Primal Scream David Chesky

• 1 Check Point Charlie 07:27
• 2 Cultural Treason 07:16
• 3 Quiet Desperation 10:07
• 4 Kill the Philharmonic 08:50
• 5 Primal Scream 10:32
• 6 Isolation 08:52
• 7 Sleepless In New York 07:33
• Total Runtime 01:00:37

Info for Primal Scream

Once again pianist/composer David Chesky courts a dark, masterful muse on this second recording by his Jazz in the New Harmonic quintet. The noirish atmosphere prevails from his first dissonant stabs at the keyboard with cool solos from veteran jazz artists Javon Jackson and Jeremy Pelt, while Peter Washington and Billy Drummond lock down the time. This is a different kind of cool jazz, one that grooves along steadily. Close your eyes and you can feel the pulse of the New York streets colliding with 21st century ethereal classical harmony.

Part of the Chesky Binaural + Series, all recorded with a single microphone, the band appears right before you with this spacious, lush and multi-dimensional recording. Now headphone users will hear the same three-dimensional sound and imaging as audiophiles have for the past 25 years with Chesky Recordings. Also these new Binaural+ Series albums capture even more spatial realism for the home audiophile market, bringing you one step closer to the actual event. You will hear some of the most natural and pure cool jazz ever recorded.

It's a shame someone already used Kind of Blue because in many ways it seems like the perfect title choice for the second recording by David Chesky's Jazz in the New Harmonic Quintet. Further to that, Primal Scream would appear to be a rather less than natural title selection, given that the music on the release rarely howls, though perhaps Chesky chose it for some other reason than any connection it might have to Arthur Janov's novel psychotherapy approach. Regardless, the New York-based composer's bluesy album packs a powerfully evocative, late-night punch that's heavily noirish in atmosphere.

For those unfamiliar with Chesky's name, he's a three-time Grammy nominee whose music spans jazz and classical genres. In addition to his considerable talents as a jazz pianist, he's composed orchestral works, operas, and ballets, written children's books, and is a highly respected audiophile; Opera News went so far as to say “Chesky could turn out to be a one-man Brecht-Weill for the twenty-first century.” Interestingly, Chesky's passion for both forms was evident at the outset of his career, as after his 1974 move from Miami to New York he took up studying composition and piano, respectively, with David Del Tredici and The Modern Jazz Quartet's John Lewis. Chesky doesn't treat jazz and classical as separate entities, however, as the material he composes for his Jazz in the New Harmonic quintet—Chesky on piano, bassist Peter Washington, tenor saxist Javon Jackson, trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, and drummer Billy Drummond—threads contemporary classical harmonies into its jazz-based framework.

A few tunes do call to mind Kind of Blue, but stronger Miles-related reference points for Primal Scream would be Filles de Kilimanjaro (specifically its opening track “Frelon Brun”) and In a Silent Way. Cases in point, “Check Point Charlie” wouldn't sound terribly out of place on Miles Smiles or Nefertiti, and the piano chords and drumming style in “Cultural Treason” could be construed as In a Silent Way homages—none of which is cause for complaint, by the way. Even if the presence of jazz masters can be detected in Chesky's group sound, the music is no less satisfying for being part of a long-standing tradition. The band also mixes things up by not only working blues into its presentation but, as the title track and “Sleepless in New York” testify, R&B and funk, too. Though its playing might be cerebral and cool, it's also not lacking for emotional resonance.

Chesky's outfit isn't an outright imitation of Miles's ‘50s-‘60s quintets—his bold playing on the title track aside, Drummond largely plays with a restraint that's far removed from Tony Williams's dynamic invention, for example—yet there are moments where the similarities are hard to deny. Jackson's smoky entrance on “Check Point Charlie,” to cite one instance, evokes Coltrane, while Pelt's muted horn can't help but suggest an invisible Miles looming nearby. Interestingly, while he does contribute daringly dissonant solos throughout, Chesky appears as content to support the trumpet-saxophone front-line. Still, it's as a composer and conceptualist that he most shines on this hour-long date. Pieces such as “Cultural Treason,” “Isolation,” and “Kill the Philharmonic” offer superb compositional examples of acoustic jazz, especially in the way the lead trumpet and saxophone themes weave and coil around one another. Regardless of whether the piece in question is uptempo or a slow blues, to a man the band members execute the material with unerring poise.

David Chesky, piano
Javon Jackson, tenor saxophone, clarinet
Jeremey Pelt, trumpet
Peter Washington, bass
Billy Drummond, drums

David Chesky
Three-time Grammy nominee David Chesky has earned great respect for his fresh and unique approach to musical compositions, which span the jazz and classical genres. Captivating audiences around the world, The New York Times raves, “Chesky combines a gritty sophistication with street-level energy and currents of exotic folkishness.” As a composer of orchestral works, operas and ballets, an author of children’s books, a jazz pianist and a world-renowned innovator of audio technologies, Chesky redefines the role of a modern-day renaissance man. Critics describe his music as “highly individualistic,” “memorable,” “dynamic” and “exotic.”

In his 2010-2011 season, Chesky served as the Composer-in-Residence for the National Symphony of Taiwan, where he gave his world premiere of New York Variations. His comedic adult opera, The Pig, the Farmer, and the Artist also premiered at the New York Fringe Festival, leaving audiences in laughter-filled tears. Opera News praised that “Chesky could turn out to be a one-man Brecht-Weill for the twenty-first century.” Last year also saw the release of his two new albums, Urbanicity and String Theory, both of which received critical acclaim. Classics Today said of the latter, “This music has integrity, and it gets under your skin.”

In 2012-2013 Chesky won the prestigious Lancaster Symphony composer award. Chesky released his solo piano album The New York Rags, that The Absolute Sound cited "as being one of the best piano albums ever recorded". In addition two other CDs will be released in 2013, Chesky's jazz quintet, Jazz in the New Harmonic that fuses 21st century classical harmony with the urban grooves of Jazz and his children's orchestral ballet the Zephyrtine.

Best known for his thrilling and driving “Urban Orchestral” music, a term which he himself coined, Chesky has developed his own unique style of composition, merging classical techniques with sounds emanating from the streets of New York. Critics praise his unique style noting, “Chesky fuses diverse influences into a musical language all his own.” (Gramophone Magazine) Chesky has composed concertos for electric guitar, violin, and cello, featured on his 2011 albums Urbanicity and String Theory.

Chesky, in recent years, has ventured into the world of comic opera. His controversial and cutting edge The Pig, the Farmer, and the Artist, garnered the highest acclaim from both opera and theater critics after premiering at the New York Fringe Festival. His newest opera, Juliet & Romeo, is a ‘what if’ comedy about Shakespeare’s two lovers if they were to have the chance to live out their lives and marry one another. Juliet & Romeo is set to be released later this year.

In 2009, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater commissioned Chesky’s ballet, Hope, taking it on tour all over the United States. In addition to Hope, Chesky has four other ballets including his children’s ballet, The Zephyrtine, and The Central Park Dances, Urbanicity and The New York Variations; all three of which are wild reflections of modern life in a fast city.

Chesky is committed to fostering music education in young children, fully aware that our audiences tomorrow depend on introducing classical music to today’s youth. Consequently, Chesky created the album Classical Cats™, a fun, endearing story that gives children an introduction to the orchestra and classical music, awarded Dr. Toy’s Recognition of Excellence. In 2011, his children’s opera, The Mice War, was presented at The National Theater of Taiwan in Chinese to sold-out audiences. With such a positive response, the libretto is now being translated into Polish, Italian and Portuguese, and is set for DVD release later this year. Chesky is also the author of The Snowbears of Lake Louise™, a book that educates children about the importance of preserving the environment.

Miami native Chesky moved to New York in 1974 to officially begin his career as a musician. With an interest in both classical and jazz, he immediately began studying composition with Pulitzer Prize winner, David Del Tredici, and piano with John Lewis of the Modern Jazz Quartet. His blending of genres was first reflected in the culmination of his big band, The David Chesky Big Band, where he performed at every major jazz club and festival including; The Village Vanguard, Storyville, and the Newport, JVC and Monterey Jazz Festivals. Still active as a jazz pianist today, Chesky plays and composes for his new group, Jazz in the New Harmonic, incorporating 12-tone and contemporary classical harmonies into jazz, and his Grammy nominated Latin-jazz fusion, The Body Acoustic.

David is the founder of the audiophile label Chesky Records. Considered as one of the preeminent audiophile record labels among critics, Chesky Records has produced over 500 albums with highly accomplished artists in genres spanning classical, jazz and world music. Chesky Records produces the highest quality of recordings available today. David is on the forefront of audio technology; having created the world's first 128x oversampled recordings, 96kHz/24bit recordings, and created the 6.0 multichannel 192kHz/24bit DVD-Audio Disc layout.

Chesky currently resides in New York City with his wife, Brazilian actress Patricia Dinely and their two children; Paloma and Lucca.

This album contains no booklet.