Five contemplative albums
reflecting on the dramatic start to the second quarter of the century
We stand at the precipice of a deeply transformative year. Amidst high anxiety and uncertainty, it’s important to take time to detatch and re-center. I’ve picked five albums on recent rotation that have been bringing me peace and/or inspiring me, in no particular order.
Gerald Clayton - Bells On Sand (2022)
This 2022 album from six-time Grammy nominee Gerald Clayton is a stunning release that is both firmly Jazz and yet bursting at the seams with influences from other genres - including classical and hip-hop. With a hand-picked group of guest musicians supporting him, Gerald clearly had the goal of paying homage to his past while looking to the future evolution of his music with new inspiration.
“Each musician on the record represents a different aspect of the axis of time and its shifting sands…My father and Charles Lloyd, who has been a mentor figure to me, reflect new permutations of my past, and the lineage of elders who have shaped my development; Justin Brown, being my contemporary and musical brother, represents my present; and MARO represents the future—she is part of the next generation, and points to a brand new collaboration.” (1)
The album wavers between contemplative compositions - including a few from the late Federico Mompou - to two takes on the standard ‘My Ideal,’ to a couple tracks in tribute to mentors and friends - ‘That Roy’ with its hip-hop undercurrents pays tribute to the late Roy Hargrove, for example. The album as a whole ends up being a loving nod to Gerald’s inspirations and an embrace of the future, closing the album with a loving pared back cover of his late uncle Jeff Clayton’s composition, the beautiful ‘There is Music Where You’re Going My Friends.’
Lyle Brewer - Get It Together (2019)
This release from guitarist Lyle Brewer, while technically an album, comes in at only 23 minutes long, featuring short melodic vignettes for solo guitar that are reminiscent of etude study. This is somewhat fitting, given Lyle is a professor of guitar at Berklee College of Music in Boston.
While he has toured with various acts over the years, he also releases the occasional solo guitar album like this one. This is an album I recommend listening to in its entirety in a single sitting.
Jaden Evans - Evans on Evans (2024)
When I first heard about this album from Jaden - grandchild of the legendary Bill Evans - I couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous for him. It takes great bravery to release a debut album at 16 years old, much less one filled with reinterpretations of classic and beloved Bill Evans compositions. However, Jaden managed to succeed with both paying homage to his late grandfather and infusing his own touch.
The selection of tracks here is fantastic, especially given the volume of work to choose from. Some stand outs include ‘Peace Piece’ - which originally was a very mellow solo work now reinterpreted with percussion; a fabulous take on ‘Very Early’ with excellent playing from Vicente Archer on Bass and Marcus Gilmore on Drums; and the absolutely gorgeous ‘For Nenette’ - a song originally written for Bill’s wife (Jaden’s grandmother).
One can only imagine how meaningful it has been to record and release this album, giving him an opportunity to reach back to connect with his heritage, especially considering Bill passed away decades before Jaden was born. I look forward to hearing more from Jaden in the future as he continues to forge his own path and musical perspective.
OHMA - On Loving Earth (2024)
OHMA, comprised of Mia Garcia and Hailey Niswanger (Clairo’s saxophonist/flutist), recorded and released this album as ‘an offering of love to Mother Earth.’ The entire set was recorded live on site at Zorthian Ranch in Altadena, California, straight to a vintage Nagra IV-S reel to reel tape machine, which captured the sound of the environment around them - from running water, to the animals. The result is a beautiful selection of songs with a dream-like quality to them, making this album deeply meditative and reflective. As another reviewer stated, this album is both ‘a mirror and a portal.’
Unfortunately, the recent fires in California destroyed much of the Zorthian Ranch, as well as Hailey Niswanger’s home - making this album both an offering of love and a memorial for these spaces, serving as a reminder that beauty is fleeting and of the fragility of life.
Jordi Forniés: Hela Nokto (2024)
Hela Nokto - or Bright Night in Esperanto - is a collection of ‘nocturnes’ composed by Jordi Forniés, a multi-disciplinary artist and composer from Spain (now residing in Singapore). His second album release, Hela Nokto features both solo piano tracks as well as others with lush string orchestration.
Songs like ‘How Would I Know?’ feel like a dance under the moonlight, while the title track (and album closer) illustrate, to me, the beauty of the sunlight appearing over the horizon, signaling the start of a new day.