Future Stride

Description

In “Future Stride,” Emmet Cohen revisits one of the earliest forms of jazz, carefully avoiding the picturesque quality of retro pastiche, meticulously respecting the genre's lexicon while propelling it into the context of "modern" music. For this project, Emmet Cohen assembled a group with his long-time rhythm section partners, bassist Russell Hall and drummer Kyle Poole, along with two of the strongest voices in contemporary jazz, trumpeter Marquis Hill and saxophonist Melissa Aldana. In this sense, the music of "Future Stride" viscerally connects the second decade of our century to that of the previous century, dispelling the mists of time. For anyone who might relegate jazz pioneers to an archaic past, Emmet Cohen presents a powerful argument from the very opening with Symphonic Raps, a piece by Louis Armstrong? The trio's breathtaking performance ensures that not a speck of dust remains on the melody. Emmet Cohen compares it to "a hip-hop groove. This tune encapsulates how our trio communicates joy." "I find that all great art can be considered modern," explains Emmet Cohen. "Whenever you listen to Stravinsky or watch Stanley Kubrick, read Shakespeare or look at Picasso, it remains the most modern and brilliant art you can find. For me, stride piano belongs in that category; the music of Art Tatum, Earl "Fatha" Hines, and Willie "The Lion" Smith has implications."