David Bowie Saxophonist Donny McCaslin Premieres New Art-Rock Single
By: Tori Hartshorn Jun. 14, 2018
As the bandleader on David Bowie's final album Blackstar, saxophonist Donny McCaslin witnessed firsthand the musician's penchant for reinvention. With his upcoming studio album - a daring fusion of vibrant electronica, and bombastic alt-rock due this fall - McCaslin applied that mindset to his own work. "Before working with him, things like this didn't seem possible to me," McCaslin says of his new material, which arrives two decades into an acclaimed career. "The affirmation of that project and how wonderfully that turned out artistically - I feel like anything is possible now."
The first taste McCaslin has offered from his forthcoming full-length is "What about the Body," a raucous, propulsive blast of improvisational alternative music, premiered by NPR "All Songs Considered," that encapsulates his bold new direction.
For the single, McCaslin recruited Blackstarbassist Tim Lefebvre, "brilliant songwriter and lyricist" Ryan Dahle (Limblifter, Mounties), and producer Steve Wall (Lucius, Tall Heights). The track's heady blend of saxophone and flute, pianos and Wurlitzer, electric bass and pummeling drums captures McCaslin's core roots while also bringing in more recent influences such as Radiohead and Bon Iver. And delivered by Dahle, the tune's forceful lyrics - "Left-wing, right-wing / What about the body?" - hint at modern unrest. "One interpretation could be the state of America right now," McCaslin explains. "To me, that's a provocative thought: What about the body, the soul of America?" Taken together, the elements signify McCaslin's next thrilling chapter.
Stay tuned for more from McCaslin later this year - and hear "What about the Body" and other new music when he hits the road in the coming months.
TOUR DATES:
June 17: Pittsburgh Jazz Festival
June 23: Jazz Baltica, Denmark
July 17: Molde Jazz Festival, Norway
July 29: Flint Jazz Festival, Flint, Michigan
September 1: Aarhus Jazz Festival, Denmark
September 8: Stowe Jazz Festival, Stowe, VT
September 11: The Foundry, Philadelphia
September 12: Union Stage, Washington DC
September 13 -14: Rough Trade, Brooklyn, NY
September 15: Sinclair, Boston, MA
September 18: Dazzle, Denver, CO
September 19: Regent Theater, LA, CA
September 20: The Independent, SF, CA
September 21: Cal Statue University, Sacramento, CA
September 22-23: Monterey Jazz Festival, Monterey, CA
September 24: Triple Door, Seattle, WA
September 25: Star Theater, Portland, OR
October 6: Jazzfestival Generations, Frauenfeld, Switzerland
October 10: Petit Faucheux, Tours, France
October 11: Quasimodo, Berlin, Germany
October 12: New Morning, Paris, France
October 13: Theatre Lino Ventura, Nice, France
October 14: Bimhuis, Amsterdam, Netherlands
October 15: Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg, Germany
October 17-19: Jazz & The City Festival, Salzburg, Austria
October 20: Stockholm Jazz Festival, Stockholm, Sweden
October 26: Rotterdam Jazz Festival, Rotterdam, Netherlands
October 27: Paradox, Tilburg, Netherlands
October 28: Cork Jazz Festival, Cork, Ireland Guiness
October 30: Band on the Wall, Manchester, United Kingdom
DONNY McCASLIN ONLINE:
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Photo Credit: Jimmy Fontaine
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