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| Bassist Joe Fonda Pays Tribute to Wadada Leo Smith on Eyes on the Horizon Bassist-composer Joe Fonda's Eyes on the Horizon (Long Song Records, release date: November 15, 2024) is a gift—a gift from a former student to his master teacher, Wadada Leo Smith. It is the best possible gift a mentor can receive—it doesn't imitate Wadada's own work, it's entirely in Joe's voice. Featuring Wadada Leo Smith himself, pianist Satoko Fujii, and drummer Tiziano Tononi, it is a gift given by a mature artist out of respect to another whose example of artistic integrity, perseverance, and ongoing creativity continues to inspire him to this day. "I decided I would write a series of pieces and think about how Wadada writes music and how I write music and about what it was I learned from him, " Fonda said. "I even used some of his notation systems on certain pieces. So yeah, it was all about Wadada." Most of the composition titles arise from Fonda's experiences with Wadada over the years. The title track is his impression of how Smith always keeps the big picture in mind. "He never gave up and he stayed focused. And now he's more active than ever recording, performing, and composing some of the most powerful and spiritual music of our time, " says Fonda. "We Need Members" commemorates the first time Fonda met Wadada. In the early '80s, Fonda attended a recruitment meeting for the Creative Music Improvisors Forum (CMIF), a musicians' collective which Wadada co-founded and directed. At the meeting, vibraphonist and CMIF co-chair Bobby Naughton grilled each applicant to see if they measured up to the organization's membership requirements. "Wadada was just sitting by the door. He didn't say anything, " Fonda remembers. "When I was on my way out, I thought, man, I'm not sure I want to be a part of this, these guys are too hard. I got to the door and Wadada looked me right in the eyes and all he said was, with a warm face and a smile, 'We need members.' And that melted away all the stuff Bobby put me through and I joined." "Like No Other" is a dedication to the late Naughton, a mutual friend and collaborator with whom both Fonda and Smith worked closely. "I wanted to do it only as a duo with Wadada, " Fonda said. "After we play the written material, we make a short improvisation, then we each make our own statement about Bobby. During his solo, Wadada sounded so connected to Bobby. It was as if Bobby was there." "Bright Lights" was inspired by a comment Wadada made during a record mixing session. "We were sitting there listening and he said, 'I love brightness.' At that moment I realized, well, that's what Wadada is after, the bright reality of vibration." The quartet does a tremendous job capturing that "bright reality." Fonda put together an ensemble of collaborators who are familiar with one another and with Wadada's music. Japanese pianist-composer Satoko Fujii, who has recorded five duet albums with Fonda since 2015, has also used Wadada on two of her own albums. Italian drummer Tiziano Tononi has collaborated with Fonda on seven albums since 2018. Together they perfectly capture the essence of Fonda's visionary tribute. "Most of the time, we play with a more of a collective mentality, " Fonda said. "What I composed is not necessarily just head-solo-head. It's more like the way Wadada injects improvisations inside the written material. I tried to orchestrate it in different ways, so different people carry the themes at different times, and different people might be improvising at different times." Examples of Fonda's subtle merging of composing and improvising abound. For instance, on the title track, full ensemble passages blending written and improvised music alternate with solos and duos. It hangs together as a fully orchestrated piece yet feels spontaneous, with structure emerging from both in-the-moment interaction and Fonda's preconceived elements. Embedded in this this complex matrix of improvisation and interpretation are moments of individual brilliance. In a duet with Tononi during "Bright Light, " Wadada displays his mastery of the trumpet's timbre and texture, his elliptical lyricism, his deep focus, and his unexcelled awareness of pacing and balance. Fujii delivers a multifaceted performance on the album, ranged from her dark, percussive solo on "Eyes on the Horizon" to an edge-of-your-seat duo with Fonda on "We Need Members." That track also features a solo by Fonda that's especially confiding—it's as if he talking directly to the listener. Fonda's rhythmically powerful riffs and the elaborations and development of his lines move forward in a sure, steady flow. Tononi's solo on "Cornell West" surges ahead with an exhilarating momentum. Before making this album, Fonda hadn't worked with Wadada since the mid-'80s, but they kept in touch over the decades and Wadada's example has always been with him. Fonda titled "Inspiration" to reflect Wadada's impact on his life and music. "Through the years, I found Wadada to be a real inspiration, " he says. "But then at the recording session, Wadada gave it back to me. When the session was over, he said, 'Joe, I'm proud of you, man. I'm proud of the music you wrote.' So I mean, it all circled back around." Since his recording debut in 1981, bassist-composer Joe Fonda has released more than a dozen recordings under his own name. Among them are albums by From the Source, a unique sextet including four jazz musicians, a tap dancer, and a vocalist-healing artist. His multinational Off Road Quartet features players from four different countries—Ux Fengia from China, Carlos Zingaro from Portugal, Lucas Niggle from Switzerland, and Fonda from the USA. As co-leader of the Fonda-Stevens Group, with pianist Michael Jefry Stevens, he recorded 13 albums between 1990 and 2010. More recently, he and pianist Fujii have performed and recorded as a duo. Many of Fonda's longest-standing associations are with collective ensembles, including the Nu Band, which originally included trumpeter Roy Campbell, saxophonist Mark Whitecage, and drummer Lou Grassi. He was also bassist with the FAB Trio with drummer Barry Altschul and violinist Billy Bang. One of his most recent projects is Remedy with trumpeter Thomas Heberer and drummer Joe Hertenstein. As a sideman, Fonda has recorded and performed with some of the leading musicians of our time, including Anthony Braxton from 1984 through 1999. He was also a crucial member of German saxophonist Gebhard Ullman's Conference Call, and guitarist Michael Musillami's trio with George Schuller. Joe Fonda Quartet – Eyes on the Horizon Long Song Records – Catalog Number: LSRCD163/2024 Recorded December 11&12, 2023 Release date – November 15, 2024 write your comments about the article :: © 2024 Jazz News :: home page |