Earl Macdonald - Consecrated (2021)

Outside in Music proudly announces the September 24th, 2021
release of Consecrated, the seventh studio album from acclaimed
jazz pianist, arranger and educator, Earl MacDonald. It’s an
album of traditional hymns, brimming with poetic elegance.
Unlike any of MacDonald’s previous award-winning recordings,
vocals stand front-and-center, with Canadian “up and comer”
KarlyEpp introduced as an important, new collaborator. Her
stirring vocal interpretations mixed with MacDonald’s
thoughtfully-crafted instrumental underpinnings convey a wide
spectrum of sentiments, ranging from reverence and gratitude to
petition, pleading and lament.

The supporting musicians were handpicked, based on the dynamic
each brings to the project as sonic colorists and creative
instigators. The band’s distinctive international flair
effervesces, with four Canadians, a Brazilian, and three
Americans. The unique improvisational voices of David Smith
(trumpet), Kris Allen (saxophones), Karl Kohut (string bass)
and Grammy-award winner, Rogerio Boccato (percussion) shine
throughout. French hornist Alex Gertner and trombonist Sean
Nelson provide added hues to the orchestration of selected
pieces. Consecrated is a deeply spiritual, personal album for
Earl MacDonald, and therefore, a deeply refreshing one for the
jazz listener. In both his musical artistry and in life,
MacDonald clearly searches for beauty and a connection to the
Divine, while comfortably exploring dissonance – both cognitive
and musical.

Epp explains the uniqueness of the album, as it addresses the
spiritual disorientation we’ve felt the last several years
resulting from the church’s entanglement in politics: “The
message of love is really integral to the Christian faith. The
whole point is to love other people. Unfortunately, that’s not
the model of Christianity currently being presented.”

Of the album’s ten spellbinding tracks, saxophonist Kris Allen
contributed the sole original — “Be Still.” The song conjures
comparison to the meditative, contemplative worship style of
music associated with the Taizé ecumenical community. In this
practice, short chants repeat at length. Epp’s recurrent vocal
line serves as a constant through line, with the band astir
around it.

Traditional hymns, chosen for their timelessly relevant lyrics
and strong melodies comprise the remaining program. MacDonald’s
supportive, meticulously-crafted arrangements reinforce the
thematic content of each song. “Sweet Hour of Prayer” takes on a
delicate, intimate atmosphere, filled with mystery and wonder.
A light bossa nova feel heightens the sense of awe on “Holy,
Holy, Holy,” to create a more expansive, worshipful environment.
Heightened disquietude and inner turmoil stem from the loping
triple-meter groove and angst-tinged harmonies MacDonald
effectively applied to “O God of Love, Grant Us Your Peace.”

The album title comes from the song, “Take My Life and Let It Be
Consecrated,” to which MacDonald infused tasteful samba dance
rhythms. In his extensive online notes, MacDonald shares that
his scarred and bruised faith bolstered through careful
examination of this song’s poetic lyrics. The process elicited
big questions: “Has my faith changed, or just my relationship
to the church? And IF I remain committed to my faith tradition,
how could I more fully embrace the process and journey of not
withholding anything from God?”