VOCALIST/GUITARIST/COMPOSER CAMILA MEZA BREAKS NEW GROUND WITH NEW ALBUM, PORTAL

OUT MAY 23, 2025 VIA GROUND UP

Purchase here

GroundUP Music is proud to announce the release of Portal, the sixth album and GroundUP debut by multifaceted vocalist-guitarist-composer Camila Meza. Produced by Meza and pianist Shai Maestro, Portal features drummer Ofri Nehemya and harpist Margaret Davis, with special guests including vocalists Gretchen Parlato and Becca Stevens, drummer Caleb Vangelder, pianist Gadi Lehavi, and spoken word artist Faumelisa Manquepillán.

Camila Meza is a rarity in today’s world – a captivating triptych of an artist known for composing brilliant musical landscapes ablaze with irresistible melodies and improvisations, brought to life by her soulfully pure vocal instrument, and consummate prowess on guitar. Originally from Santiago, Chile, she has garnered rapt attention from her colleagues, the press, and audiences in South America, New York City, and internationally, for her distinctive ability of blending jazz with her broad musical world (including Latin American, Brazilian, folk and pop), and for the emotional depth of her music. This rising star on the global jazz scene has been described by The New York Times as, "a bright young singer and guitarist with an ear for music of both folkloric and pop intention," and called, "a natural multi-talent, an improvising singer-guitarist who is one of the finest in the world in both creative realms," by pianist Aaron Goldberg.  He added that, "she unites North and South America in a multilingual mega-continent, a Pangaea of swing and harmony." Being called to join your peers on stage and in the studio remains one of the true tests that any NYC jazz musician will face, and Camila has passed, summa cum laude, staying very busy as an in-demand side musician, working with the likes of Ryan Keberle, Fabian Almazan, Aaron Goldberg, Sachal Vasandani, Dave Douglas, Arooj Aftab and many others.

Six years since the release of her acclaimed album Ámbar (Sony Masterworks), Camila Meza returns with an evermore strong and bold statement - her most personal musical piece to date. Her first project entirely of originals, Portal finds her in her full power as a consummate and original songwriter and composer, unveiling new colors and textures of her palette. Recorded during the pandemic and Camila’s journey through pregnancy and birth, the album took on a deeper and almost existential meaning to her. “Most of the songs were written in 2019 during a creative spree to fulfill a Jazz Gallery Commission. I composed them in a bit of a trance,” the artist reflects. “The only thing I really knew was that it was about a passage, a sort of transmutation. I wanted to portray the human capacity to transform our reality from the evident darkness that surrounds it, into its potential for light, for beauty.”

While writing she describes visions of archetypal figures, including The Mother – as a way to describe the unconditional love and capacity for nurturing that humans have – and The Wise Woman, a figure that represents ancient wisdom, answers from our ancestors in times of deviation where our connection to our essence has been lost. “This album became my deepest plea and conjuring of a world where we can manifest our ideals… where we can re-remember our unity with what we call Nature and live more harmoniously in it, between us and within ourselves,” she shares. “...where we can question the status quo and find different answers that can lead to healthier ways of living, and where polarities can find balance, helping us reconsider what really is important for us. I didn’t know then, but part of what I was writing about was also my own portal into becoming a mother and experiencing that unlimited love myself, and how relevant it would become to try to create that vibrant and beautiful world, as my son’s future was now in it.”

Portal was born from Camila Meza’s joyous and inquisitive journey from a young, accomplished musician in Chile (inspired by Wes Montgomery, George Benson, Pat Metheny, Led Zeppelin, Ella Fitzgerald, Jimi Hendrix, Bjork, Elis Regina, Chet Baker among others), to her ascension among the  new generation of adventurous jazz musicians in New York who are fearlessly imposing their disparate influences and experiences with glorious sonic results.

