019s sound: The reli\u00adance on groo\u00adve. After com\u00adple\u00adting for\u00admal music stu\u00addies, she play\u00aded and tou\u00adred with various funk, R&<\/span>B, world music, and jazz groups. Gross\u00admann moved to Spain in 2002, and began lea\u00adding her own bands. <\/span><\/p>\n

    Two years later she relo\u00adca\u00adted to Ibi\u00adza, her base ever sin\u00adce. The atmo\u00adsphe\u00adre of the tro\u00adpi\u00adcal island loca\u00adle and its mul\u00adti\u00adva\u00adlent cul\u00adtu\u00adre influen\u00adced her jour\u00adney as an artist. Her debut as a lea\u00adder in 2008 with the record Quar\u00adtet appeared on her own Dream\u00adland\u00adre\u00adcords. Then, as now, Grossmann\u2019s deep\u00adly com\u00admit\u00adted DIY<\/span> aes\u00adthe\u00adtic super\u00advi\u00adses every aspect of recor\u00adding, pro\u00adduc\u00adtion and pre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon inclu\u00adding pain\u00adting her record covers. She cut it with a quar\u00adtet that included Bel\u00adgra\u00adde-born gui\u00adta\u00adrist Rado\u00admir Milo\u00adj\u00adko\u00advic, her con\u00adstant col\u00adla\u00adbo\u00adra\u00adtor ever sin\u00adce and the rhythm sec\u00adtion com\u00adpo\u00adsed of Mar\u00adko Jela\u00adca on drums and David Mar\u00adro\u00adquin on bass. An exer\u00adcise in crystal\u00adli\u00adne, swin\u00adging post bop, it drew posi\u00adti\u00adve noti\u00adce from the Euro\u00adpean music press and resul\u00adted in her play\u00ading more gigs. 2010\u2019s Birth of the Mys\u00adtery moved out\u00adside musi\u00adcal\u00adly, wit\u00adhout sacri\u00adfi\u00adci\u00adng the trade\u00admark wel\u00adco\u00adming har\u00admo\u00adnic sen\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty. 2016\u2019s Natu\u00adral Time with Milo\u00adj\u00adko\u00advic, dou\u00adble bas\u00adsist Gina Schwarz and drum\u00admer Uros Sta\u00admen\u00adko\u00advic, offe\u00adred an airy, open, enga\u00adge\u00adment with dro\u00adnes and end\u00adless\u00adly cir\u00adcu\u00adlar rhyth\u00adms. 2017\u2019s Momen\u00adtum, with its flou\u00adris\u00adhes of spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal soul jazz, blue\u00adsy gui\u00adtars and exten\u00added com\u00adpo\u00adsi\u00adti\u00adons, was regard\u00aded by some cri\u00adtics as a modern jazz masterpiece. <\/span><\/p>\n

    2018\u2019s Gol\u00adden Rule rea\u00adched a new water\u00admark. Gross\u00admann play\u00aded tenor and sopra\u00adno saxo\u00adpho\u00adne; its music was dedi\u00adca\u00adted to the influen\u00adces of John Col\u00adtra\u00adne \u2013 check the stun\u00adning sopra\u00adno vehic\u00adle, \u201cTran\u00ade\u00ading In.\u201d Seve\u00adral cri\u00adtics remark\u00aded on her abili\u00adty to make serious\u00adly sophisti\u00adca\u00adted jazz sound fun. Her quartet\u2019s disci\u00adpli\u00adned col\u00adla\u00adbo\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon resul\u00adted from play\u00ading in front of very diver\u00adse audi\u00aden\u00adces, espe\u00adci\u00adal\u00adly at home. They offe\u00adred audi\u00aden\u00adces a testi\u00adfy\u00ading, poly\u00adrhyth\u00admic, and dra\u00adma\u00adti\u00adcal\u00adly explo\u00adsi\u00adve brand of spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal jazz. 2019\u2019s album Rever\u00adence added Ham\u00admond B\u20113 orga\u00adnist Loren\u00e7 Bar\u00adce\u00adlo to excel\u00adlent effect. The bubbling groo\u00adves