New Album: September 24th, 2021 | Earl MacDonald: Consecrated
“MacDonald’s thoughtfully-crafted instrumental underpinnings convey a wide spectrum of sentiments, ranging from reverence and gratitude to petition, pleading and lament.”
Sparked by a crisis of faith, pianist Earl MacDonald issues a touching collection of hymns
with an intensely personal connection.
Outside in Music proudly announces the September 24th, 2021 release of Consecrated, the seventh studio album from acclaimed jazz pianist, arranger and educator, Earl MacDonald. It’s an album of traditional hymns, brimming with poetic elegance. Unlike any of MacDonald’s previous award-winning recordings, vocals stand front-and-center, with Canadian “up and comer” KarlyEpp introduced as an important, new collaborator. Her stirring vocal interpretations mixed with MacDonald’s thoughtfully-crafted instrumental underpinnings convey a wide spectrum of sentiments, ranging from reverence and gratitude to petition, pleading and lament.
The supporting musicians were handpicked, based on the dynamic each brings to the project as sonic colorists and creative instigators. The band’s distinctive international flair effervesces, with four Canadians, a Brazilian, and three Americans. The unique improvisational voices of David Smith (trumpet), Kris Allen (saxophones), Karl Kohut (string bass) and Grammy-award winner, Rogerio Boccato (percussion) shine throughout. French hornist Alex Gertner and trombonist Sean Nelson provide added hues to the orchestration of selected pieces. Consecrated is a deeply spiritual, personal album for Earl MacDonald, and therefore, a deeply refreshing one for the jazz listener. In both his musical artistry and in life, MacDonald clearly searches for beauty and a connection to the Divine, while comfortably exploring dissonance – both cognitive and musical.
Epp explains the uniqueness of the album, as it addresses the spiritual disorientation we’ve felt the last several years resulting from the church’s entanglement in politics: “The message of love is really integral to the Christian faith. The whole point is to love other people. Unfortunately, that’s not the model of Christianity currently being presented.”
Of the album’s ten spellbinding tracks, saxophonist Kris Allen contributed the sole original — “Be Still.” The song conjures comparison to the meditative, contemplative worship style of music associated with the Taizé ecumenical community. In this practice, short chants repeat at length. Epp’s recurrent vocal line serves as a constant through line, with the band astir around it.
Traditional hymns, chosen for their timelessly relevant lyrics and strong melodies comprise the remaining program. MacDonald’s supportive, meticulously-crafted arrangements reinforce the thematic content of each song. “Sweet Hour of Prayer” takes on a delicate, intimate atmosphere, filled with mystery and wonder. A light bossa nova feel heightens the sense of awe on “Holy, Holy, Holy,” to create a more expansive, worshipful environment. Heightened disquietude and inner turmoil stem from the loping triple-meter groove and angst-tinged harmonies MacDonald effectively applied to “O God of Love, Grant Us Your Peace.”
The album title comes from the song, “Take My Life and Let It Be Consecrated,” to which MacDonald infused tasteful samba dance rhythms. In his extensive online notes, MacDonald shares that his scarred and bruised faith bolstered through careful examination of this song’s poetic lyrics. The process elicited big questions: “Has my faith changed, or just my relationship to the church? And IF I remain committed to my faith tradition, how could I more fully embrace the process and journey of not withholding anything from God?”
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