MORE ABOUT PORTAL

Portal opens with the bilingual "Utopía," on which Meza sings: "Under that mountain there is a town that hides, they are seen in the light of sun, embroidering a world in peace, in their truth. Utopia grows in me, little by little a high flight at last. Weaving a dream, a tree is a temple while living. Weaving a dream, its branches my instinct to follow.” Meza writes about the reconnection to the creative energy, the power of imagination to convey a place where these ideals are part of daily life. The image of a tree as a temple and following nature’s cues to gain the most wisdom. It ends with a meditational chant at the end “I breathe slow” reminding us the power we have in us if we give ourselves that moment of calm to breathe and imagine.

Following is Camila's fast samba-influenced, "The Nurturer," which enfolds much of the message of the album, which is the ability to love unconditionally – how a Mother would love her child, and the power that a love like that can bring to everything we pour it over. “And as we enlighten every corner that we nurture thrives, My own garden slowly comes alive, and the wild in me begins to smile.” It features a high energy-solo by Meza on guitar, which sets the tone for the exciting journey of the album.

Next up is “Harvesting Under The Moon”, an obscure night fairy-like jazz-trip hop waltz that ensures some of the wildest compositional stories. The lyrics are as compelling as the music, a question to the historical silencing of women and feminine energy in this society. The reconsideration of what history should be - a book of wars and glorified hate among us? Here again we can listen to her powerful solo on an odd meter ostinato section that leads to another solo, this time featuring Shai Maestro’s energetic keys and fluid interjections.

While writing the music for Portal, "Transmutación" came in one sitting. Unsure of how to approach it (as it sounded almost like a classical ballad to her ears), Meza let the music speak for itself. One of the most heartfelt songs on the album and sung in Spanish, the music accompanies the message of the moment before crossing a ‘portal’. “Entering into this new realm brings awakening, the realization of us all being One with Venus as the female energy opening up time and bringing balance,” she describes.

"Portal" is the centerpiece of Portals. "This song felt like a hymn or celebration of the beauty I was imagining we could be capable of …the moment we’re just past the struggle and the fight. Where we can look back at all we endured and embrace each other.” Meza recorded her vocals for this song at her house, soon after having her son. “It was so powerful. Some of the lyrics also made total sense with the moment I was living. In fact, there’s a take of this song where right after singing “I feel the river of the portal, it’s embracing us inside, I feel like there’s something more” I burst into tears. I definitely was also singing about my own portal of becoming a mother.”

The cinematic "Nieno La” finds inspiration in Mapuche poet and artist Faumelisa Manquepillán. Reciting one of her poems in her language Mapudungun (indigenous from south of Chile), “I kept thinking of the spirit of the Wise Woman that visited me many times during the creation of this album, in dreams and presence. It had to be portrayed in one way or another. Once I found Faumelisa’s poems, which are so full of depth, I knew I needed to include her. She represents that feminine and wise ancestral energy that I revere so much and I feel we need at this point of our civilization.”

"Uncovered Ground" introduces guest vocalists Gretchen Parlato and Becca Stevens. They sing a meditational and love affirming ballad which reassures each character the possibility of letting go of their metaphorical knots and pain, allowing them to express themselves. The timbre and phrasing of each voice and the perfect blending of the trio gives way to one of the most beautiful moments on the record.

"Overgrowth” is a rock-like song that brings a new flavor to the project. With a clear, socially conscious message about the capitalist and environmentally destructive society of which we live, the song taps into the idea of a younger generation witnessing the flaws of the older ways and revealing the wrongs. Ultimately, it’s a celebration of rising through a world left in pieces, and collectively rewilding and renewing that metaphoric soil, finding joy through the struggle.

“We spent so much time with Shai crafting sounds and textures, but also he completely reimagined some of these songs and made them flourish. This is one of the songs where we added completely different structures and vibe, and it really made the song alive and brought forth a clear purpose. Working with him as a producer and a friend was a highlight of this whole process.”

On the breathtaking "Remecer” Meza sings, "I come to shake up everything that I have not been able to, give you a hug and drain all the fear and uncertainty. I saw how to rediscover everything I had experienced in a dream. From afar I felt a cry and heard you, I had met you.” Written during the pandemic, this song was inspired by the inability to meet her recently born nephew, and the wish to do so. Guest Gadi Lehavi on piano adds an emotional solo to this beautiful song.

