When fans listen to Atlas Maior, the blend of international sounds and progressive jazz styles may not conjure up the imagery of Austin, TX, a place known more for folk, singer/songwriters, and indie rock. But there is no other city like Austin, which draws top notch musicians from around the world, where such a unique band like Atlas Maior could be created. The geographical pivot points of Detroit, Austin, Barcelona, and Istanbul have impacted the musical identity of Atlas Maior. Thomson originally from Detroit’s Middle Eastern suburb Dearborn, MI was influenced by Jazz and Middle Eastern music before relocating to Austin and co-founding the band with original drummer, Ethan Vlah, who was fresh from Barcelona, Spain. Then with the addition of Lockwood and the Oud brought things to another level. In Austin, there is a rich history of oud players that Atlas Maior has collaborated with and learned from including Kamran Hooshmand, who was one of the first Persian musicians to actively perform Middle Eastern music in Austin, Oliver Rajamani, the virtuoso flamenco guitar, Indian rebab, and oud player, Atash violinist Roberto Riggio who also plays the oud, and Sari Andoni, Palestinian oud player, who is also featured on the album (“Osman Pehlivan”).
Now the band is gearing up to release of their new full-length album Riptide on May 3rd and will celebrate the release with a hometown performance at Stay Gold on May 24th. Riptide represents the group’s most dynamic and intricate effort to-date as the eleven song album traverses American and Progressive Jazz, Middle Eastern and Indian traditions, and Latin American musical idioms. The result creates hypnotic, transportive soundscapes with powerful melodies and gripping passages that are uniquely Atlas Maior.
Atlas Maior writes original melodies exploring maqamat (the Middle Eastern modal system) and harmonic progressions found in American jazz. The group composes with a wide variety of rhythms and traditional percussion instruments including the Indian tablas, Middle Eastern dumbek, Peruvian cajón, and Brazilian pandeiro. Recorded in 2018 at Austin’s Bell Tree Studio, Riptide is the culmination of several years of the Atlas Maior compositional process by band members Joshua Thomson (alto saxophone), Charlie Lockwood (oud – Middle Eastern fretless lute), Josh Peters (oud), and Ted Camat (drums, percussion). The album is bolstered by several featured guest artists and regular contributors to Atlas Maior, including violin maestro Robert Riggio (Atash, Youssou N’dour, Fayrouz), rhythm section talents Gary Calhoun James (double bass), Tarik Hassan (double bass), and Palestinian oud player Sari Andoni. Riptide was produced by Thomson and Lockwood, mixed by Gary Calhoun James, & mastered by Carl Saff.
Today Glide is excited to premiere the title track off Riptide. Mixing Middle Eastern sounds with progressive jazz, the song is a psychedelic musical exploration that winds and curves but never loses the groove. While musician brings something to the table, Joshua Thomson shines on saxophone as he channels the more worldly jazz experimentation of artists like John Coltrane and Pharaoh Sanders. His saxophone playing flows along in a hypnotic way that feels like it is sailing over a desert night. With such a unique sound, the members of Atlas Maior are part of a new young wave of jazz musicians like Kamasi Washington and Christian Scott who are pushing boundaries and breaking new ground to usher in a new era of jazz that is truly electrifying.
Joshua Thomson describes the inspiration and creative process behind “Riptide”:
“‘Riptide’s’ melody was originally written while I was playing saxophone by the Mediterranean Sea. It was at night in Sitges, Spain by the catedral, and I was playing music just for myself, without any preconceptions about composition. I like to do this during the month of August while in Catalonia. It helps me connect to the reason why I started to pursue music in the 1st place. ‘Riptide’ is a song about healing, and about one’s desire to bring waves of peace to those who are in pain or struggling through difficulties. I also think the song represents wanting to be sometimes washed out to sea, or to have your pain washed away.”
LISTEN:
Riptide is out May 3rd. For more music and info visit Atlas Maior on Facebook.
Photo credit: Alicia Michelle
