John Escreet - Sabotage And Celebration

Cat. no: WR4634LP
Format: LP2
Barcode: 0630808829109
Release Date: 24 Sep 2021
Genre: Jazz

First time on vinyl for this critically-acclaimed 2013 album by pianist John Escreet.

‘Sabotage and Celebration’ is the fifth solo album from one of the world’s most dynamic and original jazz artists, pianist and composer John Escreet. He is aptly supported by an A-list of preeminent creative musicians, including saxophonists David Binney and Chris Potter, who contribute inspired performances at the peak of their powers.

The album glistens from start to finish with the endless imagination and unrelenting vision of a truly singular voice in modern music. The seven original compositions by Escreet cover an incredible amount of musical ground. A string section is prominently featured as a result of his recent re-fascination with orchestral music; he seamlessly incorporates it into the context of a conventional quintet. And that’s not all - brass, guitars and vocals are also layered into the proceedings in surprising ways, creating music of a larger scale.

Personnel: John Escreet (piano, Fender Rhodes), David Binney (alto & soprano saxophones), Chris Potter (tenor saxophone), Matt Brewer (double bass), Jim Black (drums)

With: Adam Rogers (guitar - 5,7), Louis Cole, Genevieve Artadi, Nina Geiger (vocals - 7), String section: Fung Chern Hwei (violin), Annette Homann (violin), Hannah Levinson (viola), Mariel Roberts (cello), Garth Stevenson (double bass), Brass section: Shane Endsley (trumpet), Josh Roseman (trombone)

Press:
“An outstanding album...the band coheres impressively, with excellent performances throughout.” - **** BBC Music Magazine

“The New York jazz scene’s hottest English import is his usual inventive hybrid of restless eclecticism and wittily episodic arrangements... Sabotage and Celebration is one of the contemporary jazz highlights of 2013.” - **** Jazzwise

“Sabotage and Celebration finds this precociously accomplished small-ensemble composer relishing a broader palette...He’s a big talent, and it’s confirmed by the classy New York company he keeps nowadays.” - **** The Guardian

“Escreet outdoes himself on his aptly titled fifth album, an overwhelming, original onslaught of mint-fresh invention and virtuosity.” - **** MOJO

“There’s emotional width and narrative drive on Escreet’s tough-centred and disciplined round-up of New York’s current left field.” - Financial Times

LP 1: Axis Of Hope / He Who Dares / Sabotage And Celebration / The Decapitator / Laura Angela

LP 2: Animal Style / Beyond Your Wildest Dreams