Okazaki, Miles - The Sky Below
SKU
28-PIRC84.2
Miles Okazaki - guitars, electronics
Matt Mitchell - piano, Fender Rhodes, Prophet-6
Anthony Tidd - electric bass
Sean Rickman – drums
“The material for The Sky Below was developed while touring with a new version of the band, a quartet of Okazaki on guitar, Matt Mitchell (taking over for Craig Taborn, who appeared on the first album) on piano, Anthony Tidd on electric bass, and Sean Rickman on drums. Okazaki got a sense of Mitchell's skill set after working for several years on the material for the latter's Phalanx Ambassadors (Pi 2019) album. He describes Mitchell's role in the band: "Matt can do certain things on the fly, like generative improvising from cells and transformations, which is important for these tunes. He can play in a way that totally avoids "licks" - it's a very pure sound that gives you a lot of options as a composer. Like the song "The Lighthouse," which is a just a version of a standard, but his approach is oblique enough that it avoids showing all the cards." The team of Anthony Tidd and Sean Rickman form a seamless rhythmic foundation for the band. Okazaki began playing with them in saxophonist Steve Coleman’s Five Elements. Together, they demonstrate the balancing act of negotiating abstract musical information while maintaining an unstoppable rhythmic drive.”
- LabelPi Recordings
- UPC808713008425