Session 23 Ron Samsom

• 1 Wrong Shit 05:50
• 2 Wrack 06:35
• 3 Vibi 05:05
• 4 Tug 05:00
• 5 Bridger Ripple 08:59
• 6 Falling Stars 06:34
• 7 Macombs 07:31
• Total Runtime 45:34

Info for Session 23

This album of new compositions by the always inventive, expressive, and enthusiastic jazz drummer, composer, and mentor Ron Samsom features a line-up of equally committed musicians willing to engage with Ron's expertly crafted invitations to explore unique sonic, rhythmic, and joyfully musical environments.

This collaboration began with a series of sonic sketches written on guitar and roughly recorded on a cell phone. This "sound journaling process" is a great way to engage with creativity without constraints. Documenting short improvisations compels me to rely on my ear as the central connection to the music. By recording, I avoid committing musical ideas to notation and resist the temptation to use theory or software manipulation until much later. Over recent years, I've become increasingly drawn to the sound of guitars and their potential for harmonic richness. I love the feel and sound that guitars produce, but I'm pretty limited in what I can play. Nonetheless, guitars spark my imagination for composing, providing a gateway to realising complete pieces.

In reflection, Session 23 drew inspiration from folk music and early blues, where the guitar is the primary instrument for conveying rhythm and harmony. When I listen to blues pioneer Son House, I'm in complete awe of his percussive approach. Joni Mitchell's music also astounds me in the way she explores the guitar's potential with different tunings. I'm drawn to music with strong rhythmic shapes that influence form and structure, as well as the possibilities created by taking musical risks.

One of the great things about jazz is the immediacy and urgency of the performance in the moment. My aim with the compositions on this album was to provide interesting frameworks for the improvising musicians to navigate while keeping them fully responsive in the moment. I love the element of surprise in music, which, as an active listener, I attribute to Jan Jarczyk, a prominent jazz pianist, composer, and educator whom I studied with many years ago in Montreal. I recall Jan emphasising the importance of incorporating one’s musical heritage into one's work. For him, it involved a deep connection to the music of his Polish heritage combined with an equally deep admiration for the beauty and surprise of Wayne Shorter's music. For a long time, I felt unsure about my musical heritage, eventually realising I didn’t really have one. But I do have something else.

When I fell in love with jazz, like many students of this rich tradition, I became wholly immersed in a universe of sound and musical expression that resonated deeply with me, causing me to mistakenly dismiss many musical forms and styles that now contribute to a much larger appreciation for jazz. It took me a long time to rediscover those rich layers and gain a deeper understanding of the complexity of those relationships. I am incredibly grateful to Jan and the lifelong musical challenge he posed, as well as the fantastic musicians who agreed to join me on the ride to make this album: Callum Passells, Cameron McArthur, and Keith Price. (Ron Samsom)

Ron Samsom, drums
Cam McArthur, bass
Keith Price, guitars
Callum Passells, alto saxophone, Korg MS-20

Recorded at the Kenneth Myers Centre, February 21-23, 2023
Engineered by John Jungseok Kim
Mixed by Steve Garden
Mastered by Joshua Llwellyn at Downbeat Mastering
Produced by Ron Samsom, Callum Passells, Cam McArthur, Keith Price

Ron Samsom
Born in Canada, drummer and composer Ron Samsom became a proud citizen of Aotearoa in 2018. He is the co-ordinator of jazz performance at University of Auckland, and owns five drum kits and way too much windsurfing equipment … most surprisingly, he finds time to use all of it.

Ron is an active performer, composer and researcher in the area of improvised music whose work features on many local and international recordings. Prior to moving to New Zealand, Ron’s career began in Canada after completing a Diploma in Music at Grant MacEwan College, a BMus from St Francis Xavier and a MMus from McGill University. Today, Ron is highly regarded in musical communities locally and abroad and is Senior Lecturer in Music at the University of Auckland. With many ongoing collaborations and projects such as the Samsom Nacey Haines Trio and the FSH Trio, Ron has established a strong publishing relationship with Rattle Records and shares a similar goal of producing a rich tapestry of improvised music featuring New Zealand-based musicians.

Booklet for Session 23