| Dementia
is Jesse Zubot's first album entirely made up of improvisations. It pivots
between solo improvised violin, micro-mandolin orchestras and minimal
electronic-influenced sound design. This music was documented during a
condensed period of contemplation (June 2006) and is meant to reflect
the decline of a human's cognitive state. The urge to go back and edit
problematic musical events was purposely avoided in order to capture moments
of confusion, paranoia, hope, agitation and the momentum of passed time.
Jesse Zubot, of Vancouver,
B.C., is a founding member of the acoustic roots group 'Zubot & Dawson'.
Their last recording was produced by Lee Townsend (Bill Frisell, Charlie
Hunter) and released on True North Records in Canada. Zubot is also a
member of the Great Uncles of the Revolution which includes well-known
Toronto bassist Andrew Downing and jazz trumpeter Kevin Turcotte. Both
groups are Juno Award winners (2002-03). In the past few years, Jesse
has delved heavily into the world of improvised & creative music working
with artists as diverse as Fred Frith, François Houle, Secret Mommy,
Peggy Lee, Dylan van der Schyff, Fond Of Tigers, Eugene Chadbourne, Dave
Douglas, Joe Fonda, Nels Cline, Tony Wilson, Evan Parker, Tony Wilson,
David Tronzo, Humcrush, Ron Samworth, Gerry Hemingway, Henry Kaiser and
countless others. In 2005, Jesse released two albums entitled LaConnor
and Zubotta on his new Drip Audio label. LaConnor, a disordered electro-acoustic
album, ended up on many year end best-of lists including Exclaim! Magazine's
Top Ten Experimental/Avant-Garde albums. Zubotta, spent a lot of time
on !Earshot's Electronic music chart and received airplay on programs
such as CBC Radio 3. Jesse spends a lot of his time performing live with
these various projects and has appeared at some of the worlds more prestigious
festivals including the Monterey Jazz Festival, Era Jazzu (Poland), The
Montreal International Jazz Festival, The New York Guitar Festival, Dobrofest
(Trnava, Slovakia), Mulhouse Jazz Festival (France) & The Guelph Jazz
Festival. In 2003 Jesse was named ‘Violinist of the Year’ at
Canada's National Jazz Awards (2003).
Press:
"...it's the kind of thing that
could permanently alter your neurons if you aren’t careful –
but I guess I’ll take the risk, because it sounds better each time."
- Paris Transatlantic Magazine (Nate Dorward)
"Dementia is a stunning recording,
both highly personal and yet technically fascinating, somehow simultaneously
open and closed, rich in allusion, technique, music and mystery."
- Musicworks Magazine (Stuart Broomer)
"The sonic landscape contains echoes
of Stravinsky and Blind Willie Johnson - you bet things get spooky in
there! - and the end result is a musical narrative that is startling in
its humanity." - CODA Magazine
"...sweetly nostalgic and achingly wounded...this is
beautiful music." - Exclaim!
"Idiosyncratic and well worth seeking
out." - The Wire
"...a fine disc..." -
Signal To Noise
"...savage, yet tender." -
CBC Arts Online
"...extraordinary multi-instrumental
abstraction." - The Vancouver Sun
"...a sonic experience that would
be best taken in with the lights low, and everyone else asleep."
- Luka Symons/CKUA Radio (Edmonton)
Album
Review: The Squids Ear
Album
Review: The Wire
Album
Review: Left Hip Magazine
Album
Review/Interview: Exclaim!
Album
Review: Gaz-Eta
Album
Review: Paris Transatlantic Magazine
Album
Review: dMute
Best
of 2006: Albany Jazz (bottom of page)
Album
Review: Point of Departure
Album
Review: Textura
Interview:
CBC Arts Online
Links:
jessezubot.com
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