How long does a Chicago man need to live on the range of the Lone Star State before he officially becomes a Texas man? Or, maybe to put it more aptly, how many albums does said Chicago man need to release from (clