Harris Eisenstadt: A Concert Analysis

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Toronto-born Broolyn-based Harris Eisenstadt is not only an efficacious drummer but also a skillful composer and arranger. With 19 records already under his belt and precious collaborations with highly respected jazz figures such as Sam Rivers, Yusef Lateef, Nate Wooley, Tony Malaby, and Bennie Maupin, Eisenstadt feels comfortable playing both small and large ensembles.
His latest body of work, Recent Developments, is an appetizing feast of musical textures, timbres, and rhythmic pulses that provide a sensational experience for listeners who lean on the avant-garde jazz style. Besides the visionary concept employed in a compositional level, Eisenstadt’s creativity benefitted with the valuable rapport established within the 8-piece ensemble. The pretty …show more content…

After a brief-yet-energetic woodwind intro and the following dark prologue, “Part 1” slides at mid-tempo, serving as a showcase for Wooley’s nimble crusades over a structural rhythmic foundation delineated by Opsvick, Peck, and Eisenstadt.
A light-footed bass walking, well aligned with the patterned snare-drum accents, invites Seabrook to dynamically contribute in “Part 2”. His chromatic risings are interrupted by meddling circus-like orchestrations, which, in turn, leads to the cavernous reverberations liberated by Peck’s tuba.
While “Part 3” makes bold moves within a ternary setting with Bishop as a protagonist, “Part 4” holds on to a 5/4 tuba groove bolstered by Eisenstadt’s rational drumming, which supports Webber’s trippy flute. Meanwhile, other instruments join, creating a carefree bedazzlement.
The drummer not only envisions ingratiating chamber movements to be delivered in “Part 5”, calling Schoenbeck’s bassoon to the center, but also reserves the final section for his own percussive

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