Jazz | Music | Arts & Culture | Ninth Square | Firehouse 12
Alisha Brabham Photos.
The first brisk Friday of November brought the collision of trumpet and drum set to the Fall 2023 Jazz Concert Series at Firehouse 12. Grammy nominated trumpeter and composer John Raymond and multi-instrumentalist songwriter, drummer and producer S. Carey gathered an intimate crowd for a sultry, genre-defying performance of their most recent co-release Shadowlands.
While the jazz concert series is only halfway through its season, their stop in New Haven marks the culmination of their two-month long tour. They were joined by their band members Romain Collin (piano), Dave Devine (guitar), and Katie Ernst (bass & vocals) for a performance full of surprises and juxtaposition of sounds.
An eager audience entered the venue’s quiet Crown Street studio, passing patrons on their way to shout over the loud music at the first floor bar. By showtime, almost every seat was taken. The backing band opened with a somber build. After what felt like a meditation, Raymond’s trumpet eventually entered and hijacked the calm tone that began the show. It explored itself, with no aggression or force, and took the lead.
After a five-minute introduction exclusive to instrumentals, S.Carey came in with drums and an auto tune effect. The shift in direction came as a surprise, but felt easy to digest and brought on a modern feel. From this point, the set had a mind of its own with a variety of tones and rhythms. All band members brought their own flair to the set, including the optimistic and light vocals of Katie Ernst and a somber piano solo by Romain Collin.
Alisha Brabham Photos.
Friday's juggling of different sounds aligned with the album's creation. In the pause before the group's 10:30 p.m. performance, Raymond stepped outside for fresh air and a chat about the album. Shadowlands has technically been in the works for the last few years, he said, but its foundation of openness and defiance of genre was bred almost 20 years ago when he and Carey attended University of Wisconsin Eau Claire.
Raymond suggested that what he’s been able to accomplish with Carey comes from genre exploration instilled in their DNA while attending the university. Since graduating, the duo's journeys have taken them to different parts of the musical world. While both trained in jazz and classical music, Carey has served as Justin Vernon (a.k.a. Bon Iver)’s right-hand man. His collaborations include Sufjan Stevens, Low, and Bruce Hornsby in addition to four solo albums critically acclaimed by Pitchfork and NPR.
Raymond, meanwhile, has remained cemented in jazz, releasing eight albums with praise from New York Times and Stereogum. Outside of performing, he also teaches at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University.
While some audience members overheard Carey say the second show would be completely different, that might have just been a tease in good fun. No stranger to a two-set format, Raymond added that he's always found the second show to be looser and “a little more exploratory.”
The 10:00 p.m. show brought together a smaller group of people and followed a similar set list, but Raymond was spot on. Any nerves or expectations left over from two months on tour seemed to be thrown out the window and replaced with fun and celebratory smiles between each other. The exploration of sounds and tones continued on with a much looser approach.
For more information on the jazz series, click here.