Jason Moran and his trio The Bandwagon have consistently laid down some of the most adventurous modern jazz since the trio assumed the name at the turn of century, but “Ten” stands out in many ways as a particular triumph. As the album was taking shape in 2010, the trio already had over a decade’s experience of playing together, but were much more than just a well-oiled machine.
After years studying with Jaki Byard and Andrew Hill and with links to New York’s M-Base Collective, Moran’s take on jazz was as politically charged as it was musically varied. Drummer Nasheet Waits – the son of Freddie Waits, and who played with many greats, in particular Max Roach – carried a stellar reputation. Bassist Tarus Mateen had cut his teeth with Betty Carter and Terrence Blanchard, and was playing with hip-hop groups like Outkast, the Goodie Mob, and The Roots.
This gave The Bandwagon an approach quite unlike other jazz groups at that time. But in addition to their creative approach, they had a collection of ideas and themes that fired them up, both musically exciting and politically resonant. As a result, “Ten” certainly isn’t just versions or standards – the trio probe the roots of jazz via historical figures in a quest for the self.
“RFK in the land of Apartheid” for example was written for a documentary of the same name, and takes US Senator Robert Kennedy’s rousing “Ripple of Hope” speech as a launchpad for a roaring 3/4 workout. Or the track “Feedback pt.2,” which was built around a sample of feedback from Jimi Hendrix, was looped on a minidisc until it sounded like a lost radio signal from a distant planet.
This sense of history continues with further explorations of “Study No.6” by player piano visionary Conlon Nancarrow, as well as with the hidden bonus track, a version of “Nobody” by Bert Williams, the African-American minstrel actor from the early 1900s. Each track on “Ten” is layered with meaning, but it’s not rote academia. The selection is deeply personal.
“How do we collect ourselves?” mulls Moran in an interview with radio host Angélika Beener. “How do we give the good and the bad things that happen to us value? If an album was gonna be anything worth reflecting, it would have to have something potent in it, to stand the test of time. That’s why I put in it the shit I love the most.”
This personal element is especially reflected in two composers who loom large over the album, namely Moran’s long-time mentors Jaki Byard and Andrew Hill. Byard’s approach to teaching wasn’t just technical or theoretical, but also contextual and historical, perhaps as a result of his time playing with Charles Mingus.
“It didn’t just relate to playing a solo in this song, and that’s it,” says Moran about Byard’s teaching. “It was more like, ‘Okay you can play this solo, but which song is it? And what’s the meaning behind the song?’ How does that song reflect where the audience is today?”
Moran and The Bandwagon answer this question by taking historical references and reworking them into songs that connect with a modern audience, while at the same time leaning heavily into hip-hop’s sampling mindset. The Bandwagon is like the bridge between Mingus and Public Enemy, re-presenting age-old social issues through a modern day lens, and the results sound utterly unique.
To say that “Ten” is packed with meaning is something of an understatement. It’s a tardis of an album, and each track is a rabbit hole of references. The Bandwagon applies their sampladelic approach not just to music but to political history as well, which makes it at once refreshing, daring and steeped in tradition. “Ten” carries those weighty jazz forefathers into the warm light of now, while celebrating game-changing ideas and social ethics, and we’ll still be listening to it in decades to come.
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Max Cole is a writer and music enthusiast based in Düsseldorf, who has written for record labels and magazines such as Straight No Chaser, Kindred Spirits, Rush Hour, South of North, International Feel and the Red Bull Music Academy.
Header Image: Blue Note Records.