{"id":5906,"date":"2025-10-07T02:32:09","date_gmt":"2025-10-07T00:32:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.murielgrossmann.com\/?p=5906"},"modified":"2025-10-07T02:34:55","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T00:34:55","slug":"liner-notes-mg-bt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/murielgrossmann.com\/?p=5906","title":{"rendered":"ABOUT<\/span> THIS<\/span> ALBUM<\/span> \u2014 Muriel Grossmann Breakthrough"},"content":{"rendered":"

LINER<\/span> NOTES<\/span> by Sid<\/span> Schwartz : The Art of Let\u00adting Go<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The silent, spi\u00adra\u00adled groo\u00adve at the outer edge of a vinyl record that gui\u00addes the turntable\u2019s need\u00adle into the first track of the recor\u00adding is cal\u00adled the \u201clead-in groo\u00adve.\u201d Its pri\u00adma\u00adry pur\u00adpo\u00adse is to pro\u00advi\u00adde a momen\u00adta\u00adry buf\u00adfer befo\u00adre the music starts, allo\u00adwing the stylus to sett\u00adle into the groo\u00adve pro\u00adper\u00adly. On Breakth\u00adrough, it has a secon\u00adda\u00adry purpose.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Think of it as a bonus track that comes BEFORE<\/span> the record to PREPARE<\/span> you for the record.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The lead-in groo\u00adve is like the hush befo\u00adre slip\u00adping into sleep or the still\u00adness befo\u00adre a thunderstorm\u2014a pre\u00adsence of silence rather than an absence of sound. Like the uni\u00adver\u00adse taking a deep breath befo\u00adre the music unfolds, spa\u00adcious and unhur\u00adried. Once the aptly titled \u201cAlre\u00ada\u00addy Here\u201d emer\u00adges from this silence, it\u2019s as if the Muri\u00adel Gross\u00admann Quar\u00adtet has been play\u00ading fore\u00adver, and we\u2019ve only just remem\u00adbe\u00adred how to listen.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Muriel\u2019s ear\u00adly work balan\u00adced post-bop and modal jazz, dra\u00adwing on years of prac\u00adti\u00adce, disci\u00adpli\u00adne, and tou\u00adring. Her saxo\u00adpho\u00adne lines, laid over tight rhythm arran\u00adge\u00adments, empha\u00adsi\u00adzed line\u00adar solo\u00ading on albums like Birth of the Mys\u00adtery and Awa\u00adke\u00adning. Howe\u00adver, ele\u00adments of modal laye\u00adring and pati\u00adent, explo\u00adra\u00adto\u00adry impro\u00advi\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adons were clear and present\u2014Muriel\u2019s quests were just beginning.<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

On albums like Momen\u00adtum, Earth Tones, and Natu\u00adral Time, Muri\u00adel and her bands began a deeper dive into lon\u00adger-form works, inclu\u00adding modal struc\u00adtures, rhyth\u00admic medi\u00adta\u00adti\u00adons, and impro\u00advi\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adons. Repea\u00adted osti\u00adna\u00adtos and dro\u00adne-like har\u00admo\u00adnies crea\u00adted trance-like, medi\u00adta\u00adti\u00adve spaces that ope\u00adned doors to new instru\u00adments and ide\u00adas. Game\u00adlan and Afri\u00adcan rhyth\u00admic pat\u00adterns found a place in her com\u00adpo\u00adsi\u00adti\u00adons, while flu\u00adtes and addi\u00adtio\u00adnal saxo\u00adpho\u00adnes were added to her instru\u00admen\u00adtal arse\u00adnal. The music con\u00adtin\u00adued to expand in scope, with addi\u00adtio\u00adnal per\u00adcus\u00adsion and Ham\u00admond organ broa\u00adde\u00adning the sound\u00ads\u00adta\u00adge even fur\u00adther. The resul\u00adting medi\u00adta\u00adti\u00adve sound\u00adscapes blen\u00added cine\u00adma\u00adtic ambi\u00adent back\u00addrops with Col\u00adtra\u00adne-esque ques\u00adt\u00ading and occa\u00adsio\u00adnal exten\u00added vamps a la Pha\u00adro\u00adah Sanders.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

With Gol\u00adden Rule in 2018, Muriel\u2019s music ascen\u00added to an even hig\u00adher pla\u00adne, ushe\u00adring in an era of music roo\u00adted in spi\u00adri\u00adtua\u00adli\u00adty and rhythm. The medi\u00adta\u00adti\u00adve sound\u00adscapes on records like Rever\u00adence and Devo\u00adti\u00adon are lush and immersi\u00adve. Loo\u00adping pat\u00adterns, dro\u00adne-like ambi\u00adence, and spar\u00adse har\u00admo\u00adnic chan\u00adges pro\u00advi\u00adde a sen\u00adse of breathing and space, while an omni\u00adpre\u00adsent heart\u00adbeat brings each com\u00adpo\u00adsi\u00adti\u00adon to life.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The hyp\u00adno\u00adtic effects Muriel\u2019s music invokes\u2014and that her group explo\u00adres so deeply\u2014align with core prin\u00adci\u00adples of spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal jazz:<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Repe\u00adti\u00adti\u00adon isn\u2019t mono\u00adt\u00ado\u00adny, it\u2019s tran\u00ads\u00adcen\u00addence. Pati\u00adence isn\u2019t a vir\u00adtue, it\u2019s a teacher.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

