Steve Lehman Octet
“Echoes” (mp3)
from “Travail, Transformation, and Flow”
(Pi Recordings)
More On This Album

Named a Rising Star on the alto saxophone in 2006, 2007, and 2008 by the Downbeat Magazine International Critics Poll, Steve Lehman is an undeniable talent whose work as a player and composer resides on the frontiers of contemporary music. His new album, Travail, Transformation, and Flow, is a wholly original take on jazz and spectral music, where “attack, decay, and timbre provide the source material for orchestration and musical form.” This fantastic release is sure to be marked as significant in the history of Jazz for its unique creation and content. Don’t just take our word for it, here’s a small sampling of the enthusiastic press pouring out daily for Lehman’s new record:

“When a passage of intricate written lines and improv come together in a unison cadence, Lehman elicits the familiar response to his jazz-as-magic-act: “How did they do that?” – Jon Garelick, The Boston Phoenix

“Mr. Lehman composed most of the music on the album with clinical attention to frequency and overtone: his harmonies were devised with the help of spectrum analysis and programming software. So in one sense this is computer music, though it’s also the product of a nimbly improvising octet.” – Nate Chinen, The New York Times

“At just over forty minutes, the recording is short by today’s super-sized standards, but contains more ideas than many twice its length. Here’s hoping Lehman revisits his octal ideas in the near future.” -Mark F. Turner, AllAboutJazz.com

“The track, ‘Echoes’, does the trick of sounding at once very contemporary and modern, especially in the way the horns and bass riff and in Tyshawn Sorey’s hip-hop influenced drumming, while at the same time echoing (right!) the works of past masters.” -Chris Monsen, Perfect Sounds

“’Echoes’ showcases his interest in spectral music, but you don’t need to know anything about microtonal harmonies to appreciate the shimmering textures, cutting solo, and bold mix of stasis and motion.”  –Destination: Out

“If you listen more than once — and you should try — the brainy music of Lehman constantly reveals layer after layer of fresh and inventive progressive sounds that should turn any sensibilities about face. This CD comes highly recommended, especially as a prime example of new, innovative music.” –Michael G. Nastos, AllMusic.com

As a bonus, here’s a great video of Steve explaining his creative process and a sampling of his octet’s remarkable improv-based live performance. Listen for the beat from GZA’s “Living in the World Today” off of his legendary Liquid Swords album. Word is bond, God: