Alabaster DePlume - Come With Fierce Grace (2023) [Hi-Res]

When we are boldly and sincerely requested to be ourselves – whoever we may be – we can, in response to one-another, naturally create things that no-one could have ever specifically demanded we deliver. In order to record the compositions in his critically acclaimed 2022 release GOLD, Alabaster DePlume instilled a culture of creativity by leading his ensembles in spontaneous composition and development. To allow them to be present, he kept them constantly creating. This resulted in an abundance of material that he has since produced and arranged, resulting in this collection. It is a piece made entirely of authentic, unstipulated – yet welcomed – human interaction. It is similar to how elements in nature contribute to shared work and beauty without conscious motive – a bee’s own motives result in the delivery of pollen. As Alabaster says himself: “The great thing wants to happen, let us allow it to happen.”

On his first trip to the US, Alabaster collected messages from individuals, to be delivered to the hearts of his audiences. One, who preferred to remain anonymous, encourages us to “come with fierce grace.”

Composed in the act of performance by and with:

Alabaster DePlume – tenor sax, guitar, synths and voice
Falle Nioke – voice, percussion
Rozi Plain – guitar
Sarathy Korwar – drums, tabla
Tom Skinner – drums
Kenichi Iwasa – percussion
James Howard – guitar
Tom Herbert – double bass
Natalie Pela – voice
Rosa Slade – voice
Elly Condron – voice
Luisa Gerstein – voice
Matt Webb – double bass
Michael Chestnutt – synths
Ursula Russell – drums
Conrad Singh – guitar
Hannah Miller – cello and voice
Donna Thompson – voice
Matthew Bourne – piano
Momoko Gill – lead vocal
Ruth Goller – bass