Two Freedoms gets review in Jersey Beat

Paul Silver at Jersey Beat turned out a thoughtful review of New Freedom Sound’s Two Freedoms. Read it here.

”Zach Barocas is best known as the drummer for DC area band Jawbox. New Freedom Sound is a New York-based collaborative improvisational musical group led by Barocas, who has expanded his musical repertoire considerably. Notable participants in New Freedom Sound include Mark Cisneros, J Robbins, Gordon Withers, and Lenny Young. The two freedoms presented here include the ‘Fourteenth Freedom’ and the ‘Twelfth Freedom.’ ‘Fourteenth Freedom’ begins with vocals and cello, both bright and solemn. After a time, it becomes a mélange of Afro-Cuban and classical styles that feels both celebratory and subdued. You can hear exuberance in the music, the off-kilter rhythms, and the brightness of the instruments. But it’s tempered by the melancholy of the cello. One might interpret the “Fourteenth Freedom” as relating to the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which granted US citizenship to all people born here, including the recently freed slaves. It also guaranteed equal protection under the law for everyone. The joy in the newly granted rights is heard in the music, particularly in the lively ebullient soprano saxophone, but so is the sorrow of both lives of servitude and of promises unfulfilled, even to this day. ‘Twelfth Freedom’ has the sounds of the North African desert coursing through it, evoking images of caravans trekking across the sand in the hot sun. But there’s also some free jazz that could represent the random wanderings of nomads, and the Afro-Cuban beats return here, as well. It’s harder to determine the intent behind the “Twelfth Freedom,” because the Twelfth Amendment is about electing the Vice President together with the President on a single ticket. Maybe the “Twelfth Freedom” represents the freedom of movement, to wander about and go where one will. Either way, the New Freedom Sound is a fascinating project and a joy to listen to.”