Reaching Out from the James McGowan Ensemble, a 13-piece group from Ottawa, Canada, continues a journey begun on the previous album, 2023’s Reaching In.
The results are mainly a combination of classical and jazz, but many other genres are nuanced along with a healthy dose of free improvisation. Over 17 tracks, the ensemble explores experiences like being alone, pausing to think, low self-esteem, anxiety, loss, and finding peace, acceptance, and a sense of community.
A trio of songs extends the “Imagine” series with former Ottawa-based English Poet Laureate Amir Akbari’s spoken word contributions. This adds depth and authenticity to the work, creating a sense of dividing the suite into three movements. “Reaching Out tells my story through words and music of moving past grief to find strength in community,” McGowan says. “I truly think everyone will be able to relate to it and find personal resonance in this journey.”
The core of the ensemble is the Modasaurus jazz-fusion quartet (McGowan on piano, Alex Moxton on guitar, JP Lapensee on bass, and Jamie Holmes on drums) who collaborate here with the Quatuor Despax string quartet (Cendrine and Jean Despax on violins, Maxime Despax on viola and Valerie Despax on cello, enhanced by with Olivier Philippe-Auguste on viola a Cal McGowan on cello). They are joined by Petr Cancura and Mike Tremblay on tenor sax, Mark Ferguson on trombone, and Ed Lister on trumpet.
“Personal Credo” announces their intent with big band flourishes, and gentle string passages before “Imagine” combines spoken narrative about feeling trapped in thoughts and reaching out to find your people and finding your worth. The narrator speaks of questioning, uncertainty, and the mind’s journey as it seeks understanding and reasons, all over beautifully worked, arcing strings.
The title track is a microcosm of the album’s concept, as the James McGowan Ensemble takes the listener through various styles from swing to full-throttle horn blasts, solo workings, and deft percussion. There is a range of styles here, from the wonderfully arranged “Elegy” featuring sax solos, to the uplifting tribute to fusion legend Chick Corea on “Corean Poultry,” and the beautiful strings and gentle trumpet solo work on “Blue Lament.”
There’s more than an hour of music as listeners follow a musical path that will satisfy both the classical and jazz connoisseurs along with a few other genres. The emotive “Pause” is as good in its way as the energy-filled “Chaotic Good” or the rolling “My Story.”
Reaching Out is a blend of powerful solos, cleverly arranged ensemble work, and a richness of sound that is uplifting and satisfying. What the album is not is a boxed-in typified jazz or classical recording. Rather, it fuses virtually everything – noise, gentleness, a brief embrace of Latin, a whisper of gypsy, and generous helpings of classically infused lines along with jazz arrangements and rhythms.
The James McGowan Ensemble concentrates more on telling the story and taking the journey with the listener than adhering to particular genre concepts. That above everything else makes Reaching Out an interesting and enjoyable listen.
- James McGowan Ensemble – ‘Reaching Out’ (2024) - December 18, 2024
- Joan Torres’s All Is Fused – ‘Embrace Form’ (2024) - July 14, 2024
- Julian Costello – ‘Vertigo’ (2024) - June 29, 2024
