Marty Ehrlich: A Trumpet in the Morning

A Trumpet in the Morning
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Artist: Marty Erlich
Genre: Jazz
Label: New World

Composer and saxophonist Marty Ehrlich has spent three decades playing in ensembles led by some of the most influential avant-garde composers in jazz, including Anthony Braxton, George Russell and Julius Hemphill. Here Ehrlich applies what he's learned from those masters to a suite of his own compositions, including a setting of a poem by Arthur Brown that gives the album its title. Spoken word and jazz will make some toes curl, but Ehrlich's "pan-stylistic" writing, embracing the earthiness of the blues, the abstraction of free jazz, and the rich orchestral palette of the big band tradition is worth the odd cringe, particularly as the ensemble includes such notables as pianist Uri Caine, bassist Drew Gress and trombonist Ray Anderson. martyehrlich.com

Cormac Larkin

Cormac Larkin

Cormac Larkin, a contributor to The Irish Times, is a musician, writer and director