On Breakth\u00adrough, Muri\u00adel Gross\u00admann con\u00adti\u00adnues a jour\u00adney that began with The Light of the Mind. This is music in ser\u00advice of some\u00adthing deeper than sound. Grossmann\u2019s visi\u00adon here draws on the<\/span><\/strong><\/span>
\nDzog\u00adchen prin\u00adci\u00adple of \u201cnon-meditation\u201d\u2014not a stri\u00adving for tran\u00ads\u00adcen\u00addence, but an allo\u00adwing. A loo\u00adsening. Like releasing a tight\u00adly bound bund\u00adle of sticks, the power of Breakth\u00adrough is not in addi\u00adti\u00adon but sub\u00adtrac\u00adtion, not to grasp but to open. In this let\u00adting go, a dif\u00adfe\u00adrent kind of cla\u00adri\u00adty emer\u00adges: one that was always the\u00adre beneath the noise.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The para\u00addox of \u201ceffort in doing not\u00adhing\u201d might fuel late-night con\u00adver\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adons or phi\u00adlo\u00adso\u00adphy semi\u00adnars. But Breakth\u00adrough tran\u00ads\u00adcends the shal\u00adlow\u00adness of tho\u00adse sil\u00adly argu\u00adments. This music is not the sound of buil\u00adding towards enligh\u00adten\u00adment, but of clea\u00adring. The vibe of let\u00adting some\u00adthing fall away. The illu\u00adsi\u00adon of struc\u00adtu\u00adre. The grip of expec\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon. The tidy boun\u00adda\u00adries that sepa\u00adra\u00adte self from sound, thought from rhythm, lis\u00adte\u00adner from music.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

