Saxophonist/Composer Matthew Silberman
Paints Pictures of Evocative Characters on
Debut Album, Questionable Creatures
Available September 11 on DeSoto Sound Factory
Matthew Silberman
Questionable Creatures
Ensemble Features Two Guitarists -
Ryan Ferreira and Greg Ruggiero - as well as
Bassist Chris Tordini and Drummer Tommy Crane
"Groove,
noise, melodies, compelling improvising, and atmosphere; Matt
Silberman's music has all the elements in place for a rich listening
experience." - Mark Dresser
An
Indiana Jones-like explorer dashing through an Egyptian tomb. A
Midwestern hip-hop phantom. An elderly Eastern European woman speaking
in tongues in a synagogue. Troops marching on the battlefield of daily
life. A poet and writer creating waking dreams.
These are some of the Questionable Creatures whose stories Matthew Silberman tells on his debut album as a leader, available on September 11 on DeSoto Sound Factory
(his personal imprint). The Brooklyn-based saxophonist/composer spins
evocative yarns about these colorful characters as well as his own
experiences moving from the seemingly infinite ocean vistas of Santa
Monica, California to the claustrophobic cityscapes of New York.
The
album's unique, eclectic sound can be traced to Silberman's
wide-ranging influences, as well as his penchant for constructing
elaborate narratives through his compositions. But its most direct
source is the unusual make-up of Silberman's quintet, which features two
guitarists along with the leader's tenor and a bass-drum rhythm
section. Dueling axemen are a common sight on arena rock stages, not so
much in jazz clubs.
"The
classic jazz quintet is two horns, piano bass and drums," Silberman
says. "But I was thinking of using one guitarist as another horn player
and the other as a keyboard player. One is dealing a more with textures,
chords and comping, the other more with playing lines and melodies."
The
idea was partially inspired by Silberman's love of more forward-looking
rock music, bands like Blonde Redhead, Sonic Youth, and Radiohead, who
wield their guitars in the service of texture and atmosphere as much as
crunching power chords and fluid melodies. The concept became a band
after he'd met guitarists Ryan Ferreira and Greg Ruggiero.
"Neither of them are caught up in trying to match what all our peers are doing on the guitar," he says. "They
both have a really strong voice and clear vision; they know what
they're going for and keep working to achieve that. Greg has a beautiful
sound, really melodic and singing. Ryan has an open and expansive
quality to the way he plays. He creates so much around you without
overwhelming the tonal palette. They both communicate their own
individuality within the context of the music, which I really appreciate
and respect. Getting to play different concepts with the two of them is
amazing, beyond what I could have even imagined."
Both bassist Chris Tordini and drummer Tommy Crane
were classmates of Silberman at the New School for Jazz and
Contemporary Music, so they share a mutual history that shows in their
empathetic interactions. "They're two of my favorite musicians to play
with," Silberman says, "so combining them with the two guitar players
was a dream band for me."
The
quintet initially assembled in 2007, then reconvened after a long
hiatus for a string of shows and rehearsals in 2011. At that point,
Silberman recalls, "the music and our understanding of each other seemed
to grow exponentially with every gig. The music became a living,
breathing entity, and I was really excited to get into the studio."
It
was important to Silberman to achieve this sort of cohesive group
identity. The saxophonist had no interest in rushing out an album with
his name on the cover or in tossing together an all-star band for the
occasion. "I wanted a unique sound as a group, a band that really knew
each other. A lot of people will get sidemen that are amazing players
but haven't necessarily played together, and sometimes the results can
be a little bit tepid or uninspired compared to recordings of people who
have really developed some chemistry."
The chemistry between Silberman and his band mates is evident throughout Questionable Creatures.
Ferreira's howling, distorted textures and Ruggiero's distant chiming
combine with a bass line inspired by early Wu-Tang Clan and a Charlie
Parker-esque melody to unearth the "Ghost of the Prairie"; the dancing
rhythms and transcendent melodies of "Mrs. Heimoff" recreate Silberman's
childhood impressions of an old woman's semi-schizophrenic aura,
chanting in Hebrew, speaking to herself in Yiddish, and seeming to speak
in tongues while davening at the end of the row in his childhood
synagogue.
The
strangely intoxicating "Dream Machine" was inspired by the iconoclastic
poet, writer and artist Brion Gysin, a frequent collaborator with the
legendary novelist William S. Burroughs. Gysin's "Dreamachine" was a
device that projected flickering light patterns onto closed eyelids in
the hopes of altering consciousness. He also pioneered the cut-up
technique, wherein phrases were dissected and recombined to create new
combinations and unexpected meanings. Silberman used that technique with
four short melodies to create his piece.
The
album's closing piece, "The Pharaoh's Tomb," is its most intense, and
in Silberman's view reminiscent of an imaginary Spielberg action epic,
chasing an adventurer or tomb raider through a booby trap-laden pyramid
in search of ancient treasure. Action of another sort is captured in
"The Battle at Dawn," where faint guitar drones fade like mist to reveal
an introspective march rhythm, representing the inner battle between
pursuing dreams and day-to-day drudgery.
"Breathe"
looks back at Silberman's native California, pulsing with the rhythm of
the ocean and seeming to depict a drive on L.A.'s Pacific Coast
Highway. "Growing up so close to the beach, being right by the water,
right on the edge of everything, there's almost a physical feeling that
it applies to your body. It's the feeling you get looking out at the
water as it spans all the way out to the horizon as opposed to
buildings. I think that manifests itself in my music through a cross
between the openness and infinity of Santa Monica versus the intensity
and energy of New York."
Silberman
was raised around music. His mother was an opera singer, while his
father was a huge music fan who constantly played classic Motown around
the house. Silberman began taking piano lessons at the age of six, then
picked up the clarinet in the fourth grade. A few years later he
switched to the saxophone and his fate was sealed. "As soon as I picked
up the saxophone I just couldn't put it down. That was pretty much when I
realized I wanted to play music for the rest of my life."
After
graduating from the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts,
Silberman took a year off to spend time with his family and to further
hone his craft, but New York was always the goal. By the time he left
L.A. he'd taken on two regular weekly gigs, frequented jam sessions
regularly, and shared the stage with the great drummer Billy Higgins, as
well as Nancy Wilson, the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, and Patrice
Rushen.
Since
arriving in New York, Silberman has played along a host of greats,
including Roy Hargrove, as well as peers like Becca Stevens, Logan
Richardson, Tyshawn Sorey, Nir Felder and Alan Hampton. While studying
at the New School, he played in a live hip-hop band, and later played in
rock bands (including one he describes as "Irish punk mixed with '80s
synth-pop"), and a country-rock outfit, absorbing as many influences as
he could.
"I
think it was really good exposure to be in situations where you run
into totally different skillsets than you do playing jazz," he says.
"Being in such a tough, unforgiving environment as New York, I needed to
figure out who I wanted to be as a musician."
Questionable Creatures,
despite the suspicion expressed by the title, is the debut of a
musician who has not only decided who he wants to be, but has discovered
exactly who he is.
Music Video
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"Ghost of the Prairie" - Matthew Silberman
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Matthew Silberman's Album Release Performance:
September 25 / ShapeShifter Lab / Brooklyn, NY
For more information on Matthew Silberman, please visit www.matthewsilberman.com
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