The Ari Joshua Quartet’s new single, Praysue, takes listeners on a transcendent sonic journey, blending elements of jazz, classical orchestration, and cinematic expression. Released on September 6, 2024, and featuring legendary musicians John Medeski and Billy Martin of Medeski, Martin, & Wood, along with bassist Jason Fraticelli and string players Phillip Peterson and Petro Krysa, Praysue is a deeply personal work for guitarist and composer Ari Joshua. This ambitious piece is inspired by memories of Joshua’s late grandfather and the enigmatic Polish town of Przysucha, a place that carries historical and familial significance.
Praysue is woven from threads of memory, place, and ancestral motifs, making it a powerful composition that resonates with emotional and historical depth. Joshua has crafted a work that sits at the intersection of genres, pulling from both classical and jazz influences to create a composition that feels timeless yet modern. The piece is anchored by its orchestral strings, which add a haunting beauty, evoking a sense of history and memory that permeates the entire composition. This rich orchestral presence is complemented by the vintage sound of magnetic tape-driven keyboards, courtesy of Medeski, whose performance lends a kaleidoscopic palette of textures and colors.
Joshua’s guitar, expressive and soulful, serves as the emotional core of the track, weaving a delicate interplay with the orchestral elements. The guitar’s role as both a leading voice and a subtle bridge between classical strings and jazz textures enhances the composition’s emotional scope, creating a dialogue that feels both intimate and expansive.
The single Praysue brings together some of the most celebrated artists in contemporary music, each contributing to the track’s unique character. The collaboration with John Medeski on electric organ and Billy Martin on drums brings a wealth of experience and jazz mastery that infuses the piece with rhythmic complexity and textural depth. Medeski’s organ adds analog warmth and a sense of mystique to the piece, while Martin’s drumming serves as a foundation, grounding the ethereal qualities of the track with dynamic and inventive rhythms.
The Quartet is rounded out by Jason Fraticelli on upright bass, whose deep, resonant bassline establishes a powerful foundation for the composition. Fraticelli’s bass creates an introspective opening, setting a contemplative tone that carries through the entire piece. This ensemble is further enriched by Phillip Peterson on cello and Petro Krysa on violin, whose contributions bring an orchestral quality to the track, enhancing its cinematic feel.
Praysue is structured as a journey, beginning with a meditative prelude that introduces Fraticelli’s upright bass in a melancholic melodic minor mode. This two-minute introduction envelops the listener in an atmosphere that feels both vast and solitary, evoking the mood of a solitary desert or mist-laden morning. As the prelude unfolds, layers of texture gradually build, creating a sense of ethereal isolation that invites listeners to immerse themselves fully in the experience.
At the two-minute mark, the orchestral palette expands, introducing lush strings that begin to intertwine with the bassline, creating an intricate and layered tapestry of sound. The composition continues to ascend, carrying the listener on a rising tide of harmonies and motifs. By the four-minute mark, the piece reaches a high point as Joshua and Medeski engage in an electric interplay, their musical conversation sparking with creativity and intensity.
The climactic exchange between guitar and organ feels like a celestial dialogue, with each instrument pushing and responding to the other in a way that feels both spontaneous and deeply interconnected. As the piece nears its conclusion, the melody shifts and re-emerges with a new sense of purpose, returning to the introspective tone of the opening but enriched by the journey.
Recorded at the iconic Applehead Studio in Woodstock, New York, Praysue captures the essence of a bygone era where music was crafted with meticulous care. Engineer Chris Bittner’s expertise in capturing the nuances of live performance is evident, preserving the intimate and authentic feel of the Quartet’s interactions. Overdubs by Eric Eagle at Score Studios and subsequent mixing by Pierre Grill at Rendez Vous Recordings add a lush depth to the recording, creating a surround sound experience that envelops the listener and enhances the composition’s emotional impact.
The art and design for Praysue were crafted by Mark Henson, a celebrated canvas painter whose work reflects the ethereal qualities of Joshua’s music. Henson’s visual contributions add another layer of depth to the release, creating a cohesive artistic experience that extends beyond sound alone.
For Ari Joshua, Praysue represents a personal journey—a reflection on his grandfather’s legacy and a homage to the town of Przysucha. Joshua’s guitar work is infused with a sense of nostalgia and reverence, his playing both grounded and expressive as it navigates the shifting landscapes of the composition. The cyclical structure of Praysue reflects the themes of memory and time, with the closing moments echoing the introspective beginning, suggesting a return to origins enriched by experience.
The composition also speaks to Joshua’s vision of music as a medium that transcends boundaries and time. The blend of classical strings, jazz improvisation, and cinematic scope creates a soundscape that feels universal, inviting listeners to interpret and experience the piece in their own way. Joshua’s approach to music is as a canvas on which he and his collaborators paint with sound, creating a multidimensional work that resonates across genres and emotions.
Praysue stands as a testament to the power of collaboration and musical exploration. With its evocative themes, intricate interplay between instruments, and cinematic production, the piece is a milestone in Ari Joshua’s career, showcasing his unique ability to bridge the worlds of jazz, classical, and contemporary music. The collaboration with John Medeski, Billy Martin, and Jason Fraticelli, along with the orchestral contributions of Phillip Peterson and Petro Krysa, make this a remarkable release that resonates with depth and authenticity.
Listeners of Praysue are invited not just to hear the music, but to experience it as a journey through memory, place, and personal reflection. With each listen, the track reveals new layers and invites deeper introspection, making it a truly immersive and timeless piece that stands out in today’s music landscape. For fans of jazz, classical fusion, and innovative composition, Praysue is an essential listen, a work that offers both a profound musical experience and a glimpse into the soul of its creator, Ari Joshua.
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