Soul Force

Noah Baerman | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 8, 2005)
• Original Release Date: 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: CDBY
• ASIN: B0007VANYA
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #840,839 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

"Soul Force" is Noah Baerman's fourth album under his own name, and the first to feature an ensemble larger than a trio. Trombonist Robin Eubanks and saxophonists Steve Wilson, Jimmy Greene, Wayne Escoffery and Claire Daly make up the horn section. Other guests include Amanda Monaco on guitar, Warren Smith on marimba and Tigger Benford on percussion, as well as percussionist Marcos Torres, III and guitarist Rebecca Koval, two teenaged musicians making their recorded debuts. Anchoring the band and joining Noah for several trio numbers are bassist Henry Lugo and drummer Vinnie Sperrazza, the current member of Noah's trio. On "Soul Force," these accomplished musicians help Noah to pay tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life and message. The soulful, eclectic material revolves around Noah's composing and arranging. The title track, which features Wilson and Eubanks, was premiered on Noah's 2005 "Piano Jazz" broadcast with Marian McPartland and doubles as a dedication to the recently departed pianist James Williams. "Montgomery, 1956" is an ambitious and programmatic piece for a 12-piece ensemble, while both "Washington, 1963" and "Memphis, 1968" explore whisper-to-a-scream dynamic contrasts. Noah's rousing Afro-Latin arrangement of Stevie Wonder's "Happy Birthday" (a theme song from the campaign to commemorate MLK with a national holiday) leans heavily on percussion, as does "Satyagrahi," featuring Tigger Benford's tablas. More familiar tunes include Thelonious Monk's "Justice" (sometimes known as "Evidence"), and the spirituals "This Little Light of Mine" and "(Ain't Gonna Let Nobody) Turn Me 'Round." As with the ideas and events that inspired the music, the expressive range of the music is broad, evoking delicate tenderness, gutbucket soul, unbridled passion and at times unsettling darkness. The cumulative effect is an exhilarating musical and emotional experience.