“Mandorla” is an extended reprise of “Nieno La”, and another cinematic track offering a fresh perspective on an already lived experience. Camila cites Arvo Pärt as a prime influence here with the use of clustery vocals ultimately evoking comfort and peace. The name of the track alludes to the Vesica Pisces, a sacred geometry symbol that represents the divine feminine, motherhood, unity, and balance. It can also symbolize the beginning of new life and the interconnectedness of all things.

The album ends with the heartwarming “Persistir”, which leaves a wondrous feeling of hope and calm. The only track featuring acoustic guitar, this song is a newer one for Meza and fits the acoustic-electronic environment presented by her new record, making a new statement of self-discovery and boundary pushing.

Recorded during the most cataclysmic and transformative moments of her life, while the whole world was shutting down but a whole world was emerging inside of her, the majority of Meza’s parts were recorded during the pandemic at her DIY home studio while pregnant. Post-birth, whenever Meza found a moment of solitude while her son slept, she continues to work on the project. “It was all made long distance and yet we managed to make it happen. To me this record represents the resilience and courage to create and bring beauty into the world, sometimes against all odds, it feels like a revolutionary act in itself,” she reflects.

Throughout Portal Camila offers the listener a remarkable gift; her true self and her abundant talents, as expressed through these songs, with no less than luminosity, passion, honesty and love.

Camila Meza website

Thank you to Lydia Liebman Promotions for sharing with us

Katie Thiroux Releases Powerful New Solo Album Always but never Alone

Los Angeles, CA — Acclaimed bassist and vocalist Katie Thiroux has released her deeply personal new solo album, Always but never Alone, now streaming on all major platforms. The project is a raw and intimate exploration of identity and resilience — featuring only live bass and voice, captured in a single 3-hour session at Tritone Studios in Los Angeles.

“This record is for anyone who has ever been through an uncertain time and had to learn to be comfortable with it,” says Thiroux. “For me, that journey began — and continues — with parenting my daughter, who is autistic, nonverbal, developmentally delayed, and has apraxia of speech. From the moment I was pregnant, I knew I’d never be alone again.”

The album is a continuous, gapless work meant to be heard in one sitting. Every three tracks are punctuated by a meditative verse from John Lennon’s “Look at Me”, offering moments of reflection that echo the album’s emotional arc.

The repertoire spans a wide emotional and stylistic range — from Gershwin and Tadd Dameron to Paul McCartney and Harry Nilsson — interpreted with clarity and deep connection. Each track reveals a layer of Thiroux’s identity: mother, wife, performer, and human

— with themes that are sometimes heavy, often luminous, and always honest. “It’s not all dark,” she adds. “I find light in the dark. That’s what I do.”

With each note and phrase, Always but never Alone is also a bold artistic statement:

This is how a bassist should accompany a vocalist — with empathy, presence, and total commitment.

The album was engineered by Talley Sherwood, mixed by Scott Sheppard and David Schwartz, and mastered by Jett Galindo. The striking cover artwork — a vivid reflection of the layered, unpredictable beauty of her daughter’s world — was created by Cécile Michaelis.

Purchase here

www.katiethiroux.com

Multi-award-winning vocalist/lyricist, Georgia Mancio (Ian Shaw, Kate Williams, ReVoice! Festival), and double-Grammy-winning pianist/composer, Alan Broadbent (Natalie Cole, Charlie Haden, Pat Metheny), present their third album of co-written songs, ‘A Story Left Untold’, preceded by an 11 date UK tour.

Masterfully blending the personal and political across duo, quartet, and orchestral settings,

‘A Story Left Untold’ unfolds in two interconnected halves, where some protagonists are given a voice while others remain silent in the shadows. It explores the delicate intersection of the “cruel and kind” (‘A Lark’s Lament’); those forces that draw us further from, and closer to, our shared humanity.

