{"id":11358,"date":"2025-09-30T20:32:38","date_gmt":"2025-10-01T01:32:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/?p=11358"},"modified":"2025-10-02T09:33:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T14:33:10","slug":"review-garabedian-quartets-solos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/review-garabedian-quartets-solos\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Noah Garabedian\u2019s \u2018Quartets and Solos\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>With <em>Quartets and Solos<\/em> (Contagious, 2025), bassist and composer Noah Garabedian appears for the first time on saxophonist Dayna Stephens&#8217; label. As one might expect, Stephens is a vital member of the quartet, wielding his tenor saxophone and EWI. Rounding out the ensemble are pianist Carmen Staaf, drummer Jimmy MacBride, and Samuel Adams on synths, effects, and programming. Adams\u2019 work infuses textures and atmospheres that move the album beyond the typical jazz quartet sound, which, without his touches, would be largely acoustic. The album is a \u201ccoming out\u201d party\u201d for Garabedian as a composer, with him penning twelve of the thirteen compositions, with Adams claiming credit for the remaining one. Interestingly, five solo pieces are interspersed with the quartet renderings, with Garabedian tailoring the composition to the strengths of each soloist. While all these players have cut their teeth in New York, the assemblage draws mainly from the relationships formed among the artists while in the Bay Area, with the sole exception of MacBride, who attended Juilliard with Garabedian.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"lyte-wrapper fourthree\" style=\"width:420px;max-width:100%;margin:5px;\"><div class=\"lyMe\" id=\"WYL_kMdNDBomLhw\"><div id=\"lyte_kMdNDBomLhw\" data-src=\"\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/kMdNDBomLhw\/hqdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"play\"><\/div><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/kMdNDBomLhw\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/kMdNDBomLhw\/0.jpg?resize=420%2C295&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"YouTube video thumbnail\" width=\"420\" height=\"295\" \/><br \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/noscript><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:420px;margin:5px;\"><\/div><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The album strikes a balance between group dialogue and individual expression. \u201cFast Slow\u201d features Stephens\u2019 hearty tenor and Staaf\u2019s glistening piano, following a brief electronic solo excursion by Adams on \u201cWelcome Home.\u201d Staaf uses space effectively as her partner in her deliberate solo piece, \u201cThe Most Beautiful One.\u201d Adams\u2019s use of effects on \u201cLate Stage Epiphany\u201d serves almost as an electric bass while Garabedian takes a lusty solo on the upright. Stephens\u2019 sustained tenor tones and Staaf\u2019s bright work on keys contribute to this slowly moving, but effective piece. MacBride, with especially stellar cymbal work, gets an assist from Adams in his solo turn, \u201cSnap Pop.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"lyte-wrapper fourthree\" style=\"width:420px;max-width:100%;margin:5px;\"><div class=\"lyMe\" id=\"WYL_w5EqzUnzMlg\"><div id=\"lyte_w5EqzUnzMlg\" data-src=\"\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/w5EqzUnzMlg\/hqdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"play\"><\/div><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/w5EqzUnzMlg\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/w5EqzUnzMlg\/0.jpg?resize=420%2C295&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"YouTube video thumbnail\" width=\"420\" height=\"295\" \/><br \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/noscript><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:420px;margin:5px;\"><\/div><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Adams\u2019s lone piece, \u201cTo Speak Or Sing Softly,\u201d features Staaf hitting chime-like chords over a programmed bass\/percussion sound. Meanwhile, Stephens switches to the EWI to make this largely electronic dirge-like piece stand apart from the others. Stephens returns to the tenor for his solo piece, \u201cTo Swim Below,\u201d aptly making his sound exceedingly breathy.&nbsp; \u201cThe Mayor of Malibu\u201d &#8211; surprisingly excerpted from a live performance, recorded casually on Garabedian\u2019s phone &#8211; is a stealthy, mysterious group composition with Stephens on expressive tenor and the leader authoring a steady walking bass line. The brief piano\/drum duet interlude \u201cTo Remain Alive\u201d follows before we hear Garabedian using both arco and pizzicato techniques on his solo piece, \u201cTo Dance Underground.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"lyte-wrapper fourthree\" style=\"width:420px;max-width:100%;margin:5px;\"><div class=\"lyMe\" id=\"WYL_ErAaLr1JnSU\"><div id=\"lyte_ErAaLr1JnSU\" data-src=\"\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/ErAaLr1JnSU\/hqdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"play\"><\/div><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/ErAaLr1JnSU\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/ErAaLr1JnSU\/0.jpg?resize=420%2C295&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"YouTube video thumbnail\" width=\"420\" height=\"295\" \/><br \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/noscript><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:420px;margin:5px;\"><\/div><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Aptly, \u201cThe Hawk\u201d creates the sensation of flight through Stephens\u2019s EWI and later his tenor. Adams contributes clever touches while Staaf\u2019s piano plays to a steady rhythm, underpinned by the bass, before she launches into an improvisational flight of her own.&nbsp; As is the case on many of these tracks, the closer is also reflective. Stephens plays tenderly on the tenor in \u201cDogwood\u201d to some keyboard effects from Staaf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kudos to Garabedian for a rather unique concept of interspersing solos with the group pieces, while keeping us slightly on edge through the use of electronics.&nbsp; Yet, the album remains mostly \u2018in bounds\u201d and makes for a relaxing listen, albeit punctuated with a few surprises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>\u2018Quartets and Solos\u2019 is out now on Contagious Music. You can buy it <a href=\"https:\/\/noahgarabedian.bandcamp.com\/album\/quartets-and-solos\">on Bandcamp<\/a>. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With Quartets and Solos (Contagious, 2025), bassist and composer Noah Garabedian appears for the first time on saxophonist Dayna Stephens&#8217; label. As one might expect, Stephens is a vital member of the quartet, wielding his tenor saxophone and EWI. Rounding out the ensemble are pianist Carmen Staaf, drummer Jimmy MacBride, and Samuel Adams on synths, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":11357,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"iawp_total_views":33,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11358","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/img_1824.jpg?fit=2000%2C1333&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/peRkRR-2Xc","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":11202,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/review-miguel-zenon-vanguardia-subterranea\/","url_meta":{"origin":11358,"position":0},"title":"Review: Miguel Zenon Quartet\u2019s \u2018Vanguardia Subterr\u00e1nea: Live at the Village Vanguard\u2019","author":"Jim Hynes","date":"August 28, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Vanguardia Subterr\u00e1nea: Live at the Village Vanguard (Miel Music, 2025) is alto saxophonist-composer Miguel Zen\u00f3n\u2019s first live album with his quartet and eighteenth overall. Its eight tracks were recorded over two nights in September 2024 at the hallowed jazz shrine in Greenwich Village. Zenon employs his longstanding quartet of pianist\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Album Reviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Album Reviews","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/img_1191.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/img_1191.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/img_1191.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/img_1191.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5043,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/veer-bernstein\/","url_meta":{"origin":11358,"position":1},"title":"Veer: A Conversation with Sarah Bernstein","author":"John Chacona","date":"August 28, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"If you want to make a career in contemporary creative music, you could do worse than use the Projects page on Sarah Bernstein's website as your guide. 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