Saturday, October 16, 2021
7:30 PM
Tickets are available for purchase at the door.
The series continues on Saturday, October 16, with a rare West Coast appearance by the Jamie Baum Septet+. This eight-piece group led by acclaimed flutist/composer Jamie Baum, features top players from New York City including trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson and guitarist Brad Shepik. With an over 20-year history of musical exploration, the ensemble has appeared at many of the world’s leading jazz festivals and concert halls. The Septet+’s performances at the 2018 Monterey Jazz Festival earned praise as “the most extraordinary music of the festival…" and a “revelation.” A Guggenheim and MacDowell Fellow, Baum has been on the jazz faculty at the Manhattan School of Music since 2006. She has worked with artists as renowned and diverse as Paul Motian, Randy Brecker, Dave Douglas, Fred Hersch, Roy Hargrove, Anthony Braxton and Wadada Leo Smith, appearing in the DownBeat Critics Polls annually since 1998, and making the short lists in both the JazzTimes Critics and Readers Polls in addition to several international publications. She has also received critical praise for her six albums as a leader, including four with her Septet+. Featuring instrumentation including French horn and bass clarinet, the Septet+ specializes in blending jazz improvisation with Hindu, Arabic, Jewish, Nepalese, Classical and Minimalist musical traditions. DownBeat wrote, “Four stars… Always a traveler, never a tourist, Baum constructs significant harmonic relationships between jazz and some far-flung music traditions. Everything connects here: concept and execution, soloists and ensemble, Nepal and New York, spirit and flesh.” Just Jazz commented, “Music like this truly is an essential part of the future of jazz.”
The Jamie Baum Septet was formed in ’99 and has been Baum’s compositional muse ever since.
Having specific players to write for is a bandleader/composer’s dream and offers an incredible opportunity for experimentation and growth, as has certainly been the case with this band. Allowing Baum the opportunity to perform her compositions and arrangements/orchestrations with the colors and textures of this instrumentation has offered unique, exciting and endless possibilities. As Baum states, “I’m fortunate to get to play with such great players who can play anything…I can really let my imagination fly.”
Until 2010 the band included Ralph Alessi, Doug Yates, Tom Varner replaced by Chris Komer in ‘08, George Colligan, Jeff Hirshfield and Drew Gress replaced by Johannes Weidenmueller in ’07. Early years with regular NYC gigs at the Knitting Factory, Cornelia St. Cafe, etc. allowed the Septet to develop a cohesive, distinctive sound and personality, leading to higher profile dates (i.e., Jazz Standard, Joe’s Pub, the JVC Festival, Flynn Theater (VT), Rochester Jazz Festival, Painted Bride (PA), Walton Arts (AK), Outpost (NM)) and European tours and festivals.
They recorded Moving Forward, Standing Still (’04, OmniTone), featuring music inspired by Stravinsky and Bartok which received 4 stars in DownBeat and made several “Best CDs of ‘04” lists. Solace (‘08, Sunnyside), included an ‘03 CMA New Works commission featuring music influenced by Charles Ives. and a ’07 CMA Encore grant enabled them to perform this music on a mid-west tour and at NYC’s Merkin Concert Hall.
After several tours to South Asia, Baum’s musical direction took a departure in 2010 reflecting those experiences. This precipitated personnel changes and an expansion of the band to reflect this new direction, hence The Jamie Baum Septet+. Adding the perfect dimension were Brad Shepik and Amir ElSaffar, who while rooted in jazz, both had extensive experience with non-western music traditions and exploring ways to personalize those elements. Zack Lober and John Escreet’s modern harmonic approach and rhythmic flexibility offered a great balance. Dan Weiss’ study of Indian music, the tabla and modern jazz made him the perfect guest on their subsequent release, In This Life (Sunnyside, ’13). Reviews in NYTimes, DownBeat, etc., features on NPR’s All Things Considered, WBGO, several “Best CDs” lists (ITunes, DownBeat, NPR Jazz Critics Poll) brought performances at the Jazz Standard, Jazz Gallery, Winter Jazzfest, Sedutirol (Italy), North Sea Jazz Festival, Kennedy Center, Roulette, etc. and a nomination for Best Midsize Ensemble of 2014 by The Jazz Journalists Association – on a list with only two other bands: The Wayne Shorter Quartet and Steve Coleman and Five Elements.
The Jamie Baum Septet+
Jamie Baum – flutes, compositions
Jonathan Finlayson – trumpet
Aaron Irwin – alto sax/bass clarinet
Chris Komer – French horn
Brad Shepik – guitar, singing bowls
John Escreet – piano
Ricky Rodriguez – bass, electric bass, singing bowls
Jeff Hirshfield – drums
These events will be presented in compliance with State of California and County of San Diego health regulations as applicable at the time of each concert.
COVID-19 VACCINATION AND MASK POLICY:
Proof of vaccination or negative test within 72 hours of the performance is required.
Everyone, regardless of vaccination status, is required to wear a mask at all times while indoors.
Proof of vaccination or negative test can be presented to the ushering staff at the door when you arrive for the performance.