Set for release on CD, vinyl and download, 5 May 2025 on Roomspin Records, it completes a trilogy with the globally acclaimed ‘Songbook’ (2017) and ‘Quiet Is The Star’ (2021), both shortlisted as ‘Albums of The Year’ by the Arts Desk, Jazz Views and Jazzwise.

In their 12-year collaboration, Georgia (London) and Alan (New York) have been described as “one of the most formidable songwriting partnerships of the 21st century” (Jazz Views), with extensive performances across Europe and the US, including Ronnie Scott’s and Dizzy’s (Jazz at Lincoln Center). Their catalogue of 40+ songs has drawn comparisons to Rodgers and Hart, Cole Porter, Joni Mitchell and Stephen Sondheim, most published in their book ‘The Songs Of Alan Broadbent and Georgia Mancio’.

In November 2023, they reunited in person for the first time in four years, to record a selection of songs—mainly written during that hiatus—with bassist Andrew Cleyndert and drummer Dave Ohm at the impressive School Farm Studios. One song, written and arranged by Alan for voice and full 42-piece orchestra, had been inadvertently overlooked by Georgia, which she recalls, “then took hold of me and would not let go”. It shaped the arc of the album, becoming the title track, and was subsequently recorded with FAME’s Skopje Studio Orchestra in June 2024.

Hearing Alan’s beautiful music within this sweeping orchestral context is a reminder of the staggering breadth of his talent and influences. Georgia’s multi-dimensional poeticism and powerfully nuanced performance are equally revelatory: what initially reads as a private account of loss, remembrance, and resignation, holds a darker undertone—a cautionary and timely tale against Authoritarianism.

Further ciphers of duality emerge across the album: the distorted realities of ‘Same Old Moon’—written in 2016, following political upheaval on both sides of the Atlantic—contrast the inherent hope that compassion and equality will ultimately prevail (‘Heart Of Hearts’, ‘Still We All Can Dream’).

Elsewhere, more overtly personal mementos balance poignancy and positivity, permanence and impermanence, with the skill, depth and lightness of touch that define Georgia and Alan’s collaboration. ‘From Me To You’, for Georgia’s late father-in-law, an actor with a lifelong passion for jazz; ‘Then And Now’, a companion piece to ‘The Last Goodbye’, their very first co-written song in 2013; ‘In The Afternoon’, a harmonious response to the seasons; ‘When The Time Has Come To Part’, a missive of strength and connection in life and art; and the mysterious ‘The Love I Left Behind’, originally inspired by John Glenday’s poem, ‘For My Wife, Reading In Bed’, and Georgia’s first lyric in her second language, Italian.

Trilogy co-producer Andrew Cleyndert demonstrates his impeccable musicianship throughout: engineering a remarkably seamless transition between duo, quartet, and orchestral settings, while also delivering exemplary bass playing. Drummer Dave Ohm, returning from ‘Songbook’, weaves his innate musicality and dynamism into a perfectly judged performance.

Artist Simon Manfield also continues his pivotal role across Georgia and Alan’s recordings and publications, once again delivering highly expressive cover art. This time, a cinematic frame within a frame: an empty chair faces a window, revealing a vibrant, curated garden that backs onto a barren, scorched landscape under ominous skies–reflecting both the tenderness and turmoil within this collection. Designer, Rachel O’Reilly, expertly unites the trilogy’s visual identity, aligning the pared-back pencil drawings of ‘Songbook’ with the watercolour seascapes of ‘Quiet Is The Star’.

At the core of this album is the kinship and searing sincerity between its leaders. As Alan explains, “Her words sound like my notes: they are meant to be sung”. Here, they are sung and played with passion and potency, fragility and finesse: two captivating storytellers united, as Georgia describes,“by the optimistic power of beauty and compassion”.

Stories told and untold: a defining chapter in this exceptional partnership.

