POSTPONED: Tony Barba Quartet (album release)

$15 ($12 adv.). Presented by BlueStem Jazz.

press release: Tony Barba had an unusually prolific composing period in the two months directly before and after the last total lunar eclipse that was visible in the North American Midwest (January 20-21st, 2019). The term “blood moon” comes from the coloring that the fully eclipsed moon takes on when it is in totality. Ancient humans often viewed these phenomena as a harbinger of danger, or to put it more dramatically, the beginning of end times. As times have changed, so have people’s beliefs concerning the meaning of a lunar eclipse, but the gravity of these events remains for many. Usually not succumbing to superstition, Barba could not help but see a tangible connection to this particular blood moon and the influx of new material, ideas and ambitions. 

Knowing that this abundance of creativity was a rare occurrence (just like this particular lunar eclipse), Barba began to shape the compositions after the personalities of some of his favorite musicians to play with: Matt Gold from Chicago on electric guitar, John Christensen from Madison on upright and electric bass, and Devin Drobka on drums and sampling trigger pads. The music that came forth encompassed a range of styles that Barba knew the players excel at: rock, pop, ambient, reggae and country, while at the same time being firmly planted in the tradition of an instrumental jazz improvising quartet. Patience, sensitivity, expansiveness and assurance are all qualities that the compositions exude, while at the same time displaying an undeniable sense of foreboding and melancholic urgency. Barba knew that the players forming this particular quartet could achieve the nuance and subtlety that music required. The first performance was booked in March of the same year, and after the first set was finished, Barba knew the music would need to be recorded and released without hesitation. Two days were booked at Madison’s DNA Music Lab, and the resulting release was recorded. 

The album starts with its title track, which was born out of a simple bass line that Barba wrote using the first half of a 3-2 clave rhythm. It was originally a nod to New Orleans street brass music, but in the hands of Christensen and Drobka, the groove turned into a punchy surf rock anthem. The second track, “Hide Alerts,” gives a nod to Twin Peaks composer Badalamenti, with the lack of solos meant to give more precedence to the textural palette of the song.

Late 1970s new wave and reggae is channeled in “Rounding Up,” which contains high energy solos from Barba and Gold with fervent and persistent electric bass playing from Christensen. “Wishlist” comes next, introducing the listener to Barba’s bass clarinet playing and a subtle feature of Drobka’s electronic trigger pad. The liquid melody is supplied by Gold’s tremulated guitar. “Washed Up” could be said to contain elements of an anthemic rock ballad which builds into a more energetic finale.

The next three songs are the only tracks that give a nod to more standard modern jazz influences. "The Hypnotist" is a triple meter ballad followed by the epic "Drifters" which features an intro and outro from Barba on bass clarinet with Christensen on upright bass over a drone produced by Gold and Drobka. "Monster" displays the band's fluency in odd-meters. 

Blood Moon continues with "The Long Haul," an emotive cowboy ballad that Barba’s reverberated saxophone plays simply twice until its conclusion. The album ends with "Cut and Dry," which was born out of experiments with Barba’s harmonizer pedal used on his tenor sax. This blistering drum and bass influenced composition gives way to one of Gold’s most poignant guitar solos, and climaxes into an urgent harmonized melody that Barba and Gold play together before restating the original melody which Gold and Christensen play in unison.

In the end, Blood Moon proves to be a dynamic glimpse into the compositional mind of Tony Barba, bringing to light a furtive period of inspiration artfully executed by an exceptional band. The quartet plans to tour the Midwest in support of the new record, including album release dates at Madison’s North Street Cabaret on April 3rd, the Icehouse in Minneapolis on April 6th, Chicago’s Hungry Brain on April 8th, and the Jazz Estate in Milwaukee on April 10th.