For those unaware, as a sophomore in High School, Andrew Danforth received a lesson from a New York jazz trombonist that changed his perspective on music. In the lesson he was asked to play some fundamental jazz exercises (ii-V-I licks) for the teacher to gauge where he was at in my playing.

Having never practiced any licks before, he improvised his way through the progressions. The trombonist said they sounded very “Homegrown.” Frustrated by this, Andrew spent a long time working on the fundamentals of jazz language and bebop playing. At the time, he used the comment as fuel to get better at his craft, but it took on a new meaning to me in my masters degree.

The more he spent working towards mastery of my instrument the more he realized how important it was to have a unique voice on the instrument. The “Homegrown” quality of his improvisation would never leave the core of his music.

Gaining perspective from his upbringing in the Indy jazz community and finding a much deeper appreciation for the history of music in his hometown went a long way.

Andrew’s new album, entitled, of course, Homegrown is a dedication to the past, present and future of creative music in Indianapolis and a musical representation of the natural landscape, humanity and social geography of Indianapolis that he has grown to care so deeply for.

1. Homegrown
2. New World Floors
3. Vacate
4. Absence of the Avenue
5. Vacant
6. In Motion
7. Orange Hue in the Uplands
8. Prairie Breeze

This most dutifully sculpted new recording opens on the flourishing, titular Homegrown and the drum-fed ambiance of New World Floors and then proceeds to bring us the deeply-laden trombone within Vacate, the gently fervent Absence of the Avenue, the aching yearn of Vacant, the album rounding out on the ardent finger-snapper In Motion, the warm embrace of the opulent Orange Hue in the Uplands, coming to a close on the veritably shimmering Prairie Breeze (which refers to a small stretch of land in the Tipton Till Plain just northwest of Indianapolis).

“The eponymous track Homegrown reminds me of the vast landscape in central Indiana where skyscrapers and corn fields meet,” says Danforth. “The combination of city and county governments in the 1970’s along with urban sprawl forced the mixture of urban and rural communities which gives Indianapolis its unique atmosphere. A floating horn melody sits over the off kilter lilt of the ostinato groove.”

“There is a constant switch from dark to bright tonal centers throughout the piece. All of these compositional choices are done for musical intent but hold a strong relation to the mixture of lifestyles and culture in Indianapolis.”

Musicians:
Andrew Danforth - trombone, composer; Sean Imboden - tenor sax, clarinet; Christopher Pitts - piano; Nick Tucker - bass; Carrington Clinton - drum set.

Official Purchase Link

www.andrewdanforthmusic.com