Description

Brooklyn based baritone saxophonist Jonah Parzen-Johnson presents his new work “Imagine Giving Up” on Helsinki’s We Jazz Records. The album, to be released on 17 January 2020 sees Parzen-Johnson move into new domains of sound as he uncovers newfound energy and pulse in his music. In addition to the sonically rich analog synth elements that accompany his earlier solo saxophone work, Jonah has layered heavily sound designed samples of his own saxophone to create truly one of a kind percussive snaps, reverberant basses, and warbling leads. At its core, the music remains deeply devoted to almost vocal sounding melodic lines and patiently developed compositional ideas.

A compact set of 6 originals, “Imagine Giving Up” is Jonah Parzen-Johnson’s most ambitious album yet. While taking a step away from the previous world of “ambient jazz”, his new music stems from the use of drone-like sounds for baritone saxophone, a style which is uniquely his own. Electronics are blended in for good measure, creating a coherent vision of abstract jazz with depth.

As with all of Parzen-Johnson’s releases, the music comes with a deeper narrative which he will continually explore in live performance. The manifesto for the album reads as follows:

“Only a few people can really start over. Everyone else is left to struggle down the path they were assigned. The option to give up, to choose your own path, is power, and, hopefully, a call to action: take a risk to help someone.”

released January 17, 2020

We Jazz Records

Jonah Parzen-Johnson, Baritone Saxophone & Hardware Electronics
Composed by Jonah Parzen-Johnson
Produced by Jonah Parzen-Johnson & Matti Nives
Recorded & Mixed by Aaron Nevezie at The Bunker
Mastered by Alex DeTurk at Strange Weather & The Bunker
Design by Matti Nives