Chagall is named after painter Marc Chagall and inspired by a trip to the Jewish Museum to see an exhibit of his work. I felt a strong connection to the painter because of our similar Russian-Jewish background and stories of escaping oppression. As I absorbed his artwork at the exhibit, I connected even more to the strong feeling conveyed through the vivid and unusual color choices and the dreamlike reimagined shapes of people and places.
This piece is particularly inspired by “The Blue Circus.” Here there is a ludicrous juxtaposition of subjects—a dancer, a fish, a horse, and a bird—all in a bizarre balancing act. It reminded me of our society today. Such differing forces of progress and regress exist today, especially in government. The song’s biggest build happens in an ominous section that breaks down into guitar and drum feature. This represents the battle that those forces of forward and backward motion are going through in society at the moment.
Trumpeter Harry Spencer’s orchestral modern jazz has cinematic scope, inspired here by dissidents throughout history. Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 3, 2023