Nick DePinna - Nexus Music, Vol. 2 (2024) [Hi-Res]

Composer/trombonist Nick DePinna presents Nexus Music (Vol. 2), a collection of pieces exploring the space between machine and dream. At once prescriptive and improvisational, meticulous and spontaneous, the album features four original compositions alongside an arrangement of Bruce Hornsby’s “The Way It Is” (not available on bandcamp).

Notes from the composer:

“Edotnel” is an exploration of distorted symmetry. The tightly controlled construction of the piece is camouflaged by unique and virtuosic improvisational solo performances by Julian Pollack, Sam Gendel, and Jake Reed.

“The Loom” features longtime friends and collaborators Ross Garren (chromatic harmonica), Adrianne Pope (violin), Linnea Powell (viola), and Hillary Smith (cello). I had originally meant for the piece to be a prelude to the next track on the album “Bloom,” however, not far into the composing process it became clear that it was a stand-alone sibling. “The Loom” derives much of its material inspiration from “Bloom,” but tells a different part of the same story. My heartfelt thanks to Ross Garren for sharing his incredible technical and historical knowledge of the harmonica. His extraordinary playing inspired a great deal of the music. “The Loom” is dedicated to Erika Oba and Sarah Thompson.

Originally commissioned by SFJAZZ for the 2019 SFJAZZ High School All-Stars, “Bloom” features the incredible Dayna Stephens on saxophone. When writing this piece, I initially aimed to depict various types of blooming resulting from the abundant rain California experienced at the time. While these simultaneous blooms would eventually go on to form a "superbloom,” the piece ended up being about my daughter, who has a character in the Japanese spelling of her name that translates to "blooming."

The final piece, “A Silent Ode,” is a collaborative composition by me and Ross Garren. It is a reflection (both literally and figuratively!) on “Edotnel.”

Tracklist:
1.01 - Nick DePinna - Edotnel (10:01)
1.02 - Nick DePinna - The Loom (5:36)
1.03 - Nick DePinna - Bloom (6:18)
1.04 - Nick DePinna - The Way It Is (4:52)
1.05 - Nick DePinna - A Silent Ode (3:57)