Henry Threadgill’s first album in eight years, This Brings Us To, Vol. 1, was originally scheduled to come out today. So, despite the fact that Pi Recordings decided to start selling the album on October 27, most outlets published their pre-release press last week.
In the early aughts, I heard Threadgill play twice at the Jazz Gallery with his current band Zooid. In a jazz world where many reedmen overflow with notes, Threadgill approaches music-making as a Zen warrior—big on both restraint and fire. For long periods, he’d step back from the stage, listening and swaying as the rest of the band explored his compositions. Then, when he witnessed a slight deficiency or the right opportunity, he’d grab his axe (mostly an alto that night) and start swinging with fury. Threadgill’s solos came in short blasts, but they were sustained enough to strike driving intensity into the center of the band’s precise rollicking.
Unfortunately, I missed Zooid’s latest New York stint (an October 25th date at Roulette) and it sounds like the band won’t be playing another show here for several months at least. That said, I (and I suspect many of you) haven’t missed out on Threadgill entirely. The jazz internets are united in Threadgill celebration!
- Destination: Out! is the best place to learn more about (and hear much of) This Bring Us To, Vol.1. It posted a preview on September 20th that not only includes two full tracks from the six-track album, but also features a quick-hit breakdown of their interview with Threadgill.
D:O followed up last week, offering three Threadgill-signed copies of This Brings Us To, Vol. 1 to the winners of a blindfold contest and bringing us a few words on the music from Zooid’s guitarist, and the album’s producer, Liberty Ellman.
- Many jazz musicians will travel far and wide for some publicity. Threadgill, due to his age (65) and his demeanor (Zen warrior) seems happy to talk to the press, but only if they come to him. This means that all interviews with Threadgill are conducted around the corner from his home in the East Village at the De Robertis Caffe. Both Nate Chinen (NY Times) and Howard Mandel (writing a profile for Down Beat) mention De Robertis in their Threadgill pieces and WBGO’s Josh Jackson trucked some recording equipment to the cafe to interview the great man. (Contending with street noise and Elton John’s “Rocket Man,” Jackson got Threadgill to speak very close to the microphone making for a wonderful listen given Threadgill's deep, sonorous voice. Visa, if Morgan Freeman ever gets laryngitis, call in this guy.)
