OUT OF/INTO “Motion II”

ARTIST

Out Of/Into

ALBUM TITLE

“Motion II”

LABEL

Blue Note

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This supergroup was formed last year in honor of Blue Note’s eighty-fifth anniversary. Its name suggests the ongoing dialectic between tradition and innovation that defines modern jazz: the transition from what we are leaving behind (Out Of) to what we are moving toward (Into). Out of signals a connection to history — Monk, Shorter, Hancock, Blakey — while into reflects a desire to project that legacy into the present by blending it with contemporary sensibilities and concerns. Some might be tempted to say “nothing new under the sun.” Yet this is different, because the metaphor is powered by the energy and creativity of some of today’s foremost African-American artists; the lineup alone makes that clear.

Jazz continually lives in the passage between two poles: the exit from order and the entry into risk, improvisation, and interplay. Out of/Into embodies that gesture: the jazz musician leaving one form, theme, or harmonic structure to enter another. But always in motion. These contemporary African-American musicians aim to break free from the constraints of labels like jazz, post-bop, or spiritual jazz and move toward a freer, more fluid, collective language. There is no leader, only a constant movement: out of ego, into unity.

We first encountered them last year on their debut album. This second release stands as further testimony to the excellent health of American jazz in recent years.

Nicola Gaeta

DISTRIBUTED BY

Universal

LINEUP