By Ed Enright | Published November 2024
Saxophonist Isaiah Collier and his quartet The Chosen Few with Julian Davis Reid, bassist Jeremiah Hunt and drummer Michael Shekwoaga Ode mark the end of their auspicious eight-year run with this new release reflecting on the tumultuous period from before the onset of the COVID pandemic to the present day. Like the group’s previous albums Parallel Universe (2018), Cosmic Transitions (2021) and The Almighty (2024), The World Is On Fire is ultimately more than just a collection of impelling original compositions; it’s a heartfelt requiem for lives lost and gross injustices gone unrectified, complete with audio of real-life news clips that starkly express the social and economic turmoil that continues to rack the world as the first quarter of the 21st century draws to a close. As Collier plainly puts it, “This project is a sonic exploration, blending sounds, consciousness and activism to raise awareness about the pressing issues of our time.” Collier’s tenor vibrates with boisterousness and burns with urgency over Reid’s focused keyboard strides on opening track “The Time is Now.” The vibe changes to a lament on the following track, “Trials And Tribulations,” with Reid’s anguished piano bolstering Collier’s sorrow-laden alto melody. Guest artist Kenthaney Redmond takes the helm on flute for “Amerikkka The Ugly,” playing reflective, arpeggiated lines that critique the gaping disparities between an idealized vision of America and the harsh reality of its (often-overlooked) cold and cruel history. Collier turns to soprano on the boiling-over “Ahmaud Arbery” and the appropriately cyclical jazz waltz “The Hate You Give Is The Love You Lose,” which finds all four band members transitioning between a rowdy “A” section and a more pensive “B” section. “Crash” begins with flowing drum rolls, bowed bass and rumbling piano that set Collier’s tenor on a collision course with convention as he bursts further into the “free” zone. Other highlights include “Metamorphosis,” inspired by Wayne Shorter’s famously telegraphic late-career quartet; title track “The World’s On Fire,” which Collier composed during his fellowship at the Brubeck Institute, a time when wildfires in the Amazon and protests following George Floyd’s death dominated news headlines; and closing track “We Don’t Even Know Where We’re Heading,” with lyrics by Kennedy Banks (Battle), which sings the collective uncertainty of the future and features an augmented ensemble consisting of Redmond and Meagan NcNeal on flutes, Corey Wilkes on trumpet, Ed Wilkerson Jr. on alto clarinet, Olula Negre on cello, and vocalists Manasseh Croft, Kiela Adira and Jessica Walton joining Collier — imbuing The Chosen Few’s final chapter with a glimmer of hope amid the chaos of life in 2024.