For further info and to purchase visit Georgia’s website here

Janette Mason: REWIRED

Album release (CD & digital): Friday 25 April 2025

“A band leader of pugnacious flair and genuine unpredictability.” The Guardian

ReWired is the new acoustic trio album by acclaimed pianist, composer and arranger Janette Mason with long-time collaborators bassist Tom Mason and drummer Eric Ford. Known for her bold improvisations, rhythmic shifts and signature reharmonisations, Mason reimagines classic pop and jazz tunes that hold a personal significance. “I wanted to reflect on what I’ve done – including some standards but twisting them as much as I can, alongside tunes that I’ve played in a pop context with their creators,” explains Mason.

Pre Order here

Chosen from 1940s through to the present day, each track is carefully deconstructed and reassembled, resulting in a moving and innovative recording: ‘Cars’ (Gary Numan) – a nod to Mason’s early punk and electronic influences, with a bold harmonic reworking; ‘John, I’m Only Dancing’ (David Bowie) – a tribute to Mason’s collaborations with Tony Visconti, reimagined with Afro-Cuban swing rhythms; ‘Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered’ (Rodgers & Hart) – a jazz standard reinterpreted with classical influences, highlighting its timeless melodic and harmonic beauty; ‘Good 4 U’ by Olivia Rodrigo, a contemporary pop anthem transformed into a striking jazz arrangement with Paul Booth on saxophone; ‘The Man With The Child In His Eyes’ – a lyrically and harmonically rich arrangement that mirrors Kate Bush’s vocal phrasing and emotional depth; ‘Eleanor Rigby’ (The Beatles) – a bold reinvention with a groove and intricate bass- driven twists; ‘Lullaby of Birdland’ – a tribute to George Shearing’s harmonic brilliance, influenced by Mason’s childhood connection to his music and ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ – a deeply personal arrangement reflecting Mason’s time touring with Oasis. ReWired also features an original composition, ‘Prayer for the Planet,’ a heartfelt call for environmental awareness, enriched by the saxophone of Paul Booth and guest vocalists Roderick Lewis Frazier, Brendan Reilly and Natalie Williams.

Recorded in an intimate trio setting with minimal overdubs, ReWired captures the raw energy of live performance while offering a fresh perspective on beloved songs. “This album is a representation of the music I truly love,” says Mason. “I’ve had the honour of working with so many incredible artists, but ReWired is my way of honouring my own creativity.”

Live dates:

Thursday 1 May – Eastbourne, Bohemian

Album Release Concert – May 14 2025 – Pizza Express Soho – Book Tickets

Thursday 17 July – London, The Vortex

Thank you to ECN Music for sharing with us

Janette Mason website click here

Anneleen Boehme’s first solo album released April 18th.

Purchase here

THE PROJECT

That Anneleen Boehme is a virtuoso double bass player we could already observe in LABtrio. That she is an accomplished composer and bandleader we saw in Grand Picture Palace. Now we see her in her genuine vulnerability. Together with her regular companion, the double bass. Her music is anointing to the soul and her playing leaves no one unmoved.

In her solo, Anneleen Boehme explores the limits of the double bass and tries to transcend them in all their forms. She focuses on the acoustic sound of the instrument and, without too much extra, highlights that pure low voice. This with a focus on music that warms her heart: both her own com- positions written specifically for this double bass, as well as solo arrangements of existing music and improvisations. Her love for both jazz and classical music are expressed here. An embrace of the double bass, the low sounds and pure music....

Eunoia is double bassist Anneleen Boehme’s first solo album, which she also dedicated to herself.

“I wrote a story about who I am, about the road I’ve traveled so far. About how your head can drive you crazy and how, in the midst of it all, you can seek peace. I hope it will help you too. Sadness, joy, and comfort for your soul.”

Eunoia is an English word of Greek origin and consists of two parts: ‘eu’ meaning good and ‘noia’ referring to the spirit. Eunoia means beautiful thinking, benevolence toward all and a bridge between the heart and the mind.

