Sam Anning - Earthen

Sam Anning’ earthen draws on the resilience of spirit in a dedication to music icon Uncle Archie Roach

5 April - Album release

Melbourne bassist-composer Sam Anning’s third septet album Earthen, is dedicated to the indomitable spirit of Indigenous Australian music icon, Uncle Archie Roach. Featuring an ensemble of long-time collaborators, Andrea Keller, Kyrie Anderson, Mat Jodrell, Carl Mackey, Julien Wilson, and Theo Carbo, the album draws on the deep well of Roach’s wisdom, connection to the moment, resilience of spirit, and the medicinal power of music. 

Anning’s experience as bassist for three years with Roach before his passing in 2022 was a profound and musically enriching journey. Roach was an award-winning singer-songwriter, musician and respected elder, known for his songs that often told powerful, poignant stories about Indigenous Australian experiences, particularly the pain and trauma of the Stolen Generations. The experience offered Anning a unique opportunity to contribute to a powerful legacy of social activism and healing through music, providing a profound connection with his music and his audiences, reflecting on the themes of loss, resilience and hope.

“We were gathered around Archie’s bed in the ICU, Stephen Magnusson and I had taken our instruments and were playing softly as he greeted and farewelled family. After singing some of his songs with us, he opened his eyes and said: “This hospital gives me medicine, which is good, but THIS [the music] is the medicine I need.” He then gestured toward my bass “This is earthenware”, then at Stephen’s guitar “and this is earthenware. They are made from the earth, music comes from the earth and these instruments carry it, and it goes back to the earth”. 

In these final words to us he had distilled the entire experience we had had playing with, and marveling at, this great story-teller and songman. He showed us the ultimate power of music: it is medicine that comes from the earth, passes through us, heals, connects, cleanses, allows us to briefly transcend our physical bodies, and goes back to the earth as do we. I am honoured and grateful for the time spent, lessons learned, and music made with the great Uncle Archie Roach.”

With Earthen, Anning pours his heart into every composition, drawing inspiration from the wisdom and artistry of Archie Roach. The album weaves a musical narrative that traverses emotions and experiences, embodying the essence of the human spirit.

At the heart of Earthen lies the profound chemistry between Anning and the incomparable pianist Andrea Keller, whose collaborative synergy sets the foundation for the album's enchanting soundscapes. Their musical connection creates an ethereal and soulful journey.

The album also features drummer Kyrie Anderson, whose intuitive connection to musical narrative and lyrical approach to the drums provides forward momentum and a compelling backdrop. Mat Jodrell's trumpet provides distinctive melodies with expressive brilliance, while Carl Mackey's saxophone adds a touch of intrigue to the mix. Julien Wilson's evocative and soul-stirring improvisations on the tenor saxophone and added electronic treatments elevate the emotional landscape of each composition, while Theo Carbo's guitar conjures a sonic world that adds an inventive dimension to the album.

“Earthen is an exploration of our deepest connections – to each other, to the planet, and to the very essence of existence," says Sam Anning. "Through this collaborative endeavor, we have created a sound world that celebrates the beauty and complexity of life, and I am immensely proud of the music we have crafted together."

The album's tracks reflect the diversity and ingenuity of the ensemble, effortlessly moving between moments of introspection, joyful exuberance, and uninhibited improvisation. With a blend of original compositions and imaginative arrangements of jazz standards, Earthen promises to captivate.

Anning and his esteemed collaborators invite listeners on a transformative emotional landscape, as they celebrate the innate connection we all share with the world and with each other.

• Personell

  Mat Jodrell – trumpet

  Carl Mackey - alto saxophone

  Julien Wilson - tenor saxophone, electronics

  Andrea Keller - piano, wurlitzer

  Theo Carbo - electric and acoustic guitars

  Sam Anning - double bass, compositions

  Kyrie Anderson - drums

• Album Notes

  1. Rise Up Lights [2:40]

  A song that calls and welcomes the sunrise. As life on the planet bursts into action and pays tribute to our star.

  2. Strangers [6:55]

  Archie Roach sings: “while strangers play upon the lawn” and “be careful where you walk on this land” from his songs ‘Native Born’ and ‘A Child Was Born Here’. I asked Archie for permission to incorporate and abstract these phrases, he said “yes, of course”. They are woven together with the another abstraction of the statement of First Nations sovereignty “always was, always will be”. Although wordless this piece is an homage to Archie and his People’s songlines. It is dedicated to the resilience of Aboriginal peoples in the face of the ongoing injustices of colonisation.

  3. Hard Light [2:08]

  An AI generated terrarium, languid and melting, filled with weird plants, smooth and not quite breathing. Future generations will learn of what we had on earth.

  4. Transitive States [3:32]

  A message to the simulators, revealing the code unseen, we know our universe is made up of information.

  5. Kicking Not Screaming [6:14]

  A collage of self portraits from different times and place as the ecosystem deteriorates from climate change caused by human arrogance and stupidity.

  6. Moonland [10:57]

  A materialised dream: all of our ancestors have all spent time in Moonland, a place where we go to escape earthly reality.

  7. Uvalde [5:28]

  Dedicated to the 21 victims of the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas May 24th 2022. This music is an offering of healing to the families and all those directly affected by this atrocity, and pleads for reformation of the inhuman gun control laws in the U.S.

  8. The Flipper [0:26]

  It goes around and back, and then.

  9. Eleventy Million (for Auggie Bruten) [6:14]

  An outpouring of a mothers pain captures a family’s grief and struggle. This piece is a medicinal lullaby: everything will be ok.