gdogus Posted April 29, 2006 Report Share Posted April 29, 2006 I've been digging this uniquely gifted soprano saxophinist/composer lately, especially on: Art and Aviation (1992) Nearness (1995) The Red Quartets (1999) Sometimes the Magic (2001) Chasing Paint (2003) I find the latter three especially absorbing. The Red Quartets and Chasing Paint feature the same quartet, with Fred Hersch (piano) Mark Dresser (bass) and Bobby Previte (drums). Sometimes the Magic features pianist Vincent Bourgeyx instead of Hersch. But the first two are way more than worthwhile too, with trumpeter Kenny Wheeler and bassist Rufus Reid. (Fred Hersch and Bobby Previte also appear on Nearness.) Bloom's compositions are abstract, creative, and involving. Her use of "live electronics" (whatever that means) are subtle, and provide some useful colorations. This is great stuff, I think, on a par with much of the ECM aesthetic, or the wonderfully original Jazz Composers Collective material coming from Ben Allison, Frank Kimbrough, Matt Wilson, Ted Nash, and Ron Horton (who appears on Bloom's Art and Aviation). What do you all think of Bloom's work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spontooneous Posted April 29, 2006 Report Share Posted April 29, 2006 Attended a WONDERFUL show last year: Her quartet with Mark Dresser (extraordinary!), Bobby Previte and a young pianist whose name escapes me. Her concepts translate to live performance very well. There's a more recent album on ArtistShare; haven't heard it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free For All Posted April 29, 2006 Report Share Posted April 29, 2006 She also contributes greatly to this one I just got: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B. Goren. Posted April 29, 2006 Report Share Posted April 29, 2006 The Red Quartets was album of the week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gdogus Posted April 29, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2006 Does anybody have her latest, Like Silver, Like Song (2005)? It was released via Artist Share, and comes in some interesting configurations (pricey, too). What do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Weil Posted April 29, 2006 Report Share Posted April 29, 2006 She did a really nice duo record with Hersch on JMT in the 80s called (I think) "As One". I saw this in the cutout bins a few weeks ago. It's where I came to her and is still my favourite. There's a freshness to it. I quite like her stuff since then - I mean it's all worthwhile, but I still kind of miss the promise of something I heard on "As One". The excitement of a woman just coming into her own. Simon Weil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kh1958 Posted April 29, 2006 Report Share Posted April 29, 2006 I saw her several years ago at the Museum of Modern Art in a trio (Mark Dresser, Bobby Previte), and she (and the group) were most impressive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted April 29, 2006 Report Share Posted April 29, 2006 I remember being interested in her back in the early 80s as somebody "with potential". Her evolution took her out of my sphere of immediate interest, but what I've heard from her since has always had the highest integrety. She actually did two sides for Columbia, remember? Not sure that that was a good fit, but "More Than Sinatra" from Modern Drama was/is a classic bit of very dry musical wit. And truthfully, it was the overall lack of some "sense of humor" in most of her work back then that caused me to stop following her. I should probably get back into her, because I know she can play, and I have the highest respect for her. It just seemed back then that her music didn't have too many "smiles" in it. Not that it has to be "happy" or anything like that, not at all. It just seemed a little too overtly "serious" for its own good, if you know what I mean. But I should probably reinvestigate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DukeCity Posted April 29, 2006 Report Share Posted April 29, 2006 Her use of "live electronics" (whatever that means) are subtle, and provide some useful colorations. I was at a performance/lecture by Bloom years ago (at a conference of saxophone geeks) during the Art and Aviation thing. She was talking about how she was fascinated by the space program, and had been working with some folks from there, putting together "performance pieces". The "live electronics" (as opposed to playing with pre-sequenced stuff, or doing electronic manipulation in the studio, after the fact) included all kinds of effects. I remember that she had a microphone clipped onto her saxophone, some kind of do-hickey that responded to the physical movement of her saxophone. She would be playing, and would rapidly wave the bell of the sax around in big, fast, sweeping motions, and as she did so, the electronic effect would kick in and add layers of sound, and change the pitch. I also remember that she was indeed pretty serious the whole time. I couldn't quite put my finger on why the stuff didn't grab me, but the whole thing seemed a little dry. But, yes, she can really play. I need to check out some of those more recent sides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gdogus Posted April 29, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2006 I remember being interested in her back in the early 80s as somebody "with potential". Her evolution took her out of my sphere of immediate interest, but what I've heard from her since has always had the highest integrety. She actually did two sides for Columbia, remember? Not sure that that was a good fit, but "More Than Sinatra" from Modern Drama was/is a classic bit of very dry musical wit. And truthfully, it was the overall lack of some "sense of humor" in most of her work back then that caused me to stop following her. I should probably get back into her, because I know she can play, and I have the highest respect for her. It just seemed back then that her music didn't have too many "smiles" in it. Not that it has to be "happy" or anything like that, not at all. It just seemed a little too overtly "serious" for its own good, if you know what I mean. But I should probably reinvestigate. I can understand what you mean, but find there's a lot of dry wit in the recordings I mentioned above. "Monk's Rec Room," "It's a Corrugated World," and "Einstein's Red/Blue Universe," from The Red Quartets, have it, for sure. Abstract, yes, but always full of possibilities, and often playful ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlhoots Posted April 29, 2006 Report Share Posted April 29, 2006 Does anybody have her latest, Like Silver, Like Song (2005)? It was released via Artist Share, and comes in some interesting configurations (pricey, too). What do you think? I have it. I bought it in the "least" expensive CD format. I think it's just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted April 29, 2006 Report Share Posted April 29, 2006 Bloom had not quite fully blossomed yet, but the 1982 Enja date MIGHTY LIGHTS (w/ Hersch, Charlie Haden and Ed Blackwell) is worth hearing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul secor Posted April 29, 2006 Report Share Posted April 29, 2006 I liked several of her early recordings, and heard her play live with Ed Blackwell a couple of times. To my ears, she never lived up to her early potential. I stopped following her recordings about 15 years ago, but it might be time to revisit some of the things I've held onto. I do feel that her playing lost some of its spontaneity when she got more involved with electronics - probably ok for some folks - not for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kh1958 Posted June 8, 2006 Report Share Posted June 8, 2006 I saw her last Thursday night at Sweet Rhythm in a quartet with Mark Helias on bass, Matt Wilson on drums, and Dawn Clement on keyboards. I enjoyed the concert very much, including her use of electronics. I do rather like Matt Wilson as well. However, attendance was very poor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted June 8, 2006 Report Share Posted June 8, 2006 Well, that AOTW was my suggestion - I love her music, have all of her albums except the newest two, which are on my buying list, have seen her live several times, but not in recent times. I think the has the most beautiful tone on soprano on the whole scene. She deserves every bit of recognition for her work, and she is the only artist after whom an asteroid was named. Check her website: janeirabloom.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenLowe Posted June 8, 2006 Report Share Posted June 8, 2006 Jane is a great player and a nice person - and she's married to the actor Joe Grifasi - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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