Jump to content

Jane Ira Bloom


gdogus

Recommended Posts

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?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...