Label: Adhyaropa Records, 2024
Personnel - Aaron Irwin: alto saxophone; Mike Baggetta: guitar; Jeff Hirshfield: drums.
Brooklyn-based saxophonist and composer Aaron Irwin explores similarities between music and poetry as forms of expression in his ninth album, (after), featuring long-time bandmates Mike Bagetta and Jeff Hirshfield on guitar and drums, respectively.
The opening track, “Recuerdo”, draws inspiration from Edna St. Vincent Millay’s poem of the same name, featuring pointillistic harmonization, precise and direct saxophone terminology, and subdued percussion. “Frederick Douglass” incorporates electronics, firm guitar pedal points, and a brushed rhythmic flux, evoking a country music vibe that feels even stronger on “The Cemetery”, reminiscent of a Western movie soundtrack. “Daniel Boone” embraces Americana in a combination of slide guitar, dry hi-hat pulsation, and iterative bass clarinet melody. Stephen Vincent Benét’s poem is narrated by Emily Wong.
While “When I Heard at the Close of the Day” offers a folk dance atmosphere with bass clarinet at the front, while “Five Bells” veers from jazzy to noise rock, driven by Baggetta’s saturated sounds. His distorted infusions return in the audacious “The President Visits the Storm”, complemented with swinging cymbal drive and clarinet circularity. Another standout, “Pikes Peak”, is a waltzing ballad where, during the intro, Irwin’s unaccompanied alto suggests the motif at the center of its theme. There’s an interesting dialogue between the threesome here, with Baggetta forging a terrific comping, momentarily put on halt by a productive saxophone-over-drums synergy.
The music in (after) is well played but not game-changing as most tracks fail to transcend expectations. Yet, you can give it a try, especially if you’re into American music or curious about how the trio explores the expressive parallels between poetry and music.
Favorite Tracks:
03 - Five Bells ► 05 - Pikes Peak ► 09 - The President Visits the Storm