The Squid's Ear Magazine

Kosi

Stranger In Every Town

Kosi: Stranger In Every Town (self-released)

NY/East Coast Jazz vocalist Kosi presents her 5th album, a rewarding album of original songs that depict her experiences touring as an independent singer-songwriter through jazz idioms influenced by blues and rock forms, her strong voice emotional and expressive while supported by a core sextet of New York musicians; lyrical, solid, passionate.
 

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product information:

Personnel:



Kosi-vocals, acoustic guitar, stomps, claps

Satish Robertson-trumpet, flugelhorn

Brendon Biagi-tenor saxophone

Jason Marshall-bari saxophone

Jeremy Aaron-violin

Jeff Young-guitar

John Lander-piano, organ

Wadada Leo Smith-bass

Jarrett Walser-drums

Jimmy Lopez-congas, shekere

Crystal Rhoney-background vocals

Joe Davi-stomps, claps


Click an artist name above to see in-stock items for that artist.




UPC: 885007732884

Label: self-released
Catalog ID: None
Squidco Product Code: 28614

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2018
Country: USA
Packaging: Jewel Case
Recorded at The ice Plant, in Long Island City, New York, by Joe Davi and Wayne Silverny.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"Stranger in Every Town is a concept album depicting the highs and lows and existential terror of solo touring as an independent singer-songwriter. Much like a touring artist, the album itself travels through sonic and spiritual spaces, from a rollicking celebration of freedom to the desperation of fleeting but meaningful connections to the overwhelming dread of endless searching without a clear object. This album is less of a collection of songs and more of a journey, moving forwards and backwards simultaneously, looping over itself in the middle in a declaration of simultaneous self assurance and bewilderment, and ending exactly where it began, but breathless and shaking."



"Kosi's fifth album is a jazzy, soulful, and often metaphysical journey into the world of solo travel and independent touring."-CD Baby


Artist Biographies

"Kosi (née Akosua Gyebi) is a New York City based singer/songwriter with nappy hair and jazz roots. Although she always brings just a little drama to her compositions and interpretations, she's more than just a drama queen. She's got piercing eyes and a voice that's larger than her body. But, small as she is, she won't fit in a box. She switches styles more quickly than you can follow, from jazz, to rock, then folk, but never more than a few steps away from the blues.

She cites Abbey Lincoln and Nina Simone as her main influences, and has been compared to Tracy Chapman, India Arie, Ma Rainey, and Bessie Smith. However, despite her comparisons and influences, everything about Kosi, from her nappy hair to her sometimes bare feet, from her occasionally jarring lyrics to her now-she's-sweet-now-she's-screaming dramatic interpretations, radiates authenticity. "I am not creating anything," she says, "nor am I deconstructing anything. I am neither an iconoclast nor a follower. I am simply myself, and that is enough." She's more than enough. You definitely want to hear this girl sing... if you can handle it.

Kosi is currently the lead vocalist of straight-ahead jazz group Sweet Blue Fire and indie rock group The Goddess Lakshmi."

-Kosi Website (http://kosi-sings.com/bio.php)
3/13/2024

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

"Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith: trumpeter and multi-instrumentalist, composer and improviser has been active in creative contemporary music for over forty years. His systemic music language Ankhrasmation is significant in his development as an artist and educator.

Born in Leland, Mississippi, Smith's early musical life began in the high school concert and marching bands. At the age of thirteen, he became involved with the Delta Blues and Improvisation music traditions. He received his formal musical education with his stepfather Alex Wallace, the U.S. Military band program (1963), Sherwood School of Music (1967-69), and Wesleyan University (1975-76). Mr. Smith has studied a variety of music cultures: African, Japanese, Indonesian, European and American.

He has taught at the University of New Haven (1975-'76), the Creative Music Studio in Woodstock, NY (1975-'78), and Bard College (1987-'93). He is currently a faculty member at The Herb Alpert School of Music at California Institute of the Arts. He is the director of the African-American Improvisational Music program, and is a member of ASCAP, Chamber Music America, and the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians.

Mr. Smith's awards and commissions include: MAP Fund Award for "Ten Freedom Summers" (2011), Chamber Music America New Works Grant (2010), NEA Recording Grant (2010), Fellow of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation (2009-2010), Other Minds residency and "Taif", a string quartet commission (2008), Fellow of the Jurassic Foundation (2008), FONT(Festival of New Trumpet) Award of Recognition (2008), Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Award (2005), Islamic World Arts Initiative of Arts International (2004), Fellow of the Civitela Foundation (2003), Fellow at the Atlantic Center for the Arts (2001), "Third Culture Copenhagen" in Denmark-presented a paper on Ankhrasmation (1996), Meet the Composer/Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Commissioning Program (1996), Asian Cultural Council Grantee to Japan (June-August 1993), Meet the Composer/Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Commissioning Program (1990), New York Foundation on the Arts Fellowship in Music (1990), Numerous Meet the Composer Grants (since 1977), and National Endowment for the Arts Music Grants (1972, 1974, 1981).

Mr. Smith's music philosophy Notes (8 Pieces) Source a New. World Music: Creative Music has been published by Kiom Press (1973), translated and published in Japan by Zen-On Music Company Ltd. (1976). In 1981 Notes was translated into Italian and published by Nistri-Litschi Editori.

He was invited to a conference of artists, scientists and philosophers "Third Culture Copenhagen" in Denmark 1996, and presented a paper on his Ankhrasmation music theory and notational system for creative musicians. His interview was recorded for Denmark T.V., broadcasted September 1996.

Some of the artists Mr. Smith has performed with are : Muhal Richard Abrams, Anthony Braxton, Leroy Jenkins, Roscoe Mitchell, Lester Bowie, Richard Teitelbaum, Joseph Jarman, George Lewis, Cecil Taylor, Andrew Cyrill, Oliver Lake, Anthony Davis, Carla Bley, David Murray, Don Cherry, Jeanne Lee, Milton Campbell, Henry Brant, Richard Davis, Tadao Sawai, Ed Blackwell, Sabu Toyozumi, Peter Kowald, Kazuko Shiraishi, Han Bennink, Misja Mengelberg, Marion Brown, Kazutoki Umezu, Kosei Yamamoto, Charlie Haden, Kang Tae Hwan, Kim Dae Hwan, Tom Buckner, Malachi Favors Magoustous and Jack Dejohnette among many others.

Mr. Smith currently has three ensembles: Golden Quartet, Silver Orchestra, and Organic. His compositions have also been performed by other contemporary music ensembles: AACM-Orchestra, Kronos Quartet, Da Capo Chamber Player, New Century Players, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, Contemporary Chamber Players (University of Chicago), S.E.M. Ensemble, Southwest Chamber Music, Del Sol String Quartet, New York New Music Ensemble, ne(x)tworks, and California E.A.R. Unit.

Mr. Smith's music for multi-ensembles has been performed since 1969. "Tabligh" for double-ensemble was performed by Golden Quartet and Classical Persian ensemble at Merkin Concert Hall (2006) and by Golden Quartet and Suleyman Erguner's Classical Turkish ensemble at Akbank Music Festival in Istanbul (2007). His largest work "Odwira" for 12 multi-ensembles (52 instrumentalists) was performed at California Institute of the Arts (March 1995). His Noh piece "Heart Reflections" was performed in Merkin Concert Hall, NY (November 1996)."

-Wadada Leo Smith Website (http://www.wadadaleosmith.com/pages/bio.html)
3/13/2024

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


Track Listing:



1. You Belong To Me 4:33

2. Stranger In Every Town 4:38

3. Need Your Love 4:16

4. Like You 6:40

5. Closer (Part 2) 1:36

6. I Got A Right To Sing The Blues 5:44

7. Here 4:08

8. Walk 5:52

9. Closer 5:43

10. Worship 5:10

11. Priestess 2:58

12. Far Bank Of The River 2:31

13. Throw It Away 5:43

Related Categories of Interest:


Improvised Music
Jazz
Song Based Music
Melodic and Lyrical Jazz
NY Downtown & Metropolitan Jazz/Improv
Smith, Leo

Search for other titles on the label:
self-released.


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Stranger In Every Town
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