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Listen to the Birds by Jake Richter
Out September 20, 2024 ~ via Bandcamp
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Tracks 3, 4, 6, and 9: Connor Evans - Guitar Evan Main - Piano Dan Montgomery - Bass Jake Richter - Drums Tracks 1, 2, 5, 7, and 8: Brandon Choi - Trumpet Neta Raanan - Tenor Saxophone Dabin Ryu - Piano Walter Stinson - Bass Jake Richter - Drums Track Listing
Endectomorph Music Catalog No. EMM-022 All tracks were recorded by David Turk at Big Orange Sheep in Brooklyn, New York, except for “Ice Age Trail,” recorded by Noah Gilfillian at Audio for the Arts in Madison, Wisconsin. Mixed by Brian Montgomery. Mastered by Nate Wood at Kerseboom Mastering. Composer (all songs): Jake Richter |
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Liner notes
It takes time for Wisconsin to warm up each Spring; the temperatures at night consistently dip into the forties for the better part of the season. Last May, while visiting my parents, I took advantage of the crisp country air and slept with my window cracked.
In doing so, I was inadvertently presented with some of the best music I’ve ever heard. Each day at dawn, the local birds would erupt into an ambient symphony that completely caught me off guard with its profound beauty. Many birds native to Southeastern Wisconsin sing famously intricate songs, and each morning as I listened I was struck by the perfection of the music I was hearing. It was nothing short of awe-inspiring.
Later during the trip, my dad mentioned an article he read by a mindfulness researcher. The researcher, after observing some of the positive effects that meditation can have on a person, concluded that “the world would be a better place if everybody took three minutes a day to Listen to the Birds.” This quote stuck with me. I strongly agree that continually engaging with the present moment can bring a deep sense of peace. But the quote especially resonated with me because of how deeply moved I was by the beauty of the birdsong on those cold mornings in North Prairie, Wisconsin.
This album is my first release as a bandleader. I felt it would be fitting to make it a love letter to my hometown, and a sonic expression of gratitude for the upbringing I was given. I was blessed to have an early life that was rich in nature and full of great people.
The musicians on this album are some of my longest-running creative collaborators, and some of my closest friends. Patrons of the Brooklyn modern jazz/improvised music scene will recognize them as the cornerstones of our community. I chose them for this project not because of their virtuosity (though of course this didn’t hurt), but because of their abilities to seamlessly slip between structured moments of intricate composition and expressive moments of collective improvised adventure. Finding creative ways to mix these elements - the improvised and the composed - represents a big part of my musical voice. The fact that I was able to unflinchingly commit to each of these musical approaches at different points throughout this album is what makes me satisfied with the result. It’s a big part of why I feel that the music sounds like me, and I sincerely hope you enjoy.
-Thank You Notes-
Thank you to my parents, who always put kindness and helping others first.
Thank you to Connor, Evan, Dan, Brandon, Neta, Dabin, and Walter for bringing this music to life. You all are the reason the New York jazz scene is so special. You are brilliant artists and I’m lucky to get to make music with you.
Thank you to all my teachers throughout the years, and especially to Miguel Zenon, Walter Smith III, Jeff Ballard, Steve Houghton, and Pete Lange. You all are my heroes.
Thank you to Jeff Richter for allowing me to use your incredible photographs of birds as the album art for this project, and for going out of your way to encourage me as I pursue a life in the arts.
Thank you to everyone at Endectomorph for believing in this music, and helping me put it out there.
Thank you to Eliana Fishbeyn, Mathias Jensen, and Rosie Bullen for advising me at various stages of production. Your feedback was extremely helpful in making this album the best that it can be.
Thank you to my incredible partner Gabby, you make my life better in every way.
And thank you, for listening.
—Jake Richter
In doing so, I was inadvertently presented with some of the best music I’ve ever heard. Each day at dawn, the local birds would erupt into an ambient symphony that completely caught me off guard with its profound beauty. Many birds native to Southeastern Wisconsin sing famously intricate songs, and each morning as I listened I was struck by the perfection of the music I was hearing. It was nothing short of awe-inspiring.
Later during the trip, my dad mentioned an article he read by a mindfulness researcher. The researcher, after observing some of the positive effects that meditation can have on a person, concluded that “the world would be a better place if everybody took three minutes a day to Listen to the Birds.” This quote stuck with me. I strongly agree that continually engaging with the present moment can bring a deep sense of peace. But the quote especially resonated with me because of how deeply moved I was by the beauty of the birdsong on those cold mornings in North Prairie, Wisconsin.
This album is my first release as a bandleader. I felt it would be fitting to make it a love letter to my hometown, and a sonic expression of gratitude for the upbringing I was given. I was blessed to have an early life that was rich in nature and full of great people.
The musicians on this album are some of my longest-running creative collaborators, and some of my closest friends. Patrons of the Brooklyn modern jazz/improvised music scene will recognize them as the cornerstones of our community. I chose them for this project not because of their virtuosity (though of course this didn’t hurt), but because of their abilities to seamlessly slip between structured moments of intricate composition and expressive moments of collective improvised adventure. Finding creative ways to mix these elements - the improvised and the composed - represents a big part of my musical voice. The fact that I was able to unflinchingly commit to each of these musical approaches at different points throughout this album is what makes me satisfied with the result. It’s a big part of why I feel that the music sounds like me, and I sincerely hope you enjoy.
-Thank You Notes-
Thank you to my parents, who always put kindness and helping others first.
Thank you to Connor, Evan, Dan, Brandon, Neta, Dabin, and Walter for bringing this music to life. You all are the reason the New York jazz scene is so special. You are brilliant artists and I’m lucky to get to make music with you.
Thank you to all my teachers throughout the years, and especially to Miguel Zenon, Walter Smith III, Jeff Ballard, Steve Houghton, and Pete Lange. You all are my heroes.
Thank you to Jeff Richter for allowing me to use your incredible photographs of birds as the album art for this project, and for going out of your way to encourage me as I pursue a life in the arts.
Thank you to everyone at Endectomorph for believing in this music, and helping me put it out there.
Thank you to Eliana Fishbeyn, Mathias Jensen, and Rosie Bullen for advising me at various stages of production. Your feedback was extremely helpful in making this album the best that it can be.
Thank you to my incredible partner Gabby, you make my life better in every way.
And thank you, for listening.
—Jake Richter
Press
--Marlbank (October 2024)
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