For musicians, many things in the world that may be abstractions or that seem remote to others’ personal experience feel much closer. Venezuela and its people, especially the musicians, are very close to me. Many of my most valued colleagues come from that country’s rich musical soil, and the contributions of Venezuelan musicians to la música Latina, jazz, “classical” music, and other idioms are irreplaceable. The sounds coming from that land itself, whether folkloric, popular, or art, are a shining jewel in the crown of music of the Americas and of the Afro-Atlantic diaspora. Venezuelan musicians are erudite, supremely skilled, eloquently expressive, and possess both refinement and fire. Audiences there are discerning, cultivated, and “down home” in equal measure. I have had uniformly rewarding musical experiences there over the years, dating back to the early 1980s.
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My 1st Substack Post: John Hicks, January Events
This is my first Substack post! I’ve been thinking about joining the throng and seeing for myself what this is all about (I’m doing more and more of my topical reading on Substack these days) for a while now, and the relative lull in my schedule for the holidays is a good time as any to attempt to try a post for myself. I’d like to get in the habit of writing, with the hope of becoming more facile as I go along.
I’ve recently been seeing posts commemorating the great pianist John Hicks’s birthday (Dec. 21) with anecdotes and personal remembrances. I have a few of my own, centering on musical experiences ranging from formative record listening sessions, to indelible memories of live shows, along with a few cherished bandstand encounters. Briefly, here’s a couple of tidbits:
Kudos For 7x7By7 Roll In
“Hearing the trumpet of Brian Lynch is listening to one of the special sounds in jazz…The music is spirited and engaging, consistently interesting, and made more significant when the listener is made aware of what Lynch was specifically referencing as he composed each piece.” JOE LANG, Jersey Jazz
“These musicians attack Lynch’s compositions with sensitivity and conviction, displaying a cohesion that could only be achieved by a steady working band… To my mind, this is the year’s solidest record so far — hard work, not luck, has everything to do with its considerable pleasures.” BROOKS GEIKEN, artsdfuse.org
“…the band has an immediately identifiable sound and personality…when it comes to solos, each player is strong and individual.” ALYN SHIPTON, Jazzwise Magazine (Editor’s Choice/4 Stars)
7 x 7 By 7 Album Drops Friday, October 25th!
The number seven is mystical, magical and prime; ever present in the world we live in from the seven days of the week to the seven degrees of the scale. Bearing connotations of luck and completeness and representing the delimitation of the span of memory, seven is truly a number to conjure with when applied to creative work.
Conceived during the time of the pandemic, the music on Multi-GRAMMY Award Winner Brian Lynch’s new album 7x7by7 (7 times 7 by 7), releasing on October 25, 2024 via his own Hollistic MusicWorks label, an be justifiably called a septology: seven pieces performed by seven musicians with each track clocking in at exactly the same length, seven minutes flat of music.