Brooklyn Jazz Underground

From its inception the BJU, a highly influential group that inspired the formation of other artist collectives around the world, including The Paris Jazz Underground, The Queens Jazz Overground and The LA Jazz Collective, has always placed a premium on original composition. The band's much-anticipated second recording, 7 x 7, offers a collection of seven compelling works conceived by each member of the septet. While each piece exemplifies the character of the individual composer, the ensemble devised a cohesive element to lend unity to the entire recording: "The Shorty," a brief composition derived from each of the seven original works. The creative twist was that these variations were to be composed by a fellow BJU artist. 

 

The press on 7 x 7:

"BJU is at its strongest when all of its engines are firing: Howard's 10-plus-minute 'Cowboys and Indians', particularly noteworthy for Iversen's vigorous, insistent bass work throughout, is the essence of collaboration, erupting in its final quarter into a swirling, riveting cacophony of high-note trumpet, waiflike voice and madly polyrhythmic drumming. It's breathtaking, really." - Jeff Tamarkin, JazzTimes Magazine

"Intelligent, exciting, very well-played (Ms. Iversen, in particular, sounds energized throughout.), the 7 members of the Brooklyn Jazz Underground display great creativity while they are having great fun." - Richard B. Kamins, Step Tempest

"Terribly vibrant session" - David Sumner, @BirdIsTheWorm

The Brooklyn Jazz Underground is an artist run association that is in constant motion and evolvement. Spring 2012 they announced the release of the first Brooklyn Jazz Underground Ensemble recording, A Portrait of Brooklyn, initiated by a grant from the Brooklyn Arts Council, and featuring David Smith (trumpet), Adam Kolker (tenor sax, alto sax, clarinet, bass clarinet, flute), Dan Pratt (tenor sax, clarinet, flute), Anne Mette Iversen (bass) and Rob Garcia (drums). In 2011 the members of the Brooklyn Jazz Underground composed new music for their first collaborative effort, A Portrait of Brooklyn, for the premiere in May 2011 at Sycamore in Brooklyn. These performances marked the first time that the BJU members came together as an ensemble. Performing together proved to be such a wonderful experience that they unanimously decided to record and release this collection of music.