The Squid's Ear Magazine


Ackerley, Jessica / Patrick Shiroishi / Chris Williams / Luke Stewart / Jason Nazary: SSWAN: Invisib (577 Records)

Rugged, experimental and avant jazz in the debut album from the SSWAN group of Patrick Shiroishi on saxophones, Chris Williams on trumpet, Jessica Ackerley on electric guitar, Luke Stewart on bass and Jason Nazary on drums, the group focused first on sound and velocity rather than pitch and harmonic information as they carve out a unique space between free jazz and free improv.
 

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product information:

Personnel:



Patrick Shiroishi-saxophones

Chris Williams-trumpet

Jessica Ackerley-guitar

Luke Stewart-bass

Jason Nazary-drums


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UPC: 755491234242

Label: 577 Records
Catalog ID: CD-577R-5885
Squidco Product Code: 31738

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2022
Country: USA
Packaging: Digipack
Recorded at Scholes street Studio, in Brooklyn, New York, on October 26th, 202, by Rene Pierre Allain.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"SSWAN presents their first outing "Invisibility is an unnatural disaster" a raucous jaunt of free jazz on the premiere fire music label 577 Records. The music is rooted in the Black American art form of jazz, stemming into the branches of free improvisation, noise, and experimentalism while pushing to the edges of each idiom. The idiosyncratic playing of guitarist Jessica Ackerley starts off the album's title track and jumps headfirst into a Hendrix-tinged duo with drummer Jason Nazary. Patrick Shiroishi quickly joins in to take the energy up a notch with soprano sax wailing in both mimicry and opposition to Ackerley's phrasing. Just as the wall of sound is beginning to crack an abrupt halt shifts the energy and Luke Stewart's crawls dialogue with the smearing spattering trumpet solo from trumpeter Chris Williams.

SSWAN is an ensemble that consistently augments sonic themes and pushes the bounds of standard quintet instrumentation while simultaneously executing a unique musical language that is elevated through strong group chemistry. 'Pattern Phases' takes the listener on a tour of the various sound worlds accessible to each group member. Communication exists on the level of sound and velocity rather than pitch and harmonic information. Sensitive listening and each member's ability to paint with different non-pitch vocabulary creates a perfect breath of fresh air after the tour de force of "Invisibility is an unnatural disaster". The record is rounded out with a synthesis of questions posed in tracks 1 & 2 on "A miracle's worth". A beautiful piece with cleansing drones and much-earned exploration of tonality is led by Ackerley's chordal work. The muted trumpet of Williams' blends warmly and helps to guide the listener's journey through the forest of harmony into Luke Stewart's arco bass."-577 Records


Artist Biographies

Patrick Shiroishi is a Japanese-American multi-instrumentalist & composer based in Los Angeles.

Solo Saxophone

Upsilon Acrux (w/ Noah Guevara, Dylan Fujioka, Mark Kimbrell & Paul Lai)

Corima (w/ Andrea Calderon, Paco Casanova, Ryan Kamiyamazaki & Sergio Sanchez)

In the Womb (sax-drum duo w/ Dylan Fujioka)

Oort Smog (sax-drum duo w/ Mark Kimbrell)

Nakata (sax-piano duo w/ Paco Casanova)

Sunreader (w/ Paul Carter & Ethan Sherman)

Hoboglyphs (w/ Henry Barajas, Jason Rodriguez & Jeeshaun Wang)

Black Sun Sutra (w/ Noah Guevara, Rob Magill, Ken Moore & Sergio Sanchez)-Patrick Shiroishi Website (http://www.patrickshiroishi.com/bio.html)
3/13/2024

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

"Chris Williams. Instruments: Clarinet, Flute, Saxophone

Being inspired by Jazz in his early years, Chris graduated from Middlesex University with a 1st class honours in Jazz Studies in 2004. Since then, he has been an active member of the thriving music scene in London covering genres far and wide; ranging from electro pop and left field rock to African folk and free improv. Being involved in this vast array of styles has allowed Chris to develop a unique voice both as a musician and composer. This has led to critical acclaim and awards for a number of bands, performances at prestigious venues and festivals, as well as numerous TV and radio sessions broadcast around the world.

As well as developing technical ability along with awareness of harmony and theory, Chris encourages students to embrace improvisation and explore music through their instrument; drawing a link between the music that one feels as a listener and the music that one plays as a young musician.

With Mercury-nominated Led Bib set to release their sixth album and recording dates scheduled for a number of other bands (Let Spin, Metamorphic, Arun Ghosh, Namvula) all in early 2017, Chris will also be undertaking an MA in Jazz at the Royal Academy of Music, continuing his own development as a performer, composer, and music educator."

-Young Music Makers (https://www.youngmusicmakers.co.uk/lessons/woodwind)
3/13/2024

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

"During the past decade, Jessica Ackerley has established herself on the Canadian and American music scenes as a unique and versatile guitarist, composer and bandleader. Born in Alberta, Canada, Jessica now resides in New York City, where she has worked alongside notable musicians such as Tyshawn Sorey, Daniel Carter, Marc Edwards, Luke Stewart, Patrick Shiroishi, and Jason Nazary, to name a few. She has performed at established venues like John Zorn's The Stone, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Blue Note, and has toured both as a bandleader and side musician throughout Canada and the United States. Her musical palette is diverse, split between highly refined compositional structure, free improvisation, and Black American Music, as well as noise soundscapes derived from experimental rock, as explored in her collaborative band, ESSi.

