Paul Dietrich's 5+4 (album release)

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Ric Damm Photography

Paul Dietrich 5+4 on stage.

Paul Dietrich 5+4

Released in October, 5+4 features a set of new music composed by Paul Dietrich, who (on trumpet) leads a five-piece jazz ensemble (with piano-sax-bass-drums) combined with a four-piece string section (two violins, viola and cello). The blend of instrumentation provides Dietrich ample opportunity to explore harmony and counterpoint, which this music does with stunning results. 5+4 isn’t an album you can put on in the background and do something else, because it will grab your attention and not let go, and it should be equally compelling when the ensemble assembles for this album release concert.

media release: Arts + Literature Laboratory welcomes Paul Dietrich's 5+4, a unique combo of a jazz quintet with a strings quartet, to celebrate their recent CD release on Friday, February 23, 2024 at 7:30pm. Tickets are $20 general admission, $15 student/ALL Member in advance online, or $25 at the door for everyone. Tickets available at https://fiveplusfour.bpt.me.

Paul Dietrich's 5+4 was conceived as a group that would combine the instrumentation of a classic jazz quintet (trumpet, tenor saxophone, piano, bass, and drums) with that of a string quartet. While strings have been present in jazz music since the 1920s, they have not traditionally played a central role, and composer and trumpet player Dietrich was interested in exploring the sonic possibilities of this combination. Dietrich's work in this regard has been commended: All About Jazz says that "the two components mesh so seamlessly that it's hard to imagine the album with one but not the other," and Textura adds that "Dietrich has worked hard to integrate strings fully into the arrangements rather than use them as window dressing-like add-ons."

The group's eponymous album was released in mid-October, but as Dietrich had only recently become a father at that time, he felt it was a good idea to delay any release shows. Arts + Literature Laboratory is fitting venue for this belated CD release show, as the ensemble's first performance in 2021 was supported by an Artistic Development Grant from ALL and the Greater Madison Jazz Consortium. Previews of music from the album can be heard at www.pauldietrichjazz.com/5-4.

Personnel:

Paul Dietrich, trumpet and compositions, Dustin Laurenzi, tenor saxophone and clarinet, Jason Kutz, piano, Brian Courage, bass, Juan Pastor, drums

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Paran Amirinazari, violin, Wes Luke, violin, Kayla Patrick, viola, James Waldo, cello.

Dietrich has released three prior albums as a leader: We Always Get There (2014) and Focus (2017) with his quintet, and Forward (2019) with his 18-piece Jazz Ensemble, which featured guest artist Clarence Penn and some of the Midwest’s standout jazz musicians, including alto saxophonist Greg Ward, trumpeter Russ Johnson, and guitarist Matt Gold. Forward was praised as “stunningly beautiful” by Audiophile Audition and Dietrich has been praised as “an exceptional composer and a superlative performer” by All About Jazz.

With extensive experience in both large ensemble and small group jazz, as well as work in the “classical realm” as a composer, 5+4 fits perfectly within Dietrich’s wheelhouse. The nine-piece ensemble lends itself well to the through-composed, large-scale approach that Dietrich has explored with his 18-piece Jazz Ensemble, but the quintet still operates like a tight, intimate, improvisatory small group. For inspiration, Dietrich looked to the work of some of his favorite modern jazz composers who have worked with strings, notably Matt Ulery, Fabian Almazan, Laura Jurd, and Ambrose Akinmusire. The string elements also draw from contemporary classical composers, like Caroline Shaw and Steve Reich.

Pieces like “Springs” and “Of Islands” operate in a thoroughly modern jazz environment, with grooves inspired by the likes of Tigran Hamasyan and ample solo space for Dietrich’s longtime collaborator, Dustin Laurenzi, on saxophone. “Suspend” combines this approach with a more classical harmonic universe, with Dietrich improvising over harmonies that wouldn’t be out of place in a collegiate music theory course while Laurenzi plays over an aggressive groove.

The strings take more of a central role on “Out Here” and even more so on “A Separation,” which begins with a few minutes of minimalist strings before Dietrich, Laurenzi, and Kutz join for a quiet, drummer-less improvisation section. “Folk Song” explores the more fiddle-based side of the string instruments, with a catchy melody that develops into a long, open solo section for Dietrich.

“Some Things Last” is moodier and darker than the rest of the album, and, along with the final track, aptly named “Closing,” is more meditative and cinematic. Both bring Deitemyer into the foreground to stand out on the drum set.

5+4 showcases Dietrich’s skill as a composer and his continuing search for new sounds. The pieces contain his trademarks: sumptuous harmony, long forms, and big, dramatic solo sections. But the band operates beautifully within the structure, creating a sense of intimacy that is difficult to find in larger groups, and there is no shortage of space for the personality and identity of its soloists to shine through.