Matt Ulery - In the Ivory

Expanding upon the artistic and critical success of his 2012 double album By a Little Light, Chicago bassist-composer Matt Ulery returns with In the Ivory – eighty minutes of resplendent, lyrical, transportive, and impeccably performed chamber-jazz music. Inspired and motivated by the musical and personal relationships developed while recording and performing By a Little Light, In the Ivory explores the idea of consciousness through patient, lyrical composition.

At a time when classical musicians perform in clubs almost as frequently as jazz musicians appear in concert halls, Ulery has forged a unique signature sound that combines a jazz core with luminous ensemble writing and song craft. Built around a band of select, unique voices, In the Ivory draws upon Ulery’s positive experience performing Light with this particular thirteen-piece aggregation.

Ulery’s sixth album as a leader blends jazz, American minimalism, Eastern European folk music (as a longtime writing member of Chicago band Eastern Blok), and romanticism into a constantly evolving emotional kaleidoscope.

released September 16, 2014

Personnel

Rob Clearfield, piano
Jon Deitemyer, drums, cymbals, percussion
Matt Ulery, double bass, background vocal (1:2, 1:4, 2:4)
Zach Brock, Yvonne Lam, violin
Dominic Johnson, viola
Nicholas Photinos, cello
Timothy Munro, alto flute
Michael Maccaferri, clarinets
Lisa Kaplan, piano (2:1, 2:6)
Gregory Beyer, marimba, vibraphone, berimbau, maracas
Sarah Marie Young, lead vocal (1:6)
Erik Hall, background vocal (1:6)
Corbett Lunsford, background vocal (1:6)
Grazyna Auguscik, lead vocal (1:2, 1:4, 2:2, 2:4), background vocal (1:6)

Produced by Matt Ulery

Engineered and mixed by Anthony Gravino
Recorded in December 2013 and January 2014 at Shirk Studio and The Drake in Chicago, IL
Mastered by Brian Schwab

All compositions, arrangement, and lyrics by Matt Ulery
Compositions published by Woolgathering Music (ASCAP), 2014

Package design by Jim Tuerk