The double bass translates our most melancholic feelings like no other. So it is no different on this record. But the warm tones are also anointing and hold a lot of comfort. On most songs we hear the double bass in his/her lonely simplicity, but on Fuga Ante Proelium we hear Anneleen’s voice joining her instrument.

Eunoia will be released on April 18th, 2025 on W.E.R.F. Records.

Thank you to Aubergine Artist Management for sharing with us

BIOGRAPHY

Anneleen Boehme is the double bassist and (co-)composer of the well-known Belgian LABtrio, with whom she performed at numerous festivals in Belgium and abroad, and appeared on various national and international radio and TV shows.

Since 2019, she formed her own band Grand Picture Palace which has been warmly welcomed in the Belgian jazz scene. Influenced by classical and contemporary music, bassists like Charlie Haden, Charles Mingus and composers like Gavin Bryars, she decided to start composing for double bass and orchestra. The result is a mix between jazz, classical and contemporary music. The bass plays the leading role, accompanied by a group of talented musicians. They released a first (self-titled) album Grand Picture Palace in 2021 on W.E.R.F. Records.

Anneleen also plays in several other bands such as Yskan and Saragon, and has collaborated with jazz musicians such as Chris Cheek, Michel Portal, Bert Joris, ....

She is also active in the field of performing arts as a creator and composer. She works on her own creations in co-production with others (e.g. Tumla), but also freelances for various theater compa- nies and has collaborated several times with Jan Sobrie, Joke Emmers, Fien Desmedt, Reinhild Decleir and Theater Antigone.

Innovative composer Ingrid Laubrock curates a library of moods from the poetry of Erica Hunt and four adventurous vocal-instrumental duos on her new double album. Purposing The Air, out April 11, 2025 via Pyroclastic Records, sets to music 60 brief yet evocative koans for the pairings of Fay Victor/Mariel Roberts, Sara Serpa/Matt Mitchell, Theo Bleckmann/Ben Monder, and Rachel Calloway/Ari Streisfeld (Duo Cortona)

“The genius of Laubrock's compositions lies in the way they balance compositional structure with improvisational freedom.” – Troy Dostert, All About Jazz

“As a bandleader, the wildly inventive soprano and tenor saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock shepherds… category-defying projects with a bent toward unconventional instrumentation and disparate style-shifting." – Brad Cohan, JazzTimes

Hailed as a “fully committed saxophonist and visionary” by The New Yorker, Ingrid Laubrock has evolved a distinctive, fascinatingly complex and richly layered sonic vocabulary that spans her efforts as an improviser, as leader of her own diverse ensembles or, as in the case of her captivating new album Purposing The Air, as composer and conceptualist for other musicians.

Out April 11, 2025 from Pyroclastic Records, Purposing The Air marks yet another adventurous exploration in a career marked by bold innovations. The album continues Laubrock’s engagement with the voice, following the blend of orchestra and choir on Contemporary Chaos Practices (2018). Purposing the Air is an expansive collection of 60 miniatures setting the words of poet Erica Hunt and her emotionally incisive piece “Mood Librarian – a poem in koan.” Approaching the poem’s succinct two- or three-line fragments as separate compositions, Laubrock tailored each of them for one of four duos: vocalist Fay Victor with cellist Mariel Roberts, vocalist Sara Serpa with pianist Matt Mitchell, vocalist Theo Bleckmann with guitarist Ben Monder, and mezzo-soprano Rachel Calloway with violinist Ari Streisfeld, aka the contemporary classical music ensemble Duo Cortona.

While she’s never before so fully integrated words and voice into her work, Laubrock has enjoyed a lifelong appreciation for poetry and literature. Her father was a Goethe scholar, while her mother instilled a love for language in her children from an early age. During the early years of her career in London, Laubrock was a member of the Brazilian-influenced band Nois 4, which featured the Brazilian singer Mônica Vasconcelos as well as vocal contributions by Laubrock herself.

