Flutist Nicole Mitchell's latest work is an eclectic musical collective poised to take the untrained ear by storm by simultaneously hypnotizing and haunting its listeners. Quite the departure from her more traditional jazz flute, Mitchell's new release stands on its own in what can only be described as Afro-futurist music.
It's a mix of foreboding drums, frantic flute scats and then, surprisingly, happiness in the trill of a horn. David Young and David Boykin, respectively, both wail on their trumpet and tenor saxophone, Tomeka Reid plays cello. Justin Dillard pipes in on the piano. Avreeayl Ra and Marcus Evans provide the pervasive heartbeat of many of the pieces with percussion, along with Josh Abrams on bass. Vocalist Mankwe Ndosi wails and moans in the background, muttering phrases that speak to the point of the album, aptly named Xenogenesis Suite: A Tribute to Octavia Butler.
To understand the haunting, yet beautiful, music, is to take a trip into the future with Butler, one of science fiction's greatest novelists. Butler's work changed the landscape of science fiction when she introduced Black folks into the hard-core tales of the future and won several awards in the process, including the MacArthur Foundation's "Genius" grant.
Mitchell gives the listener a soundtrack of sorts to go along with Butler's trilogy of books, also named Xenogenesis, or Lilith's Brood. In the book, after mankind has committed "humanicide" via nuclear war, DNA-trading aliens come to earth to rescue the survivors. The story is complex and disturbing in that the aliens need to procreate with the humans in order for both species to survive.
Mitchell's dissonant and improvisational compositions bring Butler's chapters to life. It's a type of creative jazz not often heard on the radio, yet refreshing in its un-popness.
The Chicago artist, along with members of her Black Earth Ensemble, performed the suite for the first time in 2007 at the prestigious Vision Festival in New York, known for its "creative" music. In other words, this ain't Luther, nor is it Gillespie, so get ready to hear something new.
The album, released on Firehouse 12 records, drops on April 29.
What Mitchell's talking about ...
* How'd you get into Afro-futurist work?
"Through Joan Mitchell, my mom. She was a painter. She was also interested in Butler. As a teen r found Butler's books on the shelf. They were Afro-futurists, exploring the possibilities of everyday life and asking questions about ancient history ... I'm trying to make a connection with people who came before me. I'm trying to extend that continuum."
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* How'd you write it? "The process of writing music is very intuitive. I think about the emotion I want to express. This is a very disturbing book. But you can't be in a constant state of terror. I didn't want it to be depressing. There is a tension and some describe it as brooding and harrowing."
* This isn't traditional Black music. Why should someone pick it up? "Xenogenesis was a bit challenging because it's focused on just one thing. The person who would pick it up would do so because they want to hear something different and challenging or because of their interest in Octavia Butler."
* Who is in your iPod? Fula Flute music from Guinea Bissau, Carl Hancock Rux (a singer/poet), jazz vocalist Pyeng Threadgill, Nigerian jazz phenom Fela Kuti and Anthony Braxton.