| Jazz |
Dan Loomis delivers here an intellectual work with which I completely agree from the outset. Whether in Europe or elsewhere, few people are satisfied with their lot, oppressed, squeezed by leaders who are too authoritarian to say the least. Once again, Europe, over time, has become completely undemocratic and is certainly the best illustration of this. REVOLUTIONS is a programmatic suite of electrifying and provocative songs as well as spoken pieces intended to serve as a reminder to the barricades. In an increasingly polarized and stagnant society, revolutionary thoughts and ideas propel us towards a more open future. But revolutionary action is difficult… deciding to change is hard, and taking the steps to effect that change can be even more challenging. Of course, as in everything in life, what we need are the right mentors and the right spark. In the Americas, our mentors for revolution are the Haitian Revolution (the only revolution in world history where slaves freed themselves and formed a nation) and the liberation of South America from Spain (the only revolution in our hemisphere that envisioned an inclusive society of ALL peoples of the “new world” – indigenous, African, and European). And our spark is music! What else can stir the mind and emotion deeply enough to propel us to revolutionary action? We are inundated with words and information – what we need is something that can stir us at a deeper level. Music is that spark.
So this album speaks to us, speaks to some of us closely, like your humble servant who preferred to leave elsewhere. It’s too difficult to be a sincere intellectual in systems that are nothing but appearances and lies. Finding the strength to speak out elsewhere, where everyone has the right to free expression, even if sometimes it goes too far, this feeling of intellectual freedom is worth its weight in gold! Do revolutions pass through art? Yes! Undoubtedly, without intellectuals, philosophers, writers, directors, filmmakers, nothing is possible. Artists are there to elevate consciousness, leave an impression, provoke thought; anything that even remotely touches on these matters is inevitably art, the rest at best is entertainment. These ambitious and large-scale works make use of a bold new artistic form. The piece alternates between episodes of spoken word (accompanied by a smaller musical ensemble of guitar, tanbou, and bass) that poetically evoke the subject and instrumental tracks that develop these ideas through music. This new form allows the composer, Dan Loomis, to tackle the themes of revolution head-on. The spoken word introduces the heroes and ideals presented in the work, and the instrumental pieces transport the listener to a place beyond facts and rational thought – touching the emotions and stimulating the mind.
Using history as Loomis does has a particular significance today. This sumptuous musical staging, which cannot truly be classified into a specific genre, is deeply intelligent and exciting, with dreamlike musical arrangements, and in my opinion, is the very essence of an “Indispensable” album. Loomis does not create for the sake of creating; he creates because it is essential to him, and it feels incredibly refreshing. However, it is impossible to overlook Dan Loomis’s double bass playing, magnificent, a delight. It is impossible to find a single flaw in this album; all we can do is wish him many performances to delight an audience that sorely needs it.
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, April 19th 2024
Follow PARIS-MOVE on X
::::::::::::::::::::::