The seed for Purposing The Air was planted while Laubrock was pursuing her master’s degree in composition. Setting out to write for Duo Cortona, she pondered which text to set for the intimate pairing. While she at first considered classic works, she quickly determined that she should employ the words of a living artist in keeping with her dedication to new works and vital collaborations. Not long before, Laubrock had met Hunt at a mutual friend’s home and struck up an immediate connection, making her an obvious candidate. While perusing Hunt’s most recent volume, Jump the Clock, the composer was intrigued by the possibilities of “Mood Librarian,” which compiles a spectrum of feelings from the everyday to the searching, the introspective to the speculative.

As the composer explains, “The texts of the poem are open and concise, often cryptic, but still poignant and relatable. Some I connected with immediately and viscerally, while others were more like evocative images or fun impressions. They really lend themselves to the song form in my mind.”

Deciding which duo would interpret which koan was key to the compositional process, Laubrock relates. Each of the pairings carried with it differing degrees of history –Fay Victor and Mariel Roberts had never performed together, while Matt Mitchell had worked with Sara Serpa in the context of the Portuguese-born singer’s multi- media Intimate Strangers project. Theo Bleckmann and Ben Monder are longtime collaborators who have released a number of duo albums over the last three decades, and Calloway and Streisfeld not only perform together as Duo Cortona, they are also husband and wife.

Writing for a project in which she wouldn’t also be a featured performer was a unique challenge, Laubrock says. “As a performer you can always direct the music from the inside. When you don't have that option, you have to be more concise in what you write and construct. Writing for these duos was all about trying to find ways of letting two musicians interact and figuring out the possibilities of their instruments while still allowing my personal creativity to shine through.”

The title *Purposing The Air *is paraphrased from the lyric of the penultimate piece (performed here by Duo Cortona): “birds purpose the air / as you purpose / pen and paper.” Contained within those few words is a suggestion of the art of composition, where marks on paper are translated into vibrations in air, rife with meaning and feeling; at the same time, as Laubrock explains, it hints at the wide-ranging interconnectedness of the project. “I envisage this whole piece of music almost as a space with the poems floating through it,” she describes. “There’s just enough space in between each song that it allows a moment to settle before the next one pops up.”

In conceiving the musical settings for each of Hunt’s koans, Laubrock took her cue from the poem’s title, “Mood Librarian.” Each piece conjures a vivid sensation, all of them as simultaneously complex, elusive and specific as the poet’s brief, evocative lines. Together this wealth of emotional knowledge and exploration could fill the shelves of a vast, impressionistic library. 

Ingrid Laubrock

Ingrid Laubrock is an experimental saxophonist and composer interested in exploring the borders between musical realms and creating multi-layered, dense and often evocative sound worlds. A prolific composer, Laubrock was named a “true visionary” by pianist and Kennedy Center artistic director Jason Moran, and a “fully committed saxophonist and visionary" by The New Yorker. She has worked with such luminaries as Anthony Braxton, Muhal Richard Abrams, Jason Moran, Myra Melford, William Parker, Tom Rainey, Mary Halvorson, Kris Davis, Tyshawn Sorey, Craig Taborn, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Yarn + Wire, Wet Ink Ensemble and many others.

Pyroclastic Records

Pianist-composer Kris Davis founded Pyroclastic Records in 2016. By supporting artists in the dissemination of their work, Pyroclastic empowers emerging and established artists to continue challenging conventional genre- labeling within their fields. Pyroclastic also seeks to galvanize and grow a creative community, providing opportunities, supporting diversity and expanding the audience for noncommercial art. Its albums often feature artwork by prominent visual artists—Ellsworth Kelly, Julian Charriére, Dike Blair, Raymond Pettibon and Gabriel de la Mora among recent examples.

2025 Pyroclastic projects include albums from Ingrid Laubrock, Sylvie Courvoisier and Mary Halvorson, Ned Rothenberg, and Kris Davis with the Lutosławski Quartet.

Ingrid Laubrock – Purposing The Air. Purchase here

Ingridlaubrock.com

pyroclasticrecords.com

ingrid-laubrock.bandcamp.com

Thank you to Ann Braithwaite for sharing with us.