Prairie Burn (Fresh Sound New Talent)
Mara Rosenbloom Trio
Released October 14, 2016
DownBeat Four-and-a-Half-Star Review
YouTube:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_laXswlbO18UH2Tr81SB8SamX4ld4pc69Y
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/03vp5Z07oaF4sCKWLtPtJJ?si=MmZvS4swRsOLMIkD2G4CHA&dl_branch=1
About:
The Prairie Burn set was recorded in one non-stop 38 minute take. Though four distinct compositions inspire a general arc (as demarcated by the track breaks) the Prairie Burn can be heard in a steady flow from open prairie, to the fire’s beginning, center, and ultimate clearing above the surviving roots.
Track Listing:
1. Brush Fire (An Improvised Overture) 5:00
The Prairie Burn Set:
2. Part 1: Red-Winged Blackbirds (Mara Rosenbloom) 8:12
3. Part 2: Turbulence (Mara Rosenbloom 10:44
4. Part 3: Work! (Mara Rosenbloom 9:12
5. Part 4: Songs from the Ground (Mara Rosenbloom 9:46
6. I Rolled and I Tumbled (Solo Piano Tribute to John Lee Hooker) 5:43
7. There Will Never Be Another You (Warren / Gordon) 5:34
Personnel:
Mara Rosenbloom: piano
Sean Conly: bass
Chad Taylor: drums
Recorded at Systems Two Studios, Brooklyn, New York, January 11, 2016
Sound engineer: Max Ross
Mixed & mastered by Joseph Branciforte
Artwork & design: Ariel Horrall
Produced by Mara Rosenbloom
Executive producer: Jordi Pujol
Review:
Prairie Burn, the latest album from New York pianist Mara Rosenbloom, begins at a gallop. An opening 5-minute improvised overture, “Brush Fire,” precedes a four-part title suite, which dominates this excellent trio debut.
The opener sets the scene with an immediate ood of dense activity, Sean Conly bowing his groaning bass alongside the leader’s agitated clusters. Very soon, this flurry settles into open space, and Rosenbloom finds her flow, repeating cycles in a near-minimalist manner.
“Prairie Burn” itself begins with a playful introduction from Rosenbloom, who grew up near the Great Plains of Wisconsin, before moving to New York 12 years ago. Her runs are full of hopeful traipsing, delicate and optimistic, and drummer Chad Taylor eloquently comments on and responds to her every phrase. The bass and drums are almost linear, but Rosenbloom is already off on an altering course, subverting what the listener might expect of the piece’s melodic direction.
Martin Longley (DownBeat)
