New Release: Josh Cole quartet +strings plus 4(ish) questions w/ John Oswald
John Oswald on his complicated relationship with the saxophone, playing with people, and being 'out of control'.
Looking back in my archives last month was the 1 year anniversary of my Substack (a minor miracle for someone who got a C- in grade 12 english). It started with a New Release post, so its feels nice to do another one here.
Over the last two and a half years I’ve been trying to play regularly with my “quartet +strings” band. Even in improvised music, I really value the fruit that comes from being a regular band, developing those relationships that allow for a deepening of musical ideas collectively over time spent together. But lets back up here, as I’ve alluded to in almost every post, I was very privileged to study with Barre Phillips during the pandemic over Zoom. My time with Barre was transformative and really shifted my focus more and more towards a chamber music. But up until that first gig with Aline and Nick, I never really found a setting where I thought I still didn’t have one foot in the free jazz door. Of course now that I look back, it makes perfect sense, play with other string players. Playing with Aline and Nick has been a real education on the bow, on phrasing, on harmony, learning to blend with them, to phrase with them. Being a jazz bass player, or rock bass player, a rhythm section player (or whatever it is i am, i’m not really sure most of the time), I’ve never played in an orchestra, never got that education. But beyond that education, their openness to improvising in this setting has been a real reward. When you listen to this recording you’re going to hear the three of us working together, phrasing together, creating counterpoint together, (instant) composing together in a way that I find just as meaningful and satisfying as as the feeling I get when the drums and bass are hooking up in a deep way (which is maybe my favourite feeling playing music, and explains why so many of my good friends are drummers).
And then of course, there is John, Lina and Blake. John, listening, always listening, speaking words or whistling into the sax, sometimes hiding in the ensemble, but also not afraid to make a bold statement to contrast and add urgency to the moment. Lina, with the mutes, perfectly matching and lifting the emotional tone of what we in the string section are presenting. And Blake, my old friend, with his cymbals on the floor, supporting every gesture, every shape, every phrase with grace and focus.
p.s. to anyone who is a paid subscriber, I’m going to send you a DM with a download link for this record as a thank you
gigs this month (and next month, no August post, going on vacation):
July 9 - Brodie West Double Double Basses Quintet @ Tranzac
July 15 - Dun-Dun Band @ Tranzac
July 22 - Josh Cole quartet+strings @ Tranzac
August 13 - Brodie West Double Double Basses Quintet @ Tranzac
August 19 - John Oswald’s ‘plunderphonicoveralls’ & Josh Cole quartet +1 @ Tranzac
4 (ish) questions with John Oswald
This band played summer of 2024 a couple times, and one time, it didn’t, at least to me, feel all that connected, I didn’t feel we were playing together, it felt much more disjointed, at least to me. After that gig John Oswald said something like “I really liked that one”. And I was so confused, but I took a mental note to ask John if one day we could unpack that difference in perception. I have quite a lot of respect for John, so to have such a different feeling from a gig is crazy to me. But knowing John, there must be a reason for it…
Here is the full interview in podcast form. I think maybe its the best way to digest it….
I don’t think I said as much in the interview, but I think everything that John originally improvised was incredible, and to me it’s perfect. But I respect his desire to edit it, so as part of the release, I’m releasing John’s edits of the music. Same three tracks as the original album, but they’ll be indicated with (the Oswald adjustment). Only available if you buy the album. They are bandcamp “bonus tracks” (which means they are hidden on the public page, kinda like secret tracks on CD’s back in the day).
