Kate Gentile - Find Letter X [CD]

<p>'Find Letter' X is the eponymously-named release from the long-running Brooklyn-based band led by drummer/composer Kate Gentilefeaturing saxophonist Jeremy Viner, pianist Matt Mitchell, and bassist Kim Cass. This audacious work spans three densely packed volumes brimming with inventive concepts and dramatic arcs. Each disc contains a distinct thematic identity while seamlessly contributing to a larger narrative trajectory. Meticulously constructed and utterly intentional, <i>Find Letter X</i>is a wide-ranging exploration of diverse sonics and contrasting forms; a vibrant feedback loop of virtuosic improvisational and compositional ingenuity entirely unified by Gentile's singular musical aesthetic.</p><p>Gentile has been working in the Brooklyn creative music scene since 2011 creating music that values the relationships between substantive, elevated composition and unfettered improvisation. Her debut album, <i>Mannequins</i>, was named one of the best releases of 2017 by the New York Times, who called it "Searing... full of stuttering rhythms and teetering intervallic jumps; an array of textures disorient you even as they deepen your listening." She plays in various aggregations with Matt Mitchell and has also worked with the likes of Michael Attias, Tim Berne, Anthony Braxton, Cloud Becomes Your Hand, Steve Coleman, Dave Douglas, Marty Ehrlich, Miles Okazaki, God Is My Co-Pilot, Helado Negro, Chris Speed, Chris Tordini, Anna Webber, and John Zorn.</p><p>Gentile is filtering many influences through her singular perspective: the jazz tradition's improvisational and inventive essence; the chaos and intensity of brutal death metal and brutal prog; the intricacies of 'new music', the magic and often hyper-tactile sense of electronic and noise music, and the grit of and looseness of creative rock and punk. Even a blues influence is perceptible in many tracks, though heavily refracted through Gentile's distinctive lens. <i>Find Letter X</i>thrives in a sweet spot in the middle of the spectrum of tonality to atonality, where unconventional harmonies are interwoven with compelling melodies using masterful voice leading, and the compositions are further elevated by rhythmic ingenuity. It's an offering, an invitation to listeners, other musicians, and musical forebears: what if we did <i>this</i>?</p>