Oceans Together - Mark Ginsburg and Ryan Grogran
Mark Ginsburg and Ryan Grogan’s new release
Oceans Together
Sydney based South African saxophonist Mark Ginsburg and pianist Ryan Grogan’s new release Oceans Together presents a suite of evocative, uplifting and sometimes haunting compositions. The project reflects on various sources of inspiration including heritage, lands of origin, and a focus on intimacy. The performances of Ginsburg and Grogan, along with bassist Brett Hirst and percussionist Fabian Hevia are beautifully captured by Phil Punch of Electric Avenue Studios, complimenting the sensibility of the music.
The title, Oceans Together, reflects the varied shores, musical influences and social landscapes of the musicians. Each of these players has a rich background containing significant individual accomplishments, as well as a history of working together at different times over a few decades. The sound is very exposed - you can hear each note of every instrument - sonically there are no heavy drum sounds that compete with other instrument frequencies - the hand percussion is gentle, effective and subtle.
The project began at the outset of covid with Ryan and Mark collaborating remotely during lockdown. As time progressed and the character of the music emerged, the desire grew to record together live, rather than over the wires. It took two years to achieve that goal.
The distinctive nature of the repertoire is one of delicacy, with beautiful and sometimes haunting melodic lines that embrace a certain vulnerability. The decision to use hand percussion, instead of the more usual format of a drum kit, propelled the composers further in this direction, adding to the sense of intimacy and space in the music. The result is a collection of contemplative, accessible and gentle musical experiences, with surprises that honour the importance of melody and harmony.
Ginsburg explains the project:
Our sound is quite different to other projects we have been involved in, particularly because we used hand percussion rather than a drum kit. Feedback from others indicates that the result is intimate, exposed, warm, sparse, you can hear each note, in a way it’s quite vulnerable. It has strains of the group Oregan (although un-intended).
The project has been fascinating because of the way we had to conceive the music in isolation and build on our ideas in an asynchronous manner (as opposed to being in the same room and working things out interactively). It turned out to be an organic process where each of the musicians was able to contribute in a meaningful way - we were all open to the process and worked really well together.
The process of making music is really quite personal. It feels like the combination of the compositions and the way we all see things has enabled us to bring much of our personal presence into the project. So the word "intimate" is really quite apt.
The process of making music comes from a deep desire to express the wonder of life in a way that words or other forms of art cannot. The desire to create something interesting, new and in the moment is an elusive experience. You have to give over to the music and forget about all the other things that get in the way. It does not always just "happen" but when it does, it is magical.
I once did a gig at a festival in South Africa where I was playing a tune written by the late Winston M'kunku. From the first note of the melody, I felt as if I myself was an instrument of a greater force that was playing through me. I know the band members and audience felt it too. That feeling continues to inspire me to seek opportunities to explore these greater forces that come into play.
The musicians and the recording engineers were integral to the project. We all knew each other from past experiences and were very comfortable with each other - there was a lot of trust, openness and enjoyment. I am sure that the "relationship" side of things contributed significantly to the results of the project.
We hope that the audience will get a sense of joy and beauty from listening to the music. There is are elements of simplicity, delicacy and cohesion that serve the music in a special way. They will hear each note of every instrument without having to strain to do so.
Personnel
Ryan Grogan - piano
Mark Ginsburg - saxophones
Brett Hirst - double bass
Fabian Hevia - percussion
Davi Mello - guitar onIn Situ
Hannah Grogan - background vocals
About the Music
The South (Grogan) - A paean to the southern tip of the African continent. Unsurpassed natural beauty tinged with reminders of a torrid history that still affects so many of its people.
Chanson (Grogan) - Melody never goes out of style and has always been an intrinsic part of Ryan’scompositional style. This song is no exception.
Indecision (Grogan) - Do we get more or less decisive as we grow older? We’re not sure.
Subterfuge (Ginsburg) - New media have turned normality upside down, spruiking conspiracy theories and lies intertwined with some harsh realities of a challenging world. A dance of opposing forces.
Gravity (Ginsburg) - Inspired by the sense of gravity continually pulling things back to a centre. No matter how much one tries to get away from that pull, it is always there, tugging you back.....
In Situ (Grogan) - Staying in place is something we’ve all become very familiar with over the past couple of years. A time of frustration but also an opportunity to reflect on where we’re heading.
Canticum (Grogan) - A song of praise, a prayer, call it what you will. A canticum is an ancient chant which inspired the writing of this piece.
Oceans Together (Grogan) - Our title track.
Two Angels (Grogan) - An older piece first performed by Mark and Ryan’s previous band, Fabric. This incarnation features the backing vocals of one of the angels for whom the work was named - Ryan’s two daughters.
Under The Blue (Grogan) - The experience of looking up at the sky while swimming underwater. The way the light plays with the moving current. Sometimes we need to view things from a different perspective.
One Step at a Time (Ginsburg) - Sometimes it is daunting to know where to begin. But we have to, and we can often only do so one step at a time.
Where to From Here (Ginsburg) - These are challenging times ... pandemic, political forces undermining democracy, wars de-stabilising world order. Where to from here?