https://youtu.be/2LpYoZX7Wz0

Darius Jones: alto sax, composition
Alex Harding: baritone sax, composition
Sean Conly: bass, composition
Chad Taylor: drums, composition

Grass Roots members: alto saxophonist/composer Darius Jones has been astonishing folks with his voluminous gifts since arriving in NYC, and worldwide since the release of his debut Man’ish Boy (A Raw & Beautiful Thing) (2009). Drummer/composer Chad Taylor has contributed extensively to the greatness of both the Chicago and New York music scenes, his long-running Chicago Underground Duo/Trio/Orchestra project with cornetist Rob Mazurek has brought him perhaps the greatest acclaim to date. Taylor’s previous (extraordinary) appearance on AUM Fidelity was as 1/3 of Triptych Myth’s The Beautiful (2005). Alex Harding is one of the very few modern musicians who have mastered the baritone saxophone, and he has performed and/or recorded with everyone from David Murray to Aretha Franklin, Sun Ra Arkestra to Angélique Kidjo. Most recently, he is an original cast/band member of the musical FELA! (both on Broadway and the traveling group). Bassist/composer Sean Conly has been integrally active in numerous NYC jazz scenes since the mid-90s, touring and/or recording with a vast array of artists, from Andrew Hill to Regina Carter, Paquito DeRivera to Stefon Harris.

Because each member of Grass Roots composes for this group, each track (in its multiple layers) is distinct unto itself yet integral to the whole. Their sectional arrangements evince great thought & attention to detail, the performances thereof always bring the soul of unfettered expression. Orchestral fanfares evolve into monster grooves with longing melodies, gloriously searing free sections lock down again into monster grooves. Mackadocious!

The final piece on the album, improvised at the conclusion of the session when the principal work had been accomplished, is something else entirely. While listening, my own mind conjures an alien landscape rich with flora and fauna, which the group then proceeds to explore [seemingly] from the perspective of a giant dragonfly. -SJ.......
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