Saxophonist/composer Marcus Strickland brings fresh, vibrant concepts to jazz. His quartet arrives at Blues Alley Wednesday to preview his latest original music and approach to covers by Bjork, Jaco Pastorius, Outkast, Oumou Sangare and others. Rounding out the quartet are guitarist Mike Moreno, bassist Carlos Henderson and drummer E. J. Strickland, his twin brother.
The quartet forged new ground in Twi-Life, a two-disc collection reflecting Strickland’s personal visions and interpretations of his surroundings. Titles like “An Oasis of Bronze,” “The Beast Within Beauty,” “Haile Selassie” and “Paradigm” set the stage for serious contemplation of pleasurable sound.
“Open Reel Deck,” their latest release, is named for the stereo system Strickland’s parents owned and played religiously before the twins’ birth to establish their musical aptitude. The musical stories within range from a prosaic subway ride to an evocative pilgrimage. Adding to the adventure, Strickland stretches audience attention with gymnastic trumpet solos by Keyon Harold and spoken word lyrics by Malachi.
“I found Malachi in cyberspace,” Strickland says. “I was moved by the way he put poetry over the music. A rapper assigns each word to a beat, but Malachi assigns a phrase to several words, giving a distinct and new effect.
“The music on these recordings comes out of my experiences growing up and it also represents my experimentation with beats. One of the numbers I had the most fun writing was ‘Brooklyn Street Fair.’ In it I tried to capture the beats you hear in the local parades, the Caribbean beat from the Brooklyn West Indian Carnival and the Afro beat from the Atlantic Avenue parade. They come together like a piña colada when they’re mixed up. I usually write on the horn first, but this time I got the melody and sang it over the groove.”
Among Strickland’s numerous honors are “Rising Star, Soprano Saxophone” in Down Beat Magazine’s 2008 Critic’s Poll and “Best New Artist” in JazzTimes Magazine’s Readers Poll 2006. He has played with numerous outstanding ensembles, among them the Carnegie Hall Big Band, the Mingus Band, The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and Roy Haynes Band.
“The day we signed up for band class at school, Dad took out a recording of ‘My Favorite Things’ by John Coltrane,” he says. “He pointed out the soprano sax and how Coltrane approached the melody, rephrasing it each time. That helped me make up my mind right away and choose the sax.
“Throughout our tutelage, E.J. and I took our music seriously, and honed our chops at the New School for Social Research and the Arts in New York. One of the best complements I receive is when someone comes up afterward and says, ‘Wow, man, I thought I wouldn’t like jazz until I heard you.’”
If you go
Saxophonist/Composer Marcus Strickland and his new quartet
When: 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Blues Alley
Tickets: $20
More info: 202-337-4141 or www.bluesalley.com
