{"id":11594,"date":"2025-11-25T11:03:58","date_gmt":"2025-11-25T17:03:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/?p=11594"},"modified":"2025-11-25T11:05:29","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T17:05:29","slug":"review-john-ogallagher-ancestral","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/review-john-ogallagher-ancestral\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: John O&#8217;Gallagher&#8217;s &#8216;Ancestral&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"\">With <em>Ancestral<\/em> (Whirlwind, 2025), alto saxophonist and composer John O&#8217;Gallagher explores the late-period work of John Coltrane, specifically <em>Interstellar<\/em> <em>Space<\/em> (Impulse!, 1974) and <em>Stellar<\/em> <em>Regions <\/em>(Impulse!, 1995). These examinations build upon <a href=\"https:\/\/www.johnogallagher.com\/coltrane-research\" title=\"\">O\u2019Gallagher\u2019s doctoral work<\/a>, which argues that so-called \u201cfree\u201d music is not actually free as the term is commonly used. \u00a0Or, in O\u2019Gallagher\u2019s words, researching Trane\u2019s final recordings gave him \u201cideas about how to be freer within the systems that [he] had developed, and how to perceive them in a more organic way.\u201d Guitarist Ben Monder &#8211; who seems ubiquitous lately &#8211; joins in the studies. So too, in their first-ever recorded meeting, do acclaimed drummers Billy Hart and Andrew Cyrille. The album\u2019s tracks are mostly first takes, incorporating a range of through-composed pieces, sketches, collective compositions, and group improvisations. Given that Coltrane recorded <em>Interstellar<\/em> <em>Space <\/em>with drummer Rashied Ali and<em> Stellar Regions<\/em> with Ali, Jimmy Garrison, and Alice Coltrane, \u00a0<em>Ancestral<\/em>\u2019s instrumentation effectively aims to bridge the two influences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">\u200b<\/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_tL0S2Rn89_o\"><div id=\"lyte_tL0S2Rn89_o\" data-src=\"\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/tL0S2Rn89_o\/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\/tL0S2Rn89_o\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/tL0S2Rn89_o\/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 class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">\u201cAwakening\u201d begins with soft, unison lines between Monder and the saxophonist, like a slow sunrise breaking through the mist. Hart\u2019s mallets dance on drumheads, but otherwise, the piece is unhurried and full of spatial gaps. O\u2019Gallagher sees it as an ancient folk song that gains momentum with Cyrille\u2019s skittering beats. The lader\u2019s lines growing fiercer and the beats more intense as they build to a crescendo. &nbsp;\u201cUnder the Wire\u201d features an off-kilter swing, somewhat reminiscent of Monk\u2019s angularity. Monder plays a bass ostinato as the melody changes from lazy strolls to enthusiastic skips and jumps with feisty interplay between the saxophonist and guitarist over a busy engine room underneath. It fades out in surprising calm.\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The fully improvised \u201cContact\u201d evokes an unsettling and foreboding solitude, as if reflecting a fear that something distressing is on the horizon. Espousing the nervous energy an athlete feels before their game begins. Reflecting the dread a pilot may sense during a perilous takeoff or landing. The mind can wander to several places in the textures of the piece\u2019s feedback-drenched guitar and percussion. O\u2019Gallagher returns for \u201cTug,\u2019\u2019 reflecting an entirely different character through the saxophonist\u2019s elongated lines and the striking interplay between Hart and Cyrille. While the horn becomes highly energised, it eventually yields to the beats and cymbal flourishes of the two drummers and Monder\u2019s foghorn-like chords. \u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/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_1F0nXzQsfwo\"><div id=\"lyte_1F0nXzQsfwo\" data-src=\"\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/1F0nXzQsfwo\/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\/1F0nXzQsfwo\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/1F0nXzQsfwo\/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 class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The leader delivers a melodic phrase in \u201cProfess\u201d boldly before embarking on a vigorous Trane-inspired improvisation. He adopted the melody from a larger piece and had Paul Motian in mind when composing it. Unlike the opener, there is little space here; the band members all play feverishly. &nbsp;O\u2019Gallagher draws even closer to Trane on \u201cAltar of the Ancestors,\u201d a piece that could be likened to his inspiration\u2019s \u201cVigil\u201d with Elvin Jones, even as neither Hart nor Cyrille plays with the same thunder, opting instead for a steady, more nuanced approach. &nbsp;\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">\u201cQuixotica\u201d begins with Monder\u2019s comforting chords, and rain-like cymbal clashes form the percussionists. It\u2019s not clear where the piece is headed with Monder\u2019s picking. O\u2019Gallagher enters, helming a combination of melody and improvisation that keeps circling back, slightly different in each rendition. &nbsp;The closing \u201cPostscript\u201d was the first piece that the quartet recorded. It is completely improvised and played with verve by all. Monder\u2019s descending figure at the end feels like a definitive ending, but the drummers have the final say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">\u200b<\/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_gPVrSZ40Zl8\"><div id=\"lyte_gPVrSZ40Zl8\" data-src=\"\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/gPVrSZ40Zl8\/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\/gPVrSZ40Zl8\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/gPVrSZ40Zl8\/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 class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><em>Ancestral<\/em> is equally powerful, invigorating, and contemplative. One can detect the rigour with which O\u2019Gallagher approached his study of Coltrane. It may not quite have the cosmic feel of the two Coltrane albums cited &#8211; what does? &#8211; but comes very close. Needless to say, O\u2019Gallagher and his bandmates are masters in every respect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><strong><em>&#8216;Ancestral&#8217; is out now on Whirlwind Recordings. It can be <a href=\"https:\/\/johnogallagher-whirlwind.bandcamp.com\/album\/ancestral\" title=\"\">purchased on Bandcamp. <\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With Ancestral (Whirlwind, 2025), alto saxophonist and composer John O&#8217;Gallagher explores the late-period work of John Coltrane, specifically Interstellar Space (Impulse!, 1974) and Stellar Regions (Impulse!, 1995). These examinations build upon O\u2019Gallagher\u2019s doctoral work, which argues that so-called \u201cfree\u201d music is not actually free as the term is commonly used. \u00a0Or, in O\u2019Gallagher\u2019s words, researching [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":11596,"comment_status":"open","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":48,"_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-11594","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\/11\/0014970438_10.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/peRkRR-310","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2755,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/impulse-60-black-to-the-future\/","url_meta":{"origin":11594,"position":0},"title":"Review: &#8216;Impulse! Records: Music, Message &#038; The Moment&#8217; and Sons of Kemet&#8217;s &#8216;Black to the Future&#8217;","author":"Rob Shepherd","date":"May 15, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"In 1960, Creed Taylor founded Impulse! Records, which he dubbed \"The New Wave in Jazz.\" While over time, Impulse! established itself as one of the premier labels in the genre, it was always happiest around categorical edges. Ray Charles\u2019\u00a0Genius + Soul = Jazz\u00a0(Impulse!, 1960) blurred lines between the two styles.\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\/2021\/05\/Impulse-60-Sons-of-Kemet.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\/2021\/05\/Impulse-60-Sons-of-Kemet.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Impulse-60-Sons-of-Kemet.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Impulse-60-Sons-of-Kemet.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":274,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/review-lakecia-benjamins-pursuance-the-coltranes\/","url_meta":{"origin":11594,"position":1},"title":"Review: Lakecia Benjamin&#8217;s &#8216;Pursuance: The Coltranes&#8217;","author":"Rob Shepherd","date":"March 8, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"In the over fifty years since John Coltrane\u2019s death, dozens, if not hundreds, of recordings have honored his artistic genius. The sheer quantity seemingly dwarfs even the number of releases by the saxophonist during his lifetime. This, of course, raises a fairly simple question: does the world truly need yet\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Album Reviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Album Reviews","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Lakecia Benjamin","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/lakeciabenjamin_slider.png?fit=751%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/lakeciabenjamin_slider.png?fit=751%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/lakeciabenjamin_slider.png?fit=751%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/lakeciabenjamin_slider.png?fit=751%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1082,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/musical-mentors-bartz-and-shepp\/","url_meta":{"origin":11594,"position":2},"title":"Musical Mentors: Gary Bartz &#038; Maisha&#8217;s &#8216;Night Dreamer&#8217; and Archie Shepp, Raw Poetic &#038; Damu the Fudgemunk&#8217;s &#8216;Ocean Bridges&#8217;","author":"Rob Shepherd","date":"July 1, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The term \u201cmentor\u201d comes from a character in Homer\u2019s Odyssey, an epic written in the 8th Century BCE. However, the concept of mentorship dates back to an even earlier era. Some historians suggest that the concept may be as old as humanity itself. 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Encompassing modern Mauritania, Niger, Gambia, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Burkina Faso, and Mali, the nation was led by members of the Keita dynasty, a series of rulers who tracked their heritage to Bilal Keita, a freed\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Album Reviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Album Reviews","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Shabaka and the Ancestors","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/shabaka.jpg?fit=1000%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/shabaka.jpg?fit=1000%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/shabaka.jpg?fit=1000%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/shabaka.jpg?fit=1000%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1354,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/newport-jazz-part-v\/","url_meta":{"origin":11594,"position":4},"title":"A History of the Newport Jazz Festival \u2013 Chapter V: The New Thing, 1965-1968","author":"Rob Shepherd","date":"July 28, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Despite its rough shape, the new site was at a fantastic location. Near the JT Connell Highway, it had sufficient space for both a large stage - more than a third bigger than the prior one - and extensive audience seating. It also allowed for convenient parking, a frequent concern\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Newport Jazz Festival History&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Newport Jazz Festival History","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/special-series\/newport-jazz-history\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/BeFunky-collage-1.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\/2020\/07\/BeFunky-collage-1.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/BeFunky-collage-1.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/BeFunky-collage-1.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11594","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11594"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11594\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11597,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11594\/revisions\/11597"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11596"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11594"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11594"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11594"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}