You don\u2019t need to know Dzog\u00adchen (or even how to pro\u00adno\u00adun\u00adce it) to feel what\u2019s hap\u00adpe\u00adning. And you cer\u00adtain\u00adly don\u2019t need to label it \u201cspi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal jazz.\u201d Labels are hel\u00adpful until they aren\u2019t, and Breakth\u00adrough isn\u2019t here to match or chall\u00adenge your cate\u00adgo\u00adriza\u00adti\u00adon metho\u00addo\u00adlo\u00adgy. It\u2019s here to dis\u00adsol\u00adve it.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Grossmann\u2019s quar\u00adtet includes ste\u00adady, long\u00adtime col\u00adla\u00adbo\u00adra\u00adtors Rado\u00admir Milo\u00adj\u00adko\u00advic (gui\u00adtar), Abel Boquera (Ham\u00admond B3<\/span>, Fen\u00adder Rho\u00addes, Moog), and Uros Sta\u00admen\u00adko\u00advic (drums). Their deep cohe\u00adsi\u00adon allows a shared musi\u00adcal visi\u00adon to emer\u00adge natu\u00adral\u00adly, orga\u00adni\u00adcal\u00adly and effort\u00adless\u00adly expres\u00adsing the inex\u00adpres\u00adsi\u00adble. Their trust in the music and each other is what grants them this power and cla\u00adri\u00adty, with Breakth\u00adrough a new yet somehow very fami\u00adli\u00adar way\u00adpo\u00adint along the jour\u00adney that began with The Light of the Mind.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Alre\u00ada\u00addy Here\u201d opens the album by spea\u00adking direct\u00adly to that qua\u00adli\u00adty of recognition\u2014not dis\u00adco\u00advery, but remem\u00adbe\u00adring. Grossmann\u2019s saxo\u00adpho\u00adne does\u00adn\u2019t decla\u00adre its\u00adelf with a grand\u00adstan\u00adding solo. It emer\u00adges from the fabric of sound as if it\u2019s been the\u00adre the who\u00adle time. Abel Boquera\u2019s Ham\u00admond and Moog crea\u00adte an invi\u00adting, atmo\u00adsphe\u00adric tide that pro\u00advi\u00addes amp\u00adle waves for Muri\u00adel to surf, while Rado\u00admir Milojkovic\u2019s gui\u00adtar oscil\u00adla\u00adtes bet\u00adween tex\u00adtu\u00adre and melo\u00addy. A ten-minu\u00adte mid\u00adnight voya\u00adge on a lunar sea desti\u00adned to beco\u00adme a huge improv vehic\u00adle in the quartet\u2019s hands on the bandstand.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Indes\u00adtruc\u00adti\u00adble\u201d moves deeper into the modal space, its title both affir\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon and invi\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon. This is indes\u00adtruc\u00adti\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty not as hard\u00adness but as flow\u2014like water that can\u00adnot be bro\u00adken becau\u00adse it has no fixed form. Uros Stamenkovic\u2019s drum\u00adming pro\u00advi\u00addes not pro\u00adpul\u00adsi\u00adon but pul\u00adse, the heart\u00adbeat of awa\u00adre\u00adness its\u00adelf. It\u2019s also the sur\u00adpri\u00adse track of the album. While the title may not direct\u00adly nod to Art Blakey\u2019s Jazz Mes\u00adsen\u00adgers, the under\u00adly\u00ading hard-bop frame\u00adwork adds the swin\u00adging sound of sur\u00adpri\u00adse. If you haven\u2019t got\u00adten the mes\u00adsa\u00adge yet that expec\u00adta\u00adti\u00adons should be left at the door with your shoes, now\u2019s the time.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The album\u2019s second half opens with \u201cWho\u00adle As It Is\u201d\u2014nine minu\u00adtes of accep\u00adtance wit\u00adhout resi\u00adgna\u00adti\u00adon. Fea\u00adturing one of Milojkovic\u2019s most striking gui\u00adtar solos over sym\u00adpa\u00adthe\u00adtic sup\u00adport from Boquera and Sta\u00admen\u00adko\u00advic, \u201cWho\u00adle As It Is\u201d has an unde\u00adniable hook and a clear nar\u00adra\u00adti\u00adve arc. There\u2019s no mys\u00adti\u00adcism-for-hire here, no spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal jazz sna\u00adke oil. The\u00adse are the sounds of a band that belie\u00adves in music, and each other.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Abide\u201d clo\u00adses with a riff that\u2019s con\u00adfi\u00addent, haun\u00adting, and likely to get stuck in your head for a month. Though the word \u201cabide\u201d tech\u00adni\u00adcal\u00adly means to accept or act in accordance with, that\u2019s only 95% true. The groo\u00adve and solos con\u00adti\u00adnue the the\u00adme of reco\u00adgni\u00adzing what\u2019s alre\u00ada\u00addy pre\u00adsent, but they also lea\u00adve the door open. There\u2019s still more to release, and more to unco\u00adver. If The Light of the Mind was the begin\u00adning of the jour\u00adney and Breakth\u00adrough the main plot\u00adli\u00adne, \u201cAbide\u201d clo\u00adses the record with a sen\u00adse of addi\u00adtio\u00adnal pos\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adties, rather than clo\u00adsure or completeness.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00adre are two ways to hear Breakth\u00adrough. If you approach this music like try\u00ading to tight\u00adly grasp a handful of sand, you\u2019ll find that it will slip quick\u00adly through your fin\u00adgers. You\u2019ll have litt\u00adle left to show for your effort, except grit\u00adty palms and an urge to move on to your next acti\u00advi\u00adty. But if you\u2019re wil\u00adling to LET<\/span> GO<\/span>, the sand will fall through your fin\u00adgers at a graceful, mea\u00adsu\u00adred pace, invo\u00adking a fee\u00adling of smooth tran\u00adqui\u00adli\u00adty and unhur\u00adried pas\u00adsa\u00adge of time. Ins\u00adtead of the effort and ten\u00adsi\u00adon in attemp\u00adting to hold on, the rela\u00adxa\u00adti\u00adon of let\u00adting go frees your mind and body to dis\u00adco\u00adver new sen\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adons, new pat\u00adterns as the sand coll\u00adects at your feet, and new possibilities.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

And may\u00adbe a breakthrough.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

That breakth\u00adrough, final\u00adly, is reco\u00adgni\u00adzing that not\u00adhing new needs to break through. What we seek is what we are. What we are is what we\u2019\u00adve always been. The bund\u00adle of sticks was never bound. The door was never locked. The music was always playing.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

You only had to remem\u00adber to listen.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Words by Syd Schwartz @jazzandcoffee<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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

LINER<\/span> NOTES<\/span> by Sid Schwartz : The Art of Let\u00adting Go The silent, spi\u00adra\u00adled groo\u00adve at the outer edge of a vinyl record that gui\u00addes the turntable\u2019s need\u00adle into the first track of the recor\u00adding is cal\u00adled the \u201clead-in groo\u00adve.\u201d Its pri\u00adma\u00adry pur\u00adpo\u00adse is to pro\u00advi\u00adde a momen\u00adta\u00adry buf\u00adfer befo\u00adre the music starts, allo\u00adwing the stylus \u2026 ABOUT<\/span> THIS<\/span> ALBUM<\/span> \u2014 Muri\u00adel Gross\u00admann Breakth\u00adrough<\/span> weiterlesen<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5906","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-allgemein"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/murielgrossmann.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5906","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/murielgrossmann.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/murielgrossmann.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"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=5906"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/murielgrossmann.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5906\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5909,"href":"https:\/\/murielgrossmann.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5906\/revisions\/5909"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/murielgrossmann.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5906"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/murielgrossmann.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5906"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/murielgrossmann.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5906"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}