gene\u00adra\u00adted by gui\u00adtar and organ were employ\u00aded with lay\u00aders of per\u00adcus\u00adsion and dro\u00adning bass\u00adli\u00adnes, updating the astral jazz of Col\u00adtra\u00adne, Pha\u00adro\u00adah San\u00adders and Ali\u00adce Col\u00adtra\u00adne. She con\u00adtin\u00adued recon\u00adside\u00adring her ear\u00adlier music with this approach too. 2020\u2019s Quiet Earth included four long com\u00adpo\u00adsi\u00adti\u00adons, two of which were sub\u00adstan\u00adti\u00adal\u00adly revi\u00adsio\u00adned ver\u00adsi\u00adons of tunes that ori\u00adgi\u00adnal\u00adly appeared on the 2013 album Awa\u00adke\u00adning. 2021\u2019s Uni\u00adon \u2013 sans Schwarz \u2013 offe\u00adred more sub\u00adstan\u00adti\u00adal\u00adly rework\u00aded ver\u00adsi\u00adons of ear\u00adlier com\u00adpo\u00adsi\u00adti\u00adons that had evol\u00adved from having been per\u00adfor\u00admed live for years. 2022\u2019s Uni\u00adver\u00adsal Code, found Schwarz rejoi\u00adning the group for three tracks. Throug\u00adhout the band seam\u00adless\u00adly wed spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal and modal modern jazz explo\u00adra\u00adti\u00adons to deep, often blues-tin\u00adged, airy grooves.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Devo\u00adti\u00adon, Grossmann\u2019s debut for Jack White\u2019s U.S.-based Third Man Records label, con\u00adti\u00adnues her musi\u00adcal evo\u00adlu\u00adti\u00adon, arri\u00adving at a sound that wears inspi\u00adra\u00adti\u00adons trans\u00adpar\u00adent\u00adly, but in prac\u00adti\u00adce, is mark\u00aded\u00adly ori\u00adgi\u00adnal holi\u00adstic work. It is titled after Grossmann\u2019s expe\u00adri\u00adence of a natu\u00adral sen\u00adse of devo\u00adti\u00adon that aro\u00adse from her Bud\u00addhist medi\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon prac\u00adti\u00adce. She says, \u201cnoti\u00adcing that sounds are dis\u00adsol\u00adving into the vast emp\u00adty space, the true natu\u00adre of rea\u00adli\u00adty. Just as thoughts are always dis\u00adsol\u00adving into the still\u00adness of our mind, we slow\u00adly rea\u00adli\u00adze that the essence of our mind is cla\u00adri\u00adty \u2026 This rea\u00adliza\u00adti\u00adon puts us on the path to con\u00adfi\u00addence; it and trust are the basis of devotion.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

    Musi\u00adcal\u00adly, the\u00adse works repre\u00adsent a new sonic and aes\u00adthe\u00adtic out\u00adpost for Grossmann\u2019s quar\u00adtet, now intro\u00addu\u00adcing Abel Boquera on Ham\u00admond B\u20113 as a new mem\u00adber of the Muri\u00adel Gross\u00admann Quar\u00adtet. Tota\u00adling over 90 minu\u00adtes, the\u00adse seven works are long and inves\u00adti\u00adga\u00adti\u00adve. Ope\u00adner \u201cAbso\u00adlu\u00adte Truth,\u201d spends the first two of its near\u00adly 22 minu\u00adtes with abs\u00adtract slide gui\u00adtar, hove\u00adring B\u20113 ellip\u00adses, and a pul\u00adse of soft\u00adly gene\u00adra\u00adted, puls\u00ading rims\u00adhots. When Gross\u00admann enters on tenor, she is play\u00ading a hard bop vamp that resem\u00adbles a late 1950s Blue Note date. Boquera lays down a sup\u00adport\u00ading pat\u00adtern that Milo\u00adj\u00adko\u00advic appen\u00adds empa\u00adthe\u00adti\u00adcal\u00adly. The drums begin dri\u00adving, as the band emer\u00adges with a cir\u00adcu\u00adlar groo\u00adve that tou\u00adch\u00ades