Anthony Branker & Word Play - Uppity - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

For his sixth recording on Origin Records, composer Anthony Branker has enlisted a powerhouse band, featuring saxophonists David Binney & Ralph Bowen, trombonist Conrad Herwig, pianist Jim Ridl, bassist Kenny Davis, drummer Donald Edwards, conguero Renato Thoms, and vocalist Alison Crockett. Branker has created a twelve-movement extended work that is reflective of the qualities he sees as comprising the essence of America and the spirit of it's people. Another impressive and inspiring work from the pen of this thought-provoking composer.Inch... a serious composer who does a lot more than write tunes... his music is steeped in the deeper sources of jazz.Inch - All About Jazz Album Tracks 1. Preamble 2. Forward 3. Forgotten Peoples 4. Equality 5. We, the People (Part 1) 6. If We Must Die 7. Our Dreams 8. We, the People (Part 2) 9. Speak to Your Silence (Our Voices Matter) 10. Slave States 11. We, the People (Part 3) 12. Hope

With a unique combination of depth and accessibility, Branker is able to put forth a jazz perspective steeped in soulful optimism. - All About Jazz. Composer and Princeton Professor Anthony Branker brings together saxophonists Mark Gross & Ralph Bowen, pianist Jonny King, bassist Kenny Davis, and drummer Donald Edwards for a powerful, swinging quintet date on his fourth Origin . Driven by an infectious rhythmic sensibility, lyrical melodies, and sophisticated harmonic underpinnings, this recording of soulful performances is another outstanding addition to Branker's fast growing and musically rich discography. Album Tracks 1. Unity 2. For Woody & Bu 3. Little Rascal 4. Saaremaa 5. That Was Then 6. Song of We

Composer Anthony Branker unveils a powerful new chapter in his ongoing exploration of music as cultural narrative, social inquiry, and collective expression. Leading his newly formed ensemble Other Ways of Knowing, Branker brings together an exceptional group of improvisers-saxophonist Steve Wilson, guitarist Pete McCann, pianist Simona Premazzi, bassist John H'bert, drummer Rudy Royston, and vocalist Aim'e Allen-for a program that is as rhythmically vital as it is conceptually resonant. Drawing inspiration from histories and lived experiences within the African and Indigenous diasporas, these expansive compositions balance cinematic scope with deeply personal storytelling. Like Branker's acclaimed earlier work, praised for it's ability to unite musical beauty with intellectual depth, Manifestations of a Diasporic Groove & Spirit stands as a compelling statement-one that invites listening not only as an aesthetic experience, but as a way of knowing, remembering, and bearing witness. InchMusical beauty in the service of thought, or perhaps the reverseInch Paris-Move Incha sweeping opus with sociopolitical and poetic content woven into a musical tapestry at once cerebral, emotive and viscerally exciting.Inch DownBeat Album Tracks 1. [9 11] the Children of Lyles Station 2. [8 12] Song for Marielle Franco 3. [8 31] Beautiful Dancing People 4. [9 42] Freedom Water March (At Igbo Landing) 5. [8 23] Stolen Sisters 6. [7 03] When Past Is Prologue 7. [7 06] Afro Mosaic Soul Babies