{"id":5101,"date":"2022-09-20T00:59:08","date_gmt":"2022-09-20T05:59:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/?p=5101"},"modified":"2022-09-20T00:59:11","modified_gmt":"2022-09-20T05:59:11","slug":"sparkle-beings-sanchez","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/sparkle-beings-sanchez\/","title":{"rendered":"Time is Fluid: A Conversation with Angelica Sanchez"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Nathaniel Hawthorne once famously noted that “Time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind.” While we all generally seem to understand an hour or a day, in a broader sense, what is time? Is it a static constant or a mere perception? Even Merriam-Webster’s definition of the term as “the measured or measurable period during which an action, process, or condition exists or continues” raises more questions than it answers. Those turning to the Angelica Sanchez Trio’s Sparkle Beings<\/em> (Sunnyside, 2022) for clarity are unlikely to find it. Instead, they will discover an album that raises new grounds for inquiry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sanchez is an artist often unconfined by not only the thoughts of those who came before but even the limits of her instrument of choice. While her acclaimed debut record, A Little House<\/em> (Clean Feed, 2011), found the pianist exploring some works of other composers – Ornette Coleman and Hank Thompson – she has generally shied away from releasing, under her own name, recordings of other artists’ works. Even on that album, her unconventional use of phrasing and, at times, adoption of a toy piano, stretched the pieces from their historical moorings. More common in Sanchez’s discography have been her own compositions or collaborations with artists who emphasize their own writings. One great example is her pairing with Marilyn Crispell, How to Turn the Moon<\/em> (Pyroclastic, 2020)<\/a>, where the percussive elements of the piano are often given prominence as the two pluck and strike at their instruments’ strings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With this backdrop, Sparkle Beings,<\/em> at first blush, seems like a step backward. Around half of the album explores pieces by pianists past – Mary Lou Williams, Duke Ellington, Mario Ruiz Armengol, and Cecil Taylor. But a closer look confirms these historical antecedents are necessary to understand the expansiveness of Sanchez’s own pen, as further elucidated by the original pieces on the record. One should first note that while her artists of choice are fairly well-known names in some circles, Sanchez purposely eschews their most popular works. One will not find “Mood Indigo” or even “Roll Em” but deeper cuts from the ancestors’ oeuvre. The decision to select the lesser-known as some of her favorites is a testament to the pianist’s individualistic approach to music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sparkle Beings<\/em> is an album that represents what standards should <\/em>be; not grounds for continued repetition but launchpads for further artistic expeditions. While no one needs a millionth version of “‘Round Midnight,” it does not mean Monk’s entire songbook should be thrown out the window. History guides where we are, but it should be a path into the wilderness of exploration, not a freeway to another destination. The fact Sparkle Beings<\/em> was recorded at the iconic Van Gelder Studios yet sounds wholly distinct from the Blue Note and other records captured at the venue further underscores this point. As does the inclusion in the trio of drummer Billy Hart – a master of rhythmic time – and how the result is distinguishable from other records throughout his career. We sat down with Sanchez to discuss the trio and broader concepts of time and neuroscience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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PostGenre: There are not many examples of you recording other composers\u2019 works before Sparkle Beings<\/em>. What inspired you to record other people\u2019s compositions for the album?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Angelica Sanchez: Right. Though I will play other composers\u2019 works in live performances, I don\u2019t usually record other people\u2019s compositions. But I felt a very strong connection to the three primary composers whose works are featured on this record: Mary Lou Williams, Duke Ellington, and Cecil Taylor. I’ve been living with the music of those three artists for so many years now that their music feels like a part of me. Every time I hear their music, it feels like coming home. All three are also connected musically. Mary Lou influenced Duke Ellington, and Duke influenced Cecil Taylor. They share a common language. I feel like my music is a further extension of those ideas. Ideas do not come from nothing and I have a significant connection to their music.\u00a0<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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