on rock, modal and soul jazz for\u00adma\u00adlism, with advan\u00adced rhyth\u00admic syn\u00adco\u00adpa\u00adti\u00adon. Its various stages find the saxo\u00adpho\u00adnist and her band\u00adma\u00adtes \u2013 par\u00adti\u00adcu\u00adlar\u00adly Milo\u00adj\u00adko\u00advic \u2013 solo\u00ading with aban\u00addon, even as they rein\u00adforce a trance-indu\u00adcing groo\u00adve. \u201cCalm\u201d is intro\u00addu\u00adced in quiet abs\u00adtrac\u00adtion from gui\u00adtar and orga\u00adnic per\u00adcus\u00adsion befo\u00adre Boquera, Milo\u00adj\u00adko\u00advic, and Gross\u00admann assert a dyna\u00admic vamp. An edgy blues-tin\u00adged rock gui\u00adtar riff prods organ and tenor sax in a slow\u00adly unf\u00adur\u00adling medi\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon on soulful funk. \u201cCare\u201d is organ-fue\u00adled soul jazz, an excel\u00adlent show\u00adca\u00adse for Boquera\u2019s advan\u00adced play\u00ading as Stamenkovic\u2019s slip\u00adpery, flu\u00adid, sna\u00adre and hi-hat breaks urge him on. When Gross\u00admann joins to solo, she moves across the R&<\/span>B of her ear\u00adly influen\u00adces, Son\u00adny Roll\u00adins asser\u00adti\u00adve, raw lyri\u00adcism, and her own post bop vocabulary.<\/span><\/p>\n

     \u201cKnow\u00adledge and Wis\u00addom\u201d is kissed by psy\u00adche\u00adde\u00adlia, Indi\u00adan music (Gross\u00admann plays tam\u00adbou\u00adra and dro\u00adnes). Ope\u00adning with spec\u00adtral per\u00adcus\u00adsion, B\u20113 and fin\u00adger\u00adpi\u00adcked elec\u00adtric gui\u00adtars, its blue\u00adsy rock frame brea\u00adthes its pul\u00adse as Grossmann\u2019s lithe flu\u00adte and sopra\u00adno horn find and elu\u00adci\u00adda\u00adte a con\u00adtem\u00adpla\u00adti\u00adve lyri\u00adcal pro\u00adgres\u00adsi\u00adon. In \u201cAll Heart\u201d Latin and Afri\u00adcan poly\u00adrhyth\u00adms col\u00adl\u00adi\u00adde, swirl and com\u00adbi\u00adne in forceful, righ\u00adteous\u00adly fun\u00adky, hard swin\u00adging post bop. The title track\u2019s flu\u00adte, mar\u00adti\u00adal sna\u00adre, and orga\u00adnic hand per\u00adcus\u00adsion recall the Rising Sun Fife and Drum Ensem\u00adble (ori\u00adgi\u00adnal\u00adly led by ear\u00adly blues inno\u00adva\u00adtor Otha Tur\u00adner, and curr\u00adent\u00adly by grand\u00add\u00adaugh\u00adter Shar\u00adde Tho\u00admas) in evo\u00adking the spi\u00adrit of field hol\u00adlers that evol\u00adved into the Del\u00adta blues. Milo\u00adj\u00adko\u00advic honors the tra\u00addi\u00adti\u00adon with a win\u00adding slide blues inves\u00adti\u00adga\u00adti\u00adon buoy\u00aded by Stamenkovic\u2019s pun\u00adchy drums and Boquera\u2019s edgy B\u20113. Grossmann\u2019s alto wan\u00adders across ter\u00adrain com\u00adbi\u00adning modal jazz, funk, and soul jazz, as the quar\u00adtet begin to open the mode and jour\u00adney with her \u2013 check Milojkovic\u2019s spacey slide runs befo\u00adre Gross\u00admann returns to the jaun\u00adty the\u00adme befo\u00adre fading it out.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Clo\u00adser \u201cMother of All\u201d is intro\u00addu\u00adced by the group\u2019s modal cre\u00adscen\u00addo led by the tenor. Gross\u00admann is a devo\u00adted mother, and her voca\u00adti\u00adon has cer\u00adtain\u00adly influen\u00adced her music. In Bud\u00addhist thought, becau\u00adse of rein\u00adcar\u00adna\u00adti\u00adon, we have all been mothers to vir\u00adtual\u00adly every being across limit\u00adless time, and con\u00adse\u00adquent\u00adly been mothe\u00adred by them too. The lyric line, car\u00adri\u00aded by sax and organ is framed in illus\u00adtra\u00adti\u00adve chord voi\u00adcings from Milo\u00adj\u00adko\u00advic and almost con\u00adstant\u00adly rol\u00adling drums that never lose the rhyth\u00admic thread. Milo\u00adj\u00adko\u00advic solos first, offe\u00adring knot\u00adty arpeg\u00adgi\u00ados in a pun\u00adchy run that accents the chan\u00adges \u2013 one can hear the influen\u00adces of Grant Green and Pat Mar\u00adti\u00adno in his play\u00ading. Grossmann\u2019s adven\u00adtur\u00adous tenor solo weds forceful yet intri\u00adca\u00adte post bop with modal Eas\u00adtern jazz and mutant hard bop \u2013 ala Son\u00adny Roll\u00adins \u2013 while the band swings like mad around her. <\/span><\/p>\n

    Devo\u00adti\u00adon is the sound of this group\u2019s see\u00admingly limit\u00adless brand of sonic inquiry through Grossmann\u2019s com\u00adpo\u00adsi\u00adti\u00adons. This album simul\u00adta\u00adneous\u00adly offers the sound of an ensem\u00adble that has per\u00adfec\u00adted the col\u00adla\u00adbo\u00adra\u00adti\u00adve pro\u00adcess. They chart initi\u00adal\u00adly amor\u00adphous sonic ter\u00adrains to estab\u00adlish a uni\u00adon bet\u00adween the pro\u00adcess of crea\u00adti\u00adve inquiry and dis\u00adco\u00advery to deli\u00adver tran\u00ads\u00adcen\u00addence across the uni\u00adver\u00adse of music itself.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thom Jurek is seni\u00ador wri\u00adter and edi\u00adtor at the All-Music Gui\u00adde and allmusic.com.<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u21d0<\/a> <\/span>back to shop page<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

LINER<\/span> NOTES<\/span>  \u2014 DEVOTION<\/span>    The word \u201cDevo\u00adti\u00adon,\u201d the title of saxo\u00adpho\u00adnist \/ com\u00adpo\u00adser Muri\u00adel Grossmann\u2019s new album, is defi\u00adned by Websters as \u201creli\u00adgious fer\u00advor, pie\u00adty,\u201d or \u201can act of pray\u00ader or pri\u00adva\u00adte wor\u00adship.\u201d Fur\u00adther, it car\u00adri\u00ades \u201cthe act of dedi\u00adca\u00adting some\u00adthing to a cau\u00adse, enter\u00adpri\u00adse, or acti\u00advi\u00adty; the fact or sta\u00adte of being ardent\u00adly \u2026 About this album  \u2014 DEVOTION<\/span><\/span> weiterlesen<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5533","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/murielgrossmann.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5533","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/murielgrossmann.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/murielgrossmann.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/murielgrossmann.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/murielgrossmann.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5533"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/murielgrossmann.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5533\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5542,"href":"https:\/\/murielgrossmann.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5533\/revisions\/5542"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/murielgrossmann.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5533"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}