THE 10000 THINGS/PRAISE SONGS FOR THE IRIGILIOUS

Description

Mazz Swift, composer, conductor, educator, singer, and Juilliard-trained violinist, weaves together classics. Blending African American music, electronica, and mindfulness, she is set to release a new solo album influenced by her relationship with the Ghanaian concept of Sankofa ("go back and fetch it"). The work songs and spirituals of enslaved people that Swift uses as a starting point for improvisation and composition serve to connect with their musical ancestors, creating a piece that lives in the present moment while acknowledging the past and pushing their sound palette into the future. The 10000 Things are dense, crafted with synthesizers, electronic percussion, experimental electronics, powerful improvisations on violin, and commanding vocals that all come together to create a work that is deeply moving and sonorous.