Jul 9, 2024 11:35 AM
Trumpeter, Educator Jim Rotondi Dies at 61
Jim Rotondi, a renowned hard-bop trumpeter, composer and educator, died suddenly on July 7 at a hospital in France. He…
Josh Lawrence leads the band Color Theory.
(Photo: Ola Baldych)When New York trumpeter and composer Josh Lawrence created his Color Theory ensemble and concept, his intention was to move away from the narrative, topical nature of his previous works in favor of more evocative, elusive ones. He wanted fellow musicians and listeners to rely more on their imaginations to interpret the meanings of his songs. “It was really just about taking primary colors,” said the 35-year-old Lawrence, referring to the group’s self-titled 2016 debut on Posi-Tone.
Armed with gladiator-like technical prowess and a flaring tone, Lawrence steered his ensemble of pianist Orrin Evans, alto saxophonist Caleb Curtis, drummer Anwar Marshall, trombonist Brent White, bassist Madison Rast and keyboardist Adam Faulk through a dazzling set of modern post-bop originals on Color Theory (Posi-Tone). Compositions such as the surging “Red!” or the lovely “Purple (4 Prince)” crackled with melodic ingenuity, rhythmic panache and vigorous interaction. “I’m a very visual person,” Lawrence said, “but I don’t see color so much when I play; I see a lot of shapes and I feel the music as colors.”
For a follow-up, Lawrence wanted to expand upon his idea. He’d gone to the Guggenheim Museum and absorbed inspiration from a Wassily Kandinsky exhibition. Those large-scale paintings, marked by vivid splashes of colors and geometrical shapes, motivated Lawrence to compose songs based upon them.
He began writing with support from a Chamber Music America grant. Then life threw him a curve. Right before he and his wife, Ola Baldych, moved from Philadelphia to New York in 2016, Lawrence’s brother-in-law, Grisha, died suddenly; he was 29. That jarring experience, paired with Lawrence’s exploration into Kandinsky’s works, inform Color Theory’s new kaleidoscopic disc, Contrasts (Posi-Tone).
Color Theory now showcases a slightly different lineup. Bassist Luques Curtis and pianist Zacchai Curtis replace Rast and Faulk, while David Gibson now handles the trombone part. The first half of Contrasts focuses on Lawrence’s impressions of Kandinsky works, such as the coruscating “Dominant Curve,” which is animated by a side-winding melody, and the Afro-Cuban inflected “In The Black Square,” which connects a 1923 Kandinsky painting of the same title with New Orleans’ historic Congo Square.
Contrast shifts focus midway toward more narrative songs with specific meanings. The rattling “Blues On The Bridge” was partially inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King’s 1965 Selma to Montgomery march. The menacing “Gray” and the brooding ballad “Brown” pay homage to Freddie Gray (of Baltimore) and Michael Brown (of Ferguson, Missouri), two African Americans whose deaths at the hands of police sparked national outrage.
“It’s hard seeing injustices like that,” Lawrence said. “For someone to lose their life because they are in a systemic situation which they are born into, it’s hard to not let it affect you.”
Lawrence will tour throughout the year, including an Oct. 29 show at Dizzy’s in New York. DB
Jim Rotondi was acclaimed for his wide, round trumpet tone, remarkable virtuosity and assured swing.
Jul 9, 2024 11:35 AM
Jim Rotondi, a renowned hard-bop trumpeter, composer and educator, died suddenly on July 7 at a hospital in France. He…
Charles Lloyd, seen here at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, makes DownBeat Poll history!
Jul 11, 2024 12:23 PM
The incomparable Charles Lloyd swept the 72nd Annual DownBeat Critics Poll, becoming the first artist ever to earn…
“Being president of Blue Note has been one of the coolest things that ever happened to me,” Was said. “It’s a gas to serve as one of the caretakers of that legacy.”
Jun 4, 2024 12:21 PM
Sitting with Don Was is a comfortable and unhurried exercise. He may seem slightly reserved at first, but ideas and…
The Century Room in downtown Tucson, Arizona, was born in 2021.
May 21, 2024 12:58 PM
Players got to play. It’s long been a part of jazz history: When there’s a venue vacuum, when there are fewer…
“She reminds me of my childhood and makes we want to cry,” Cécile McLorin Salvant, pictured here with writer Ashley Kahn, said of Dianne Reeves.
Jun 11, 2024 12:31 PM
Italy’s Umbria Jazz Winter is one of those rare annual festivals that not only coincides with a major holiday —…
