''Aquarius'' is an album by American jazz flautist
Nicole Mitchell, which was recorded in 2012 and released on
Delmark. It was the debut of her ensemble Ice Crystal, a quartet with vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz, bassist Josh Abrams and drummer Frank Rosaly. The last piece is a tribute to saxophonist
Fred Anderson.
[Original Liner Notes by Lofton A. Emenari]
Reception
The ''
Down Beat
' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chi ...
'' review by
John Corbett says "Mitchell is a stellar composer, and while her work for a larger ensemble has revealed much about her musical personality, it’s nice to hear how she manages things in a cozier setting, where the written and the improvised fuse quite completely."
[Corbett, John. ''Aquarius'' review. ''Down Beat'' June 13: page 60. Print.]
In a review for ''
JazzTimes'' Michael J. West notes that "Mitchell spends much time demonstrating her flute tone at its brightest, with high pitches and enthusiastic swoops, while Adasiewicz takes the opposite approach, sounding dark and dim with his low, limited notes. Even so, the execution is masterful."
[West, Michael J]
''Aquarius'' review
at '' JazzTimes''
The Point of Departure review by Troy Collins says "Devoid of overarching conceptual themes, the ensuing compositions convey a fluid, freewheeling sensibility. Underscored by Abrams and Rosaly’s discerning accompaniment, the scintillating rapport between Mitchell and Adasiewicz conjures intimations of such legendary partnerships as
Eric Dolphy
Eric Allan Dolphy Jr. (June 20, 1928 – June 29, 1964) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, bass clarinetist and flautist. On a few occasions, he also played the clarinet and piccolo. Dolphy was one of several multi-instrumentalists to gai ...
and
Bobby Hutcherson
Robert Hutcherson (January 27, 1941 – August 15, 2016) was an American jazz vibraphone and marimba player. "Little B's Poem", from the 1966 Blue Note album '' Components'', is one of his best-known compositions.Huey, Steve. "Components – Bob ...
, or
Marion Brown and
Gunter Hampel
Gunter Hampel (born 31 August 1937) is a German jazz vibraphonist, clarinettist, saxophonist, flautist, pianist, and composer. He became dedicated to free jazz in the 1960s, developing a record label (Birth Records) and working with Jeanne Lee, ...
."
[Collins, Troy]
''Aquarius'' review
at Point of Departure
Track listing
:''All compositions by Nicole Mitchell''
# "Aqua Blue" – 4:04
# "Today, Today" – 8:07
# "Yearning" – 6:43
# "Aquarius" – 8:02
# "Above the Sky" – 6:48
# "Diga, Diga" – 4:26
# "Adaptability" – 8:38
# "Expectation" – 8:00
# "Sunday Afternoon" – 9:38
# "Fred Anderson" – 4:10
Personnel
*
Nicole Mitchell -
flute
The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...
*
Jason Adasiewicz
Jason Adasiewicz (born October 14, 1977) is an American jazz vibraphonist and composer.
Early life and education
Jason was born in Wichita, Kansas in 1977, but raised in Crystal Lake, Illinois. –
vibes
Vibes may refer to:
* Vibes (percussion) or vibraphone, a musical instrument
* Vibes (company) a mobile marketing company
* The aura or energy given off by someone
Media
* ''Vibes'' (film), a 1988 comedy
* ''Vibes'' (video game), a 2010 video ...
*Josh Abrams –
bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range:
** Bass (instrument), including:
** Acoustic bass gui ...
*Frank Rosaly –
drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
*Calvin Gantt –
spoken word
Spoken word refers to an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a late 20th century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetics of ...
on 10
References
{{Authority control
2013 albums
Nicole Mitchell (musician) albums
Delmark Records albums