The relationship between Alex Harding and Lucian Ban has been long and fruitful. Their combination of elements of improvisational music native to their homelands, namely the United States and Romania, have helped the pair develop a unique musical language that transcends the expectations of the jazz genre. Their new recording, Blutopia, highlights their attuned rapport while allowing their music to unfold with their own singular ensemble. Pianist Lucian Ban arrived in New York City from Romania to study at the New School in the early 2000s. As he first began to immerse himself into the local scene, Ban was fortunate to hear baritone saxophonist Alex Harding. The two hit it off immediately and formed a fast friendship leading to musical collaboration. This led to Ban providing a handful of songs for Harding and Harding becoming an essential voice on Ban's debut album, Somethin' Holy (CIMP, 2002). It was Harding's unique voice that attracted Ban. His heartfelt and blues-drenched baritone sax playing lent well to Ban's open-minded and improvisatory approach to music. Harding's visceral style lent an edge and authenticity to their music, a sound and feeling anchored in the blues that Ban came to the States to try to discover and absorb. Their communion was a true celebration of the spirit, as both found something in the other to help free their spirit in performance. Harding was essential in introducing the young pianist to the luminaries of the jazz scene, including the incredible tuba players Bob Stewart and Howard Johnson. These relationships have been long lasting and essential to the pair's musical development. As the years have gone by, the duo has been growing and evolving. The pair's most recent release was a duo album, entitled Dark Blue (Sunnyside, 2019), which showcased their inspiring level of communication in a transparent setting. The past few decades have provided Ban and Harding a number of new regular musical partners with whom they have established an equal level of rapport, most notably Mat Maneri, a truly unique voice on viola. On Blutopia, Harding and Ban have decided to bring together an ensemble that bridges their two musical worlds even further by including old friends Bob Stewart, Brandon Lewis, and Maneri. Of course, Stewart is well known as one of the most heralded improvising tuba players. Drummer Lewis remains a longtime collaborator and a regular on the New York jazz scene. The quintet came together to record Blutopia at The Bunker Studio in Brooklyn on August 29, 2023. The music that they created leans into the blues, in feeling, sound, and color. The tones are mysterious yet rooted. The tuba speaking to early traditional sounds of jazz but Ban's use of Fender Rhodes and Maneri's electronic effects giving a contemporary, Afro-Futurist meets new music tint.
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