Vivian Maier’s Vision Inspires New Jazz Album by The New York Second; A Look Back at Fogelberg and Weisberg’s ‘No Resemblance Whatsoever’

In the dynamic world of music releases, two distinct projects recently drew attention: a contemporary jazz ensemble’s latest offering deeply rooted in visual art, and a retrospective look at a significant, albeit complicated, collaboration between two established artists.

A Jazz Dialogue with Photography

Harald Walkate, a jazz musician known for his thoughtful approach, has released the fifth album by his ensemble, The New York Second. Titled “Room for Other People,” this project distinguishes itself through its unique source of inspiration: the compelling street photography of Vivian Maier.

The album is presented as a 10-track instrumental journey, with each composition seemingly entering into a dialogue with Maier’s extensive and evocative body of work. Walkate takes on multiple roles in the creation of “Room for Other People,” handling production, writing, and arrangement duties. He also serves as the pianist for the ensemble.

Joining Walkate on this artistic endeavor are seven accompanists, contributing a rich tapestry of sounds. The instrumentation for The New York Second on this album includes trumpet, flugelhorn, flutes, tenor sax, trombone, vibraphone, drums, and double bass. This diverse lineup provides Walkate with a broad palette with which to translate the visual nuances and emotional depth of Maier’s photographs into musical form.

A specific example highlighting the album’s conceptual framework is the track “983 Third Avenue.” According to notes accompanying the release, this piece is a direct musical response to a particular photograph taken by Maier in 1953. This track exemplifies the album’s ambition to build a bridge between the visual and auditory arts, offering listeners a sonic interpretation of specific moments captured by the reclusive photographer.

“Room for Other People” stands as a testament to Walkate’s continued exploration of thematic depth within the jazz idiom, using an external artistic source to shape and inform the ensemble’s instrumental narratives.

Revisiting a Noteworthy Collaboration

Separately, attention was drawn to “No Resemblance Whatsoever,” a collaborative album featuring the distinct talents of Dan Fogelberg and Tim Weisberg. This pairing brought together Fogelberg, primarily known for his singer-songwriter work, and Weisberg, an acclaimed flutist.

The album comprises ten tracks in total. The majority, specifically eight compositions, were penned by Dan Fogelberg. Of these eight, six are instrumental pieces, allowing for the interplay between Fogelberg’s musical arrangements and Weisberg’s flute work to take center stage. The remaining two tracks on the album are interpretations of songs by Jesse Colin Young: “Sunlight” and “Songbird.” These inclusions provide moments where Fogelberg’s vocals are featured, adding another dimension to the collaboration.

Critical reception at the time noted specific “moments of beauty” within the album, suggesting that the fusion of these two artists’ styles yielded musically rewarding passages.

However, the history of the “No Resemblance Whatsoever” collaboration is not without its complexities. It is notable that approximately two years following the album’s original release, a legal issue arose between Dan Fogelberg and Tim Weisberg. While the specifics of the dispute were not detailed in the source material reviewed, its occurrence remains a significant, documented event in the post-release narrative of the album.

In conclusion, these two musical features, though vastly different in genre, origin, and context – one a contemporary, concept-driven jazz work and the other a historical pop/instrumental collaboration with a complicated legacy – offer distinct points of interest for music enthusiasts exploring both new releases and significant past projects.