MP3 The Supplicants - 1st Encounter

As an art form, musical improvisation is often the most inspiring, exasperating, overwhelmingly emotional interchange between performer and spectator. It takes generous talent, and serious guts for a musician to take the stage without a script.

9 MP3 Songs
JAZZ: Free Jazz, AVANT GARDE: Free Improvisation

Show all album songs: 1st Encounter Songs


Details:
On May 16th, 1999, Isotope Records documented David Boyce, David Ewell,
and Sameer Gupta playing music together for the first time. That day marks the
birthdate of The Supplicants and their debut album.

The entire album was recorded in one afternoon, with almost all the material
being spontaneously composed improvisations. David Boyce had never
heard Sameer Gupta, David Ewell had never heard David Boyce, and none
of them had ever musically exchanged a sound before that day.

The result of this bold risk was profoundly musical; the performances
were filled with the members' free spirits, communication, and collective
listening. It was well worthy of the title "The Supplicants - 1st Encounter."

The group started getting attention immediately, and the local jazz
community was very encouraging and excited about the new sound.

Approximately one year later, much to his surprise, Sameer
discovered a fourth member of the project: Richard Howell. Richard
brought his voice of experience, patience, and spirituality to the band,
helping escalate the already potent sound to transcendental levels.

From their first day, they have preserved the approach of performing
purely spontaneous improvised compositions. This spirit of free
creation was enhanced by Richard Howell's presence, and Sameer,
seeing the potential for an incredible musical force, took the band
into isolation for the summer of 2001, after which the band was promptly
hired for a regular weekly gig at San Francisco's premiere Jazz venue
"The Black Cat", it was an opportunity to develop the language and
grammar born of this freedom.

On March 25th, 2002, The Supplicants culminated their seven month
run of weekly shows, by selling out two explosive sets of spontaneously
improvised music at Yoshi's Nightclub in Oakland, and immediately
went into the studio to record their second album. Their latest album
"Balance" is complete!