The Squid's Ear Magazine


Musicianer (Sinton / Ajemian / Taylor): Slow Learner (Iluso)

Sidney Bechet referred to fellow musician as "musicianers", the title for New York baritone saxophonist Josh Sinton's trio with Jason Ajemian on acoustic bass and Chad Taylor on drums and percussion, in an outstandingly creative and compelling album of modern jazz showing the strong links between these three, dating back to their work together in Chicago in the 80s.
 

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product information:

Personnel:



Josh Sinton-baritone saxophone and songs

Jason Ajemian-contrabass

Chad Taylor-drums


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Includes a 4 page insert with liner notes by Greg Tate.

Label: Iluso
Catalog ID: IRCD08
Squidco Product Code: 25150

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2017
Country: USA
Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold
Recorded at Greenwood Underground, in Brooklyn, New York, on February 6th nd 7th, 2017 by Eivind Opsvik.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"Sinton's Barisax has a lot to say about all this existential jazz stuff: whether the universe is actually devoid of meaning or form, what to do when the glorious monster comes to you hard in your dreams." Greg Tate

Brooklyn-based baritone saxophonist, bass clarinetist and creative musician Josh Sinton has played an integral part in the renaissance of musical activity thriving in Brooklyn's creative music scene today. He has performed with countless leading figures from NYC and around the world and has been nominated to the Downbeat Critics' and Readers' Polls, the Jazz Times Poll and El Intruso International Critics' Poll every year since 2012.

musicianer (the word used by Sidney Bechet for a fellow musician) are a band that escape the pigeonhole etched by their instrumentation. Their album 'slow learner' was born from Sinton's long yearning to write songs to be played with two of his longest standing musical companions; Chad Taylor (drums and percussion) and Jason Ajemian (acoustic bass), whose deep musical connection traces back to their time living and performing together in Chicago in the 1990s.

Reaching into the worlds of Sinton's vast musical influence - from Sonny Rollins to Stevie Wonder, Charlie Parker to Jimi Hendrix, 'slow learner' is an open and trusting conversation between three life-long musicianers, effortlessly traversing subject matter - from whimsical jibe to defiant fits of protest - totally unrestricted by that uncomfortable awkwardness often encountered by the unacquainted.

From the infectious groove of 'pork bueno', the hypnotic and sweet tempered 'can't really say' through to the aching sentimental breathiness of 'fail beautiful', Sinton's songs are enchantingly approachable and speak with a comforting lyricism assuring you that, despite it all, everything is going to be alright. 'slow learner' is, quite truly, an anecdote of our age - an antidote for these times.

Aside from musicianer, Josh Sinton leads the innovative Steve Lacy-repertory band Ideal Bread (with Kirk Knuffke, Tomas Fujiwara and Adam Hopkins) and is a long-standing member of the Nate Wooley Quintet and Anthony Braxton's Tri-Centric Orchestra. Drummer Chad Taylor is the founder of the Chicago Underground ensembles. He leads his own band Circle and has played with Jeff Parker, Marc Ribot, Derek Bailey and Peter Brotzmann. Jason Ajemian is one of the Chicago areas most in demand bass players. He leads the groups Folklords and High Life and is Helado Negro's musical director. He has performed with Jeff Parker, Tony Malaby, Marc Ribot and Matana Roberts.

'slow learner' was recorded in February 2017 at Greenwood Underground, Brooklyn, NY and mixed by the inimitable Eivind Opvisk (leader of Overseas and member of Opsvik & Jennings), whose role as co-producer made a significant contribution to the album's innate sensibility.

The album includes liner notes by famed Village Voice contributor and iconic critic, Greg Tate, providing a unique insight into Sinton's creative process and the album's message - informing and enhancing the listening experience."


Includes a 4 page insert with liner notes by Greg Tate.

Artist Biographies

"Josh Sinton, a native of Southern New Jersey, born in 1971, is a creative musician who specializes in playing the baritone saxophone and bass clarinet. Growing up, his musical inspirations were his father's record collection, his brothers' record collections and watching his father play stride piano at parties. There wasn't anyone else playing music so to this day Sinton remains mystified that the music bug stuck at all.

He studied composition at the University of Chicago and improvisation at the AACM in the 1990's and then proceeded to carve out a niche for himself in Chicago writing and performing music for dance (with Julia Mayer) and theater (at Steppenwolf Studio and Bailiwick Repertory) as well as performing and studying with local musicians such as Fred Anderson, Ken Vandermark, Ari Brown and Cameron Pfiffner. He would leave Chicago during this time for extended backpacking trips around Europe and India and found a lot of useful information for his later work.

Determined to overcome his technical shortcomings, he gave all this up and moved to Boston in 1999 to resume studies at the New England Conservatory. He spent five years in Boston and met, played and studied with a variety of folks including Steve Lacy, Ran Blake, Dominique Eade, Jerry Bergonzi, Bob Moses, Jim Hobbs and the Either Orchestra. Despite their encouragement, Sinton was overjoyed when he got to leave Boston in 2004.

Since then, Sinton has lived in Brooklyn, New York. He's been fortunate enough to be a long-standing member of Darcy James Argue's Secret Society, the Nate Wooley Quintet, the Andrew D'Angelo DNA Orchestra and Anthony Braxton's Tricentric Orchestra. With these groups he's travelled to several countries in Europe and South America as well as played many festivals (Moers, Newport, BMW, Bergamo, Tampere Jazz Happening, etc.). Sinton is proud of the collaborators he's been able to work with (Kirk Knuffke, Tomas Fujiwara, Chad Taylor, Mary Halvorson, Ingrid Laubrock, Jeremiah Cymerman, Josh Roseman, Harris Eisenstadt, Roswell Rudd, James Fei, Denman Maroney, Han-Earl Park, Greg Tate, Curtis Hasselbring, Mike Pride, Jon Irabagon) but the list of people he still hopes to play with is vast.

As a long-standing member of the Douglass Street Music Collective, Josh Sinton has hosted hundreds of concerts over the past 7 years Brooklyn. His work has been recognized by Downbeat (Critics' and Readers' Poll), Jazz Times (Critics' Poll) and El Intruso (International Critics' Poll) and has been discussed in The Wire, Signal to Noise, Point of Departure, the New York Times and the New York City Jazz Record.

Sinton defines himself as a "creative musician" rather than a jazz musician and has done so since 2011. His reasons for this are varied and personal, but some of them are outlined here and here. Suffice to say, friendly listeners can label him what they will. Sinton will just continue creating sounds with the goal of wasting nobody's time.

Currently Sinton leads the band Ideal Bread as well playing regularly with the Nate Wooley Quintet and the Tricentric Orchestra. He is busy writing new music for himself and his collaborators as well as contributing essays to the websites of Darcy James Argue, Ethan Iverson's Do The Math, Destination: Out and Sound American."

-Josh Sinton Website (http://joshsinton.com/about/)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Acoustic bassist Jason Ajemian is one of the members of the underground music scene in Chicago, playing a variety of creative improvised, noise, and experimental musics based in rock and jazz. He is a graduate of the William Patterson College in New Jersey, where he studied with bassist Rufus Reid and percussionist Kevin Norton. Arriving in Chicago in the fall of 2000, Ajemian embraced the then burgeoning progressive music community. Ajemian also vocalizes and utilizes electronics. His dizzying number of credits include work with Rob Mazurek, the Exploding Star Orchestra, Dragons 1976, Lay All Over It, Born Heller, Matt Bauder, Ken Vandermark's Crisis Ensemble, Who Cares How Long You Sink, Triage, Mandarin Movie, the Chicago Underground Trio, and countless others."

-All Music (https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jason-ajemian-mn0000182374)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Chad Taylor (b. 1973) is a composer, educator, percussionist and scholar who is a co-founder of the Chicago Underground ensembles. Originally from Tempe, AZ, Chad grew up in Chicago where he started performing professionally at the age of 16. Chad has performed with Fred Anderson, Derek Bailey, Cooper-Moore, Pharoah Sanders, Marc Ribot, Peter Brotzmann, Malachi Favors and many others. Chad leads his own band Circle down which debut recording was given a 5 star review by All music:

"What is remarkable is that there is no wasted motion, no histrionics or grandstanding, as pure emotion is translated to superlative music making on this most highly recommended recording, one for the ages." Allmusic.com

Chad has a BFA from the New School in Jazz Performance and a MFA in Jazz Research and History from Rutgers University."

-Chad Taylor Website (http://www.chadtaylordrums.net/html/about.php)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



1. Outside (today) 4:41

2. Can't Really Say 4:31

3. And Then It Came To Me 5:21

4. Sunday's Rehearsal 3:28

5. Pediments 2:52

6. JiMmy 4:00

7. Evening of Mourning (Ferguson Goddam) 3:58

8. Pork Bueno 5:05

9. Devoid of Form, Devoid of Meaning 5:50

10. Left-Side Paralysis 3:37

11. Fail Beautiful 3:47

Related Categories of Interest:


Improvised Music
Jazz
Free Improvisation
NY Downtown & Metropolitan Jazz/Improv
Trio Recordings
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Iluso.


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