Owl Song

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Owl Song
A black-and-white photo of Akinmusire's face with bright lights at his sides
Studio album by
Ambrose Akinmusire
ReleasedDecember 15, 2023 (2023-12-15)
Genre
Length42:02
LabelNonesuch
ProducerAmbrose Akinmusire
Ambrose Akinmusire chronology
Beauty Is Enough
(2023) 		Owl Song
(2023)

Owl Song is a 2023 studio album by American jazz trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, with Bill Frisell and Herlin Riley. It has received positive reviews from critics.

Reception[edit]

Editors at AllMusic rated this album 4.5 out of 5 stars, with critic Matt Collar writing that "Akinmusire enters into a warm, intentionally spare collaboration with veteran icons guitarist Bill Frisell and drummer Herlin Riley" that blends the musicians' signature styles with an "intense intimacy [that] feels intentional".[2] DownBeat's Frank Alkyer rated this release 5 out of 5 stars, characterizing it as "nothing short of stunning" and "one of the most interesting recordings to come along in a very long time by one of the most interesting artists of our time".[3] Mike Hobart of Financial Times rated this release 4 out of 5 stars for the ensemble's minimalism and having "tempi [that] are unhurried, textures [that are] nuanced and melodies clearly stated, though somewhat oblique".[1] Owl Song was the jazz album of the month in The Guardian, where John Fordham gave it 4 out of 5 stars, ending "as befits the title, Owl Song doesn’t raise its voice much, but what it quietly says is joyously vivid, even spine-tingling".[4] Phillip Watson declared this one of the jazz albums of the year in The Irish Times, where he gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars and stated that "this triumvirate do so much with seemingly so little".[5] Larry Blumenfeld of The Wall Street Journal called the "unlikely" trio "three musicians confident enough of their standing to resist urges to flash technique, and humble enough to listen intently to one another as they shape music along emotional lines" whose collaboration resulted in "an alluring calm throughout the album and an unrestrained flow that defies style".[6]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks are written by Ambrose Akinmusire.

  1. "Owl Song 1" – 5:52
  2. "Weighted Corners" – 4:24
  3. "Flux Fuelings" – 5:03
  4. "Owl Song 2" – 6:28
  5. "Grace" – 6:26
  6. "Mr. Frisell" – 3:15
  7. "Mr. Riley" – 3:27
  8. "Henya" – 7:07

Personnel[edit]

  • Ambrose Akinmusire – trumpet, production
  • David Darlington – mixing, mastering
  • Bill Frisell – guitar on "Owl Song 1", "Weighted Corners", "Flux Fuelings", "Owl Song 2", "Grace", "Mr. Frisell", and "Henya"
  • John Gall – design
  • Adam Muñoz – engineering
  • Herlin Riley – drums on "Owl Song 1", "Weighted Corners", "Flux Fuelings", "Owl Song 2", "Grace", "Mr. Riley", and "Henya"

Charts[edit]

Weekly chart performance for Owl Song
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Hungarian Physical Albums (MAHASZ)[7] 19

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Hobart, Mike (December 22, 2023). "Ambrose Akinmusire: Owl Song — Bill Frisell and Herlin Riley join the trumpeter for a heavenly match". Financial Times. ISSN 0307-1766. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  2. ^ Collar, Matt (n.d.). "Ambrose Akinmusire – Owl Song". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  3. ^ Alkyer, Frank (December 2023). "DownBeat Reviews". Reviews. DownBeat. ISSN 0012-5768. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  4. ^ Fordham, John (December 1, 2023). "Ambrose Akinmusire: Owl Song review – quietly joyous jazz grooves". Music. The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. ISSN 1756-3224. OCLC 60623878. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  5. ^ Watson, Phillip (December 22, 2023). "Ambrose Akinmusire: Owl Song – One of the jazz albums of the year". The Irish Times. ISSN 0791-5144. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  6. ^ Blumenfeld, Larry (December 20, 2023). "'Owl Song' by Ambrose Akinmusire Review: A Tranquil Jazz Trio". Music Review. The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 1042-9840. OCLC 781541372. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  7. ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista (fizikai hanghordozók) – 2024. 4. hét". MAHASZ. Retrieved February 2, 2024.

External links[edit]

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