ORGANIZED CACOPHONY

Some (more) Short Songs Review

by Juliana Van Amsterdam, WXDU

Amanda Ekery continues to push the boundaries of jazz with her latest release, Some (more) Short Songs. As a self-described teaching artist, as well as a talented and multifaceted jazz vocalist and composer, Ekery imbues her work with music theory elements and places an emphasis on collaboration and inclusion.

Some (more) Short Songs was funded by the Performance Plus Award from Chamber Music America in 2019. This album serves as a sequel to Ekery’s 2017 release, Some Short Songs, which explored George Russell’s “Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization.” This concept, developed in 1953, serves as a theoretical notion on the influence of the Lydian mode’s tonal gravity on music. This theory has had a far-reaching effect on modal jazz, with the most noteworthy homage being Kind of Blue from Bill Evans and Miles Davis. Ekery embraces Russell’s concept with open arms and, over the course of ten short tracks, explores the possibilities that lie within this unique chord-scale system. The result? A showcase of technical skills that push the edge of jazz as we know it - Ekery executes a delicate balance between modern music and artistic performance.

Some (more) Short Songs presents as a cabinets de curiosities of sorts; each track is a unique tableau, ranging from dreamy, free-flowing jazz to crazed explosions of sound and emotion. Ekery has assembled a talented group of musicians to bring these creations to life; she takes on the vocals and synth that adds a touch of modernity, with long-time collaborator Andrew Boudreau on piano, David Leon on alto sax, Wendy Eisenberg on guitar, and Jeong Lim Yang on bass. The album was produced by pianist Sylvie Courvoisier of the well-known jazz record label ECM.

The album begins with Yang’s meandering bass before centering around a pleasant guitar melody. Ekery’s voice enters stage left, ethereal, then gaining solidity; she implores the listener from somewhere above the swirling instruments. The music begins to flow more quickly, with layered instruments joining in as a supporting chorus to Amanda’s lilting soprano. There is a dreamlike quality to the music that draws the listener in. Over the course of Some (more) Short Songs, this dreamy atmosphere will pop up in between more powerful, abstract themes. Tracks 3 and 5 serve as conduits to the playful call-and-response melodies found in Track 4, and the warmer, more traditional jazz sounds of Track 6. In the latter half of Some (more) Short Songs, the composition becomes more theatrical; Track 8 explodes into an organized cacophony of sound and vocals, an emotional time bomb that lingers through the rest of the album. The final track represents a denouement, a synth lullaby plays our artists off the stage. Meanwhile, the listener is left clamoring for an encore.

Some (more) Short Songs will be released on December 3, 2021. You can check out more of Amanda Ekery’s incredible work, in addition to her other albums, at Amanda’s Bandcamp.