To Journal Square

Russell Kirk- Alto Saxophone, Flute, Sequencer Wayne Krantz- Guitar Ed Howard- Bass Terri Lyne Carrington- Drums Sonya Kitchell- Vocals Jacob Yoffee- Tenor Saxophone Chia-Yin (Carol) Ma- Violin MaShica Winslow- Vocals Eze Jackson- Vocals Dontae Winslow- Trumpet/Vocals Produced by Greg Osby and Russell Kirk Recorded/Mixed/Mastered by Joe Marciano and Max Ross at Systems Two Studios Brooklyn NY2009-2011 1.'Willing' The title of this movement is somewhat self-explanatory. The piece attempts to create the sound of willingness. The recurring guitar riff remains constant, despite shifts between duple and triple meter. The solo sections are free-form improvisation, meant to evoke the feeling of sightlessness in a foreign, and potentially dangerous surrounding. Nevertheless, there is a willingness to fight through any gauntlet of obstacles. To be truly willing, one must be aware of the ups and downs that lie ahead. These solo sections represent those topsy-turvy moments in life, and the act of breaking through that gauntlet. 2.'Calm Before' This is the first of a four-movement suite, chronicling the journey into a new metropolis. The Path Suite No. 1, Calm Before introduces a sort of 'leitmotif,' found ubiquitously throughout all four movements. Here, the motif is presented in it's prime, simplest form, in order to initiate the listener. The harmonic rhythm sets up a mirror effect of 5 and 3. The initial motif, found in the bass, is the principal figure in the conversation between the top and bottom voices. Throughout the first section, the alto and bass converse back and forth, while the rest of the band maintains the 3-5, 5-3 pattern. At section [B], the bass and alto run their motifs simultaneously, while the band continues with the 3's and 5's. At section [C] the alto separates and works the motif over a 5 beat harmonic rhythm. The suite then comes to a close for three sections of improvising, creating first an image of peaceful illusions, then anticipation for the storm that lies ahead. 3.'Closing In' Movement II of the suite, the principal figure of successive thirds does continue, although it is hidden deep in the bass line, in inversion. Here, the metropolis - the buildings, the people, the traffic, the noise - closes in from all sides. With all the pressure caving in, it becomes a struggle just to keep pace and stay focused on goals in a bustling city. To invoke chaos, I chose rhythms from traditional Indian music, as well as the traditional Greek music of my heritage. The succession of non-retrogradable rhythms and long short long patterns, typical in Greek dance music, create the madness in the first entrance of the entire band at the [A] section. It then calms like a wave, just before the improvisation begins. Very basically, the piece is centered harmonically on the A-flat altered scale. 4. 'Altered State' This title is actually a sort of triple entendre. Most obviously, it refers to an altered state of mind or consciousness, which could be arrived at by various means (intoxication, meditation, hallucination etc...). However, each individual word also holds it's own significance. Though indirectly, the idea of an altered state evokes an image similar to the foreign metropolis presented in Calm Before. Likewise, altered is a loose reference to the altered scale (and related tonality) and the function of the altered dominant chord. In this movement, the main motive of the entire suite is given in it's prime form, based solely on the interval of the major 3rd. Through this, it outlines the 7 notes of the altered (that is, diminished whole-tone) scale - C, C#, D#, E, F#, G#, and A#. Staggered entrances build the texture as the motif shifts between various keys, finally ending in A-Flat. The chaos of Closing in returns, through references to the same world rhythms, as well as to the altered motif. For the first and only time, the suite shifts to a traditional jazz swing feel, albeit broken by a half bar after each phrase and by a syncopated break at each chorus. 5. This is the story of a young woman, in love with