Jacob Shulman

High Firmament/Ferment Below

Endectomorph

L.A.-based saxophonist and composer Jacob Shulman teaches mathematics and programming in his “day job,” which might provide some clues into his far-reaching thought process. For his sophomore recording effort, he delivers two albums, two sides of the coin. High Firmament brilliantly captures, even from the opening glistening notes of pianist Hayoung Lyou on ‘Stretchin’ In the Morning” the concept of the mind’s most fertile and creative moments – the morning. Ferment Below, on the other hand, captures the essence of live, ‘in the moment” jazz improvisation in its natural habitat, the dimly lit nightclub. Shulman’s other collaborators on both journeys are bassist Walter Stinson and drummer Kayvon Gordon.

To put it more directly, Shulman is challenging the notion of recorded jazz, stating that you can never play the music the same way twice and that a final recording product eschews the value of understanding how musical ideas develop.  He states “… From a player’s perspective, a recording misses all the ideas that could have been but never make it all the way through the instrument. Those ideas are real though, and they privately texturize the experience of playing. From a listener’s perspective, a recording dampens the live performance’s impression of sensitivity- that at any moment the music could turn in any number of directions.”  Consequently, High Firmament may sound unfinished, or wrought with endless rambling but that’s purposeful. It’s Shulman and engineer Lee Meadvin’s way of stretching the way studio recording is typically done (as mentioned previously Shulman is a computer programmer after all).

High Firmament, as mentioned begins with “Stretchin’ in the Morning.”  If Lyou’s piano evokes the stretching of limbs, Shulman’s rambling tenor may suggest stumbling about, deciding what to wear and what else may be needed before settling into the day’s routines. “Toroid” is more purposeful, perhaps signifying the eagerness of tackling a new project, albeit with wandering thoughts. Melodies and themes begin to take shape in “Maple” where one can read in those bright moments of elucidation mixed with struggling ones. The waltzing “Zephyr Point” as the title suggests could represent a sense of accomplishment, although here as in the others, the initial theme explodes in several directions, including wonderfully elegant piano about two thirds in. Throughout drummer Gordon is especially impressive with an innate feel for timing his cymbal flourishes. “Plucky” is joyous; the creator is making progress while “Hometown Hero,” plays to certifiable celebratory melody, perhaps emblematic of finished work.

Ferment Below, as you would expect, mixes formed ideas with free playing, stripping away any tentative notions. Here, the musicians are “going for it” with greater fervor. It’s more difficult to read into these compositions. The music is clearly ‘out,’ a hybrid of the through composed with the unbounded.  As a listener would do in any live performance, prepare yourself to ‘get lost’ and delve into group interplay. Close listening reveals some of Shulman’s bent for operatic motifs, similar “waltzing” refrains heard in “Zephyr Point,” and marching cadences as per “Hot Rain Dance.” These pieces have clearer demarcations between sections as Shulman’s aggressive blowing is spurred on by an ever potent, kinetic rhythm undercurrent.  There are plenty of points of tension and release and the listener can immerse himself, knowing that the music will be transportive, albeit chaotic and bumpy, marked with surprising oases along the way.

• Jim Hynes

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