Sroka Archive

Ergo – As subtle as tomorrow – Cuneiform

by Audiophile Audition | Apr 4, 2016 | Jazz CD Reviews

Emily Dickinson meets electro-acoustic jazz. Ergo – As subtle as tomorrow [TrackList follows] – Cuneiform, Rune 419, 42:16 [2/5/16] ***1/2: (Brett Sroka – trombone, computer, co-mixer; Sam Harris – piano, prepared-piano, Rhodes electric piano; Shawn Baltazor – drums, co-mixer) To fully appreciate jazz trio Ergo’s fourth release, the 42-minute As subtle as tomorrow, one should also become familiar with Emily Dickinson’s poetry. It’s not a necessary step, but immersion in both Ergo and Dickinson creates an imaginative overlap which accentuates both. In particular, this short text: As subtle as tomorrow That never came, A warrant, a conviction, Yet but a name. This brief, tantalizingly philosophical poem is a huge influence on the seven tracks which Ergo co-founder Brett Sroka put together for As subtle as tomorrow [the album title and track titles keep the same capitalization as Dickinson’s poem]. “She’s my favorite poet,” Sroka explains. “There’s something about her simplicity and succinctness and clarity, which is so direct and poignant.” Dickinson’s fragmentary writing formed the foundation for the long-form, seven-section suite which fills the album, like a transparent thread which weaves in and out of reiterating themes and parallel motifs which resurface from track to track. That’s also why the […]