Myra Melford’s Fire And Water Quintet – Hear The Light Singing

“The suite’s evolution marked a new phase of its dynamic creation, one in which Melford used the possibilities of live performance to expand on and further clarify her initial vision. ‘Performing it live gave us a much greater understanding of how expandable the music might be through improvisation,’ says Melford. She added onto some parts of the original suite, and omitted others from the live set that were less fluid onstage than they had been in studio. Original movements that were more through-composed got new improvised sections, and others that were more open were replaced by these new ‘insertions.’”
“In keeping with the project's dynamic, living status, Melford says that listeners don’t necessarily need to try to listen to the original suites and insertions in the order the band performed them live ? and that it’s possible she might present them in that order on a future live recording. Rather, the music lives independent of and within all possible presentations. These new pieces meticulously build on the fierce energy and creativity of the first suite, making for a jaw-dropping and emotional showcase of these five artists' range.”

Track Listing:
1. Insertion One – 9:50   2. Insertion Two – 6:47   3. Insertion Three A + B – 18:23   4. Insertion Four – 8:14 5.   Insertion Five – 8:25

Personnel:
Myra Melford (piano) , Mary Halvorson (guitar) , Ingrid Laubrock (tenor & soprano saxophone) , Tomeka Reid ‘cello) , Lesley Mok (drums)

Recorded on November 8, 2022 at Firehouse 12, New Haven, CT, USA