In 2017 and 2019, Ackerley released her debut and sophomore albums as a bandleader - Coalesce and A New Kind of Water - to much acclaim, making critics' year-end lists on Jazz Right Now, Avant Music News, Free Jazz Blog and Jazz Times Magazine. In 2019, she founded The Brink Guitar Festival, a four-day event featuring some of the most innovative players on the instrument such as Miles Okazaki, Elliott Sharp, Wendy Eisenberg, and Dan Lippel, among others. She has been commissioned by Adult Swim to compose and record a track for their 15-song Jazz compilation entitled New Jazz Century alongside other tracks by notable artists Matana Roberts, Anna Webber, and Jaimie Branch. As a recording artist, she has performed and released 11 albums as a side musician and bandleader to date. As an educator and mentor, she has lectured at Grant MacEwan University and University of Toronto, as well as guided many aspiring musicians in private study throughout the years. Jessica continuously expands her musical horizons with various projects, never setting boundaries or compromising her limits as a guitarist and artist."

-Jessica Ackerley Website (https://jessicaackerleyguitar.tumblr.com/bio)
3/13/2024

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

"Luke has pursued a vast number of creative projects over the years. He plays bass and saxophone with DC-based indie rock band Laughing Man, who has performed at historic venues in the city including the Black Cat and St. Stephen's Church, opening for national acts such as The Evens, Wavves, Junkyard Band, and Wale. He has also played saxophone with his own experimental group Ziggurat, as well as various special collaborative performances throughout the East Coast.

As an electronic artist, he has been showcased in local exhibitions alongside legendary hip hop artist Grap Luva, and DC beatmaker Damu the Fudgemunk. He has also been a participant of Sonic Circuits' Festival of Experimental Music, performing on the same bill as cellist Okkyung Lee, as well as performing in other venues alongside instrument builder Layne Garrett and saxophonist Sam Hillmer (Diamond Terrifier). He is also a member of experimental electronic trio Mind Over Matter, Music Over Mind, which has participated in numerous festival performances, including Sonic Circuits' Festival and Noise Fest at George Mason University.

On the jazz side, Luke has performed at many of DC's historic venues including Bohemian Caverns, Twins Jazz, and HR-57. He had the honor of studying and performing with saxophonist Hamiett Bluiett. Recently he lead a 12-member ensemble in an hour-long tribute to John Coltrane on his birthday at the legendary Bohemian Caverns. He is also a member of Trio OOO, a collaborative ensemble featuring saxophonist Aaron Martin, and drummer Sam Lohman.

More recently he has helped establish CapitalBop.com, a DC-based jazz website and 501c3 non-profit organization, as its Avant Music Editor. Through the site, he has helped launch a live jazz performance series dubbed the "DC Jazz Loft", presenting some talented jazz artists in and around the DC area. He has also presented other jazz performances in his "Red Door Loft" series at the now-closed Goldleaf studios, as well as shows at CD Cellar in Arlington, VA, Bossa Bistro and Lounge, and DIY space the Paperhaus, where his performance curation was picked by Bob Boilen as one of the best shows of 2012.

He is also an Artist-In-Residence at the art space Union Arts and Manufacturing, in Washington, DC, where he regularly rehearses his numerous musical projects as well as hosts special performances and workshops.

During the day, he is the Production Coordinator for WPFW 89.3FM, as well as the host of THE VIBES edition of Overnight Jazz, weekly eclectic jazz program which showcases music from various sources in Luke's musical explorations. Through WPFW he has had the privilege of working with some seminal figures in music and social justice such as Chuck Brown, Yusef Lateef, Randy Weston, Muhal Richard Abrams, Juma Sultan, and Amiri Baraka. He has had the opportunity of producing many successful programs including a month-long commemoration of Black Music Month., featuring notably the reunion of trombonist Phil Ranelin and saxophonist Wendell Harrison from the Tribe organization of Detroit. He also co-produced a month-long tribute to pianist Horace Tapscott Los Angeles based community organization UGMAA (Union of God's Musicians and Artists Ascension). He also produced Washington, DC's first live radio appearance of political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal on the program Jazz and Justice with Tom Porter."

-Luke Stewart Website (https://lukethings.wordpress.com/about/)
3/13/2024

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

"Jason Nazary is a drummer/producer from Atlanta, GA. Moving to New York in 2005, Jason has already begun to make an impact on the improvised music scene. His raw approach to improvisation blends a variety of influences from Tony Williams to J Dilla to Morton Feldman to Lightning Bolt. Jason plays in a variety of different projects, most notably free jazz/punk/soul band Little Women, who have toured North America and Europe extensively and released three records, the latest of which being Lung, on AUM Fidelity. He also is featured on recordings with Joe Morris, Darius Jones, Dave Crowell, Olga Bell, Travis Reuter, to name a few."

-Jason Nazary Website (https://jasonnazary.wordpress.com/about/)
3/13/2024

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


Track Listing:



1. Invisibility Is an Unnatural Disaster 8:25

2. Pattern Phases 11:36

3. A Miracle's Worth 17:12

Related Categories of Interest:


Improvised Music
Jazz
Free Improvisation
NY Downtown & Metropolitan Jazz/Improv
Quintet Recordings
Staff Picks & Recommended Items
New in Improvised Music
Recent Releases and Best Sellers

Search for other titles on the label:
577 Records.


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