Be everything that you are.
“The stutter can be a musical instrument,” JJJJJerome Ellis proudly declares. This is the first moment of Vesper Sparrow’s opening track “Evensong, part 1 (for and after June Kramer)” and truly, it is a perfect introduction. Such a simple, direct view into the heart of Ellis’ work: Themes of disability, of race and culture, of love and community, summoned from the world’s margins to be displayed like a crown jewel. Even with its incredible virtuosity and richness of sound, the appeal of Vesper Sparrow transcends the auditory. This is a record, yes, but just as well it is an exhibit, a celebratory foray into the very flesh of what it means to be a human being.
“The stutter can be a musical instrument.”After Ellis speaks this thesis plainly, their musical statement begins. Make no mistake; it begins, launching straight away into a breathtakingly lush swirl of colors and sounds and voices. Ellis’ saxophone swings through the harmonies like a wandering path through a forest, a shining meteor in the night sky. Their spoken word is intimate, vulnerable, inviting the listener deep into their creative nucleus.
“Evensong, part 2 (for and after James Harrison Monaco)” streams through in a surrounding shower of strings, all to the somber sustains of the saxophone’s soliloquy. Its beat drops as a shot of clarity, forceful and elegant. The sounds all, whether organic or electronic, swirl into a wonderfully jazzy galactic spiral.
The title track features Haruna Lee, James Harrison Monaco, Ronald Peet and S T A R R. (busby), a veritable ensemble. Its groundwork is disarrayed, hauntingly beautiful ambience. Then come longing vocals, piano, shrouded in mindful silence, flute, making its statement concisely. The track uses its fullness just as much as its emptiness, its noise in harmony with its silence. As its structure disintegrates into static, its voices become lost in the storm in a rather poignant way. “Savannah Sparrow (for and after Kenita Miller)” takes time in takeoff, rewarding our patience with a contemplative piece fit for a rainy day. “Evensong, part 3 (for and after Jessica Valoris)” emphasizes spoken vocals to paint a vivid self-portrait. “Evensong, part 4 (for and after okcandice)” is a perfect conclusion, overstated delicately. Vesper Sparrow gives its all in its final bow as Ellis completes this mosaic of their own identity.
Such an unapologetic embrace of the human condition – especially of those facets that often go unspoken and hushed – is profoundly inspiring. “The stutter can be a musical instrument.” Seven words, limitless meaning.
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