{"id":4235,"date":"2022-03-27T09:41:31","date_gmt":"2022-03-27T14:41:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/?p=4235"},"modified":"2022-03-30T21:16:11","modified_gmt":"2022-03-31T02:16:11","slug":"prophets-bogie-i","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/prophets-bogie-i\/","title":{"rendered":"Out Into the World: A Conversation with Stuart Bogie (Part One)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The big band concept has existed for well over a century. Throughout that time, dance has always been an essential part of the music. In the 1910s, artists used the format to support polka and waltzes. Thirty years later, the big band was the essence of the rage of swing music. While artists have continued to compose for the large ensemble, to some extent, the association with dance has waned, partly attributable to the rise of more commercially popular styles – including pop, funk, R&B, and EDM – that also emphasize a dance component. In many ways, Stuart Bogie\u2019s album The Prophets in the City<\/em> (Royal Potato Family, 2022) harkens back to an older history while carving its own path forward. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Bogie notes, while The Prophets in the City<\/em> is not dance music, it still has an undeniable dance component. It is difficult to not find yourself grooving while listening to the recording. Additionally, The Bogie Band featuring Joe Russo exudes the power of the big band without relying on any cliches inherent in the format. The ability to breathe new life into the large ensemble comes primarily from Bogie\u2019s unique history as a musician. While well-versed in its tradition, his experience comes less from the jazz lineage than other areas of the sonic world. The saxophonist\u2019s credits – including recordings by Arcade Fire, Iron & Wine, Curtis Harding, Run the Jewels, Butch Morris, Taylor Swift, Medeski Martin and Wood, Ang\u00e9lique Kidjo, Kronos Quartet, and a collaboration between David Byrne and St. Vincent – show a career unfettered by genre. These influences also provide an expansive palette for the band.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While seemingly formed out of necessity and Bogie\u2019s reliance on the generosity of close friends, the ten-piece ensemble’s choice in members is equally inspired. Drummer Joe Russo – a key component to the album – has straddled jazz and jam music for over a decade. Saxophonist Colin Stetson is renowned for pushing the edges of improvised music. Trumpeter Michael Leonhart (whose The Normyn Suites<\/em> features many of the same artists, including Bogie<\/a>) is himself adroit at reconceptualizing the large ensemble. Other members bring experiences from their time with The Dap-Kings, Red Barat, and the Budos Band. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The result is a vibrant recording that represents a blurring of cultures and ideas in a way possible only in New York. While you can sense the lines of thought from the past, it forges a unique way forward. We sat down with Bogie to discuss how the album came together, his compositional approach, and the Bogie Band\u2019s acclaimed performance at the 2021 Newport Jazz Festival. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

PostGenre: How did The Prophets in the City <\/em>come together?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stuart Bogie: Well, when I started working on the album, I had just finished a long series of tours and released my third full-length album with a project called Superhuman Happiness. I wanted to go back into some musically fruitful areas that I had left behind for a little while to see if performing that type of music still excited me. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n

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