Ah-Q Jazz Arkestra "Letters From Afar"
In early 2020, we found ourselves separated and stuck at home. Even though four of us were in Beijing, COVID19 control measures prevented us from meeting face to face. And David was much further away (in Israel, then New York and eventually Oklahoma) and unable to return to Beijing. Like much of the world, we resorted to frequent video chats and text messages to stay in touch, but as time went on, we felt we needed a better way of expressing the musical collaboration and kinship at the heart of the Ah-Q Jazz Arkestra. And for that we needed to get creative.
That’s how, after a few false starts and trials, we launched the Letters from Afar project, an exchange of musical “letters” that captured, in a somewhat different time and space, the playful back-and-forth of jazz improvisation.
This “correspondence” took place over a three-month period, from August to October 2020, lifting our spirits throughout these difficult times with the powerful language of jazz improvisation.
Released 31 December 2020. Available on Bandcamp, Apple Music, Spotify, QQ, 163.
TRACKS
August 16 - It started off with a solo composition, recorded by David in his temporary home in Oklahoma.
01 Letter from Afar (I)
August 22-23, Shangu Studio - A few days later, taking David’s tune as inspiration, Scott, Da Zhong, Xiaoguang and Matt then entered the Shangu Studio in Beijing and spent a very happy evening of free-flow improvisation composing a response to David.
02 Sketch I
03 Sketch II
04 Sketch III
05 Sketch IV
06 Letter from Afar (II)
September 10 - Still stuck in Oklahoma, David responded with a second beautiful composition.
07 Letter from Afar (III)
September 26, 55tec Studio - With that further inspiration, the quartet in Beijing went back to the studio for another evening of improvised response. In the resulting new spontaneous group composition, the quartet intentionally left some space for David.
08 Sketch V
09 Sketch VI
October 4 - The incomplete quartet recording was sent to Oklahoma, where David added the piano track, completing the final Letters from Afar piece.
10 Letter from Afar (IV)
IN BEIJING
- Liu Xiaoguang – tenor saxophone
- Matt Roberts - trombone
- Da Zhong – bass
- Scott Silverman – drums
IN OKLAHOMA
- David Moser – keyboard
- Many thanks to Fu Peng at Shangu Studio, Li Yang at 55tec studio, and our long-time friend James Lehmann at Signalcell, who added sparkle and depth in the post-production mixing and mastering.
