| Jazz |
Bassist, composer, and, I would say, more of a percussionist than a drummer, as his intentions are sometimes ethnic in that regard, and it is always a pleasure for me to discover a talented artist. The project is defined as follows: Waves is an ambitious project by bassist-composer Ross McHenry, an exploration of memory, history, and the impact of seismic personal and existential events. Conceived in the wake of the devastating fires of the summer of 2019 in Australia, Waves stands as a poignant love letter to the landscapes and relationships that shape our stories. Recorded at Bunker Studios in New York, the album features an impressive lineup of musicians, including Eric Harland, Ben Monder, Donny McCaslin, Adam O’Farrill, and Matthew Sheens, who elevate McHenry’s compositional voice to unprecedented heights.
There is in this creation all the harshness and magic of Australia that many Western authors have described in numerous novels or poems. The melodies written by this artist fully capture the grandeur of this region of the world that few people truly know. The track Love and Obscurity is a striking example: indeed, this form of timelessness in the landscapes, the feelings one may experience as a traveler realizing that in such a country nothing is guaranteed, the gnarled trees shaped by the weather, all reflect a “poignant love letter to the landscapes and relationships that shape our stories,” Australian ones, of course.
“This work deals with how we vaguely grasp our own memory and understand the uncontrollable chain reactions of seismic personal and existential events,” McHenry explains. The album is not just a musical exploration but a journey through the emotional landscapes that define us. It reflects a deep connection to place and the stories that emerge from our interactions with the world around us. “Written in the context of a burning Australia, Waves is a testimony to the resilience of the landscape and the human spirit,” McHenry shares.
Although this album is accessible to all, it requires a deep listening to understand the complexity of the compositions. Those who know Australia and some of its music will understand how the notes are woven here; the others will just need to open their hearts to novelty and exploration. Ross McHenry’s global reputation is built on a foundation of bold experimentation and significant international collaborations. His work has been recognized by several prestigious awards, including the APRA AMCOS Art Music Award for Jazz Excellence in 2019 and the Ruby Award from the Arts of South Australia for Best Work Outside a Festival in 2020.
The track 1989 comes as a form of positive, poetic, and suggestive conclusion. The entirety of this album could very well be the music for a ballet, as the beauty of the images it imposes on us is striking, and although the tracks are quite long, at the end of this album we feel abandoned. The reason is simple: as listeners, we settle into this journey. An album very different from what we usually offer, but one that fully deserves to be added to our very long 2024 list of “Essentials.”
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, September 13th 2024
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