The Thing in the Spring 2023

9-3-2020

Curs in the Weeds

Zoh Amba: Tenor saxophone, flute
William Parker: Bass
Francisco Mela: Drums

Originally from Kingsport, Tennessee, New York-based Zoh Amba is a precocious, notable star in the avant-garde music scene. Growing up in the Appalachian mountains, Amba practiced saxophone to the forest that surrounded her home before she later traveled to study with David Murray in New York, and also at the San Francisco Conservatory Of Music & New England Conservatory in Boston. Today, her music is full of folk melodies, mesmerizing refrains, repeated incantations and powerfully executed Free Jazz reminiscent of Albert Ayler. Her sound is courageous and bold, commanding her instrument with a loving force that soars from muted hums to squeaky trebles, producing a confident sound imbued with spirituality. 

On this project, Zoh Amba is joined by legendary artists William Parker (Bass) and Francisco Mela (Drums), who temper her daring saxophone with a lush percussive foundation and a reassuring bassline. On one of the album’s 4 tracks, Amba also opts for flute, cutting through the noise with a quieter, adventurous tone, and offering listeners a more exclusive look at her multi-instrumental prowess. The album, O Life, O Light, Vol. 1 will be released on CD (available 5/20/22) and on black and limited color vinyl editions planned to arrive late 2022 but available for pre-order now—the vinyl editions will also include an extra bonus track. If you enjoyed this album please look out for Vol. 2!

Artist Title: Zoh Amba, William Parker, Francisco Mela
Album Title:  O Life, O Light Vol. 1
Label: 577 Records
File Under: Experimental / Avantgarde / Free Jazz
Release Date:  5/20/22
Cat#: 5900-1
Format: LP/CD/DL
Barcode LP: 736952025500
Barcode CD: 755491226179
LP-577R-5900-1
CD-577R-5900-1

Recorded September 13, 2021 by Jeremy Loucas at Sear Sound, New York City
Mixed and mastered by Jeremy Loucas at Sear Sound, New York City

Cover photograph by David Mirarchi
Graphic design by Mark Smith

Compositions by Zoh Amba, BMI

577 Records is an independent record label 
based in Brooklyn, New York 
operating since 2001

577 Records
Brooklyn, New York
www.577records.com
©+℗ 2022

O Life, O Light

Zoh Amba ft. William Parker & Francisco Mela: 'O Life, O Light' (title track) 577 Records

"One Truck Gone" is the first single from Editrix's new album "Editrix II: Editrix Goes To Hell," out June 3rd via Exploding In Sound Records. pre-order: https://explodinginsoundrecords.bandcamp.com/album/editrix-ii-editrix-goes-to-hell

Editrix - One Truck Gone

Cari Norris (vocals, guitar) with Susan Alcorn (pedal steel guitar). 2008

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Listen to clips from the Mali Obomsawin Sextet live, as Obomsawin discusses how she's changed her relationship to music since leaving Lula Wiles.

Reporting and audio: Mickal Aranha
Photo: Sam Kassirer

Listen: Mali Obomsawin plays live and shares her new approach to music

YTI⅃AƎЯ

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From the <a href="http://www.pub.gaga.com.au">Gaga Pub</a> catalogue. If you want to know more, check out our <a href="http://www.gaga.com.au">site</a>, follow us on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/gaga_music">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/GagaMusic">Facebook</a>, and <a href="http://eepurl.com/Vtm-">join our mailing list</a>. For all licensing enquiries, <a href="mailto:katie@gaga.com.au">get in touch with Katie</a>. 

Bill Callahan: Riding For The Feeling

Argonauta

Would You Come to Me

Born in Lima, Peru, Maria Chavez is an an abstract turntablist, sound artist, and DJ. Accidents, coincidence, and failures are themes that unite her sound sculptures, installations, and other works with her solo turntable performance practice. She visited Richmond for a ten-day artist residency at the University of Richmond and to kick off Sound Arts Richmond, a citywide sound arts festival that continues through August of this year. I spoke with Maria as she was installing Topography of Sound: Peaks and Valleys Series, a solo exhibition of new paintings and illustrations based on microscopic images of vinyl and needle. Chavez chose to show this work as two-dimensional rather than as a sound installation because, in the sound arts world and in the art markets, the expectation is that sound art can only be emitted sound from a speaker or from a person. And, as you will hear, Chavez is not a person who likes to be boxed in by external expectations.

The Thing in the Spring 2023

Eric Gagne