On my fourteenth release, Organism Made Luminous, I use the same process I have used on past releases, where I play all of the instruments myself and overlay the parts. This album is more synth- and electronics-heavy than my last several albums; while earlier albums certainly used synths and other electronics, the overall impression on Organism

On my fourteenth release, Organism Made Luminous, I use the same process I have used on past releases, where I play all of the instruments myself and overlay the parts. This album is more synth- and electronics-heavy than my last several albums; while earlier albums certainly used synths and other electronics, the overall impression on Organism Made Luminous is that the electronics are more noticeable on more pieces than on my last couple albums.

“Failed Deontological Promise, or The Haphazard Application of the Rule of Law” opens the album with a wide-open section tentatively colored in by numerous synths and horns. The piece ramps up in intensity as the first section ends and, rather than a written melody, the horns come in together with forceful, cacophonous trills before beginning the solo sections.

“Across Three Fields” features a jagged melody voiced by the alto sax, with soprano sax and bass clarinet harmonies, over a simple three-chord progression outlined by a repetitive vibraphone vamp.

“Hegemonic Virtues” is a lively, busy workout for the soprano sax and Moog synthesizer.

“Dialectic Rejected” is a slower, moodier piece featuring a twangy guitar melody vaguely reminiscent of surf rock, only slower.

“Says Flowers” closes the first half of the album with a duet for alto sax and bowed Fender Telecaster.

“Late Edition” features alto sax and numerous synths. It’s notable that all the percussion sounds on this piece were created by a typewriter and loaded into electronic drum software to create the desired rhythms.

“Glassine and Glycerin” is another synth-heavy piece, with dense layers of sound broken apart with grain effects filters. This harkens back to my early ambient electronic albums a bit. Here, there is an alto sax soloing through the layered sound field, but the sax is recorded through the filter and envelope of an analog synthesizer, with the gate being triggered semi-randomly through an external control voltage signal. The sax voice is thus chopped up and mangled, which creates a fitting organic contrast to the dense electronic background.

“Space Mission of the Immortals” has this title because I think the melody, blasted out in unison by horns and synths simultaneously, has a sort of soaring, epic quality similar to sci-fi space operas of yesteryear.

The album closes with “Signal Isolation”, another sparse piece similar to “Says Flowers”, but this time featuring soprano sax, bowed electric box guitar with three cello strings, and some high-tone chirps from a modular synth.

I hope you enjoy this music, and thank you for listening.

-Collin Sherman, July 2022

"Suitable Benchmarks of Reform", my thirteenth release, sticks to the same process I have used on past releases, where I play all of the instruments myself and overlay the parts. This album is essentially in two sections; the first being a collection of three independent tunes, and the second being a four-part suite.

The opening tune, “Phalanx

"Suitable Benchmarks of Reform", my thirteenth release, sticks to the same process I have used on past releases, where I play all of the instruments myself and overlay the parts. This album is essentially in two sections; the first being a collection of three independent tunes, and the second being a four-part suite.

The opening tune, “Phalanx Strictures”, has a rolling, propulsive 15/4 rhythm and a repetitive melody that makes use of the tendency for the odd meter to feel as if each measure is falling over the top of the next. It’s also the most instrumentally dense piece on the record. Although built around a repeating sequenced bassline, the harmony instruments and horns liberally apply accidentals, providing a sense of free exploration even with the bass continually returning to the tonic.

“Rival Machinations” is completely improvised, with no stated melody or pre-planned elements other than the instrumentation.

“Worthless Objects and Photographs Thereof” slows things down quite a bit and employs a memorable clarinet melody. The Bb soprano clarinet and bass clarinet are the only horns used on this piece, giving it an earthy vibe.

The rest of the album is comprised of the four-part “Rumination Suite” in C minor, which is intended to represent an arc of burgeoning self-awareness and accompanying psychological and spiritual recovery. Each movement in the suite is built around the soprano saxophone and bass tongue drum, providing a steady, metronomic foundation for the tunes.

The first movement, “Meditation on Resentment”, begins the suite with the slow (60 bpm) tongue drum establishing the pace and harmonic framework. Vibraphone provides color and expands the harmonic portrait before the saxophone enters. Eventually strings join the mix, and as the harmonies get more dissonant, the saxophone responds with increasing activity, eventually becoming frenetic and restless, expressing discontentedness.

The next movement, “Faults and Missteps”, explores the mindset one naturally has after nurturing one’s resentments. A repeating, bluesy electric guitar riff sets the tone for the piece along with the tongue drum, insistent and throbbing.

“Things Turn Around” begins with near silence as the tongue drum occasionally provides a lone “C” note. Gradually, various other percussion instruments enter the fold, as well as an oboe, before the saxophone begins its exploration. As the parts flesh out and become busier the piece builds to a dense finale. The slightly quicker tempo and busyness of the piece provide a sense of moving forward; while not exactly providing happiness or resolution, there is the sense that one can move beyond the mistakes that nurturing one’s resentments inevitably yields.

The suite ends with “Foundations of Serenity”. As the most harmonically consonant movement in the piece it establishes a sense of calm. It is meant to reflect a mindset where, although not everything is perfect, there is enough to build a solid path forward.

I hope you enjoy this music and can relate, no matter where along your path you have found it.

With "Arc of a Slow Decline", Collin continues the focus on jazz and free improvisation of his past several albums. As with all previous releases, he plays all the instruments himself and overlays the parts.

The first disc is the more composition-focused and elaborately arranged program of the two discs. Each piece, with the exception of “

With "Arc of a Slow Decline", Collin continues the focus on jazz and free improvisation of his past several albums. As with all previous releases, he plays all the instruments himself and overlays the parts.

The first disc is the more composition-focused and elaborately arranged program of the two discs. Each piece, with the exception of “Sycophant Parade”, begins with a clear statement of melody followed by solos on saxophones and/or clarinets. The solos are “free” to varying degrees, depending of what the compositions and arrangements allow.

The second disc is generally sparser, both from a compositional standpoint and with respect to the arrangements. Most of the pieces on this disc have no stated melody or pre-planned chord progressions. The arrangements tend to utilize either only drums and horns, or piano/bass/horns without any percussion, with occasional electronic flourishes.

Free improvisation is a search for truth and transcendental beauty. Although that search may never end, through this music, hopefully, we may all come a little closer to knowing that truth which we seek.

For more information, promo requests, or to set up an interview, please contact Collin Sherman.