Letters To George

 

Letters To George  

Jarasam:

I first encountered George at the Jarasam Jazz festival in late 2023. Jarasam, being Korea's premiere jazz festival, had a stacked line up that year, including Julian Lage, Tigran Hamasayan, Biréli Lagrène, Ulf Wakenius, Pasquale Grasso and more.  It had been a long day of travel up from Daegu to catch the Julian Lage masterclass in the morning.  When we did get settled down on the grass, we had a great time.  As the wine started to kick in and the sun came down, out came George.  I had no idea what to expect, and man they blew us away. Wild stuff!  

    

Audience:

I don’t think this is difficult to appreciate. It has groove and feeling but it’s just not what you are used to. I think this is accessible for jazz and non jazz fans, but it ain't your dad's jazz by any stretch of the imagination. For instrumentation, we have an awesome juxtaposition of tradition and modernity. Piano and electric keys, drums and drum machine, saxes and ethereal voices.  Odd meters and rhythms make it fresh in a way you cant quite put your finger on. You don't have to know what scale, or what signature it's in to appreciate the feeling and power of this kind of music. Or the intimacy of the improvisational conversation going on between the band. I guarantee you'll be grooving with this one. In 2023 this was a top 10 record for me and on the snob scale 4/10.  

Concept:

The concept is in the name - the songs are all inspired by famous George's,  both historical and contemporary:  

From the Greek name Georgios, which was derived from the Greek word georgos meaning "farmer, earthworker", itself derived from the elements γῆ (ge) meaning "earth" and ergon meaning "work."

George Washington Carver, George Clooney, George Floyd, George Wein, Georgia (the state and the country), Georgia O’Keefe, Saint George, George Saunders, George Michael, George Carlin, George Clinton, George Frideric Handel, George Orwell, Boy George, Curious George, George the magazine, etc… 

-https://johnhollenbeck.bandcamp.com/album/letters-to-george

The tunes are written and arranged by John Hollenbeck, spare the 2 covers.  Master improvisation wrapped around the frame of Hollenbeck's songs. I love this album; I loved them live even more, but I would kill to see them do this live in a small club.  

George is made up of Anna Webber (tenor saxophone/flute), Aurora Nealand (voice/alto saxophone/soprano saxophone/keyboards), Chiquita Magic (keyboards/voice/piano), and John Hollenbeck (drums/piano/composition).

At times I could see a spaceship landing on the stage ala Clinton, the power of Anna Webber, Aurora Nealand and Chiquita Magic channeling the Goddess on O'keefe, the pain and anger on Floyd.  As a concept album this is a big success.

Drink Recommendation: Ardbeg Wee Beastie

At times raw and powerful, but eventually settling down into a smoothness, Wee Beastie is the perfect match for Letters to George. Letters to George to me, like all music really, is an exercise in tension and release.  George's wild rhythms and harmonic tension slowly distill into a satisfying resolution.  A little wild but it comes together nicely in the end. 

Food Recommendation:  Chorizo Bean dip with Pickled Mango

Pickled Mango is a killer secret ingredient for a number of applications.  For years I've been sneaking it into my burritos and wraps as a flavour bomb. Mid town Toronto's Flaming Stove has been spiking their shawarma with it too, but blended with some mayo to tame a bit of it's strength.  The sourness cuts through richness and the spices add depth.  You want to go to an Indian grocery store and get one of the big plastic tubs of it.  And for the love that is all holy, don't let it tip over in the fridge!  You'll have to pick out the bits of shell and crush the fruit a touch so it blends better with the bean dip.  Indian pickles have tons of spices in them, and the fat from the oil will emulsify well in the beans.  Any canned refried beans can is fine, but also if budget allows try charring up some chunks of funky Iberico chorizo (just don't let a Spaniard see you do it).  Cheese wise, whatever you got, heat up the bean mixture in the microwave and stir it in.  A little smoked paprika sprinkled on top for presentation is nice, or if you want to offend as many cultures as possible make it some zaatar. To sum up my opinion of this dip and Letters to George, it isn't as weird tasting as it sounds, in fact it's delicious.          

Book Recommendation 1: Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World

This is perhaps my favourite Murakami and is definitely him at his most sci-fi.  In a lot of Murakami's works, the characters are lost at sea before the world gradually starts to make sense.  Letters to George uses a lot of dissonance, rhythmic and microtonally at times, that can seem chaotic or to float in space before another instrument comes and contextualizes the whole thing.  This is often executed by John Hollenbeck's ability to shift time and feel as well as mesh with these other master improvisers.  The payoff for "Clinton" is unbelievably satisfying.  

Spoilers: I think of it like the dream reader staring at unicorn skulls, it's hard to grasp what he is doing at first, it's initially difficult but as time goes on it grows easier and even satisfying.  Also the idea of splitting a brain's hemispheres goes well with some of the rhythmic tension and odd meter playing. 

Book 2: "The Canyon of the Vaginas"

This bit of travel writing from Tom Robbin's Wild Ducks Floating Backwards is delightful.  Sometimes Letters to George can seem like an island in the land of where folks dine "en chapeau." Some tracks feel like they have a primitive yonic power or importance to them,  perhaps best and most appropriately demonstrated on "O'keefe." It starts with a haunting vocal before the flute joins, strange and ethereal. It builds into an inspirational feeling, still haunting, but triumphant. Georgia O'Keefe uses a weathered cow's skull to represent the enduring spirit of America but also as a yonic symbol. This vaginal magical energy makes me feel some reverence for the ancient power of the canyon's ancient yonic art.

In Summary:

This is some really cool stuff.  Tension and release with some of the discordant appeal of Radiohead's Amnesiac.  But way more wild, there's real power and feeling in this.  Sometimes Hollenbeck can make it seem like the whole thing is falling apart just to rescue it in the most brilliant way.  Again, I feel like just about anyone would dig this, not just John Zorn fans or avant-garde aficionados. Intimate conversations weaving between master improvisers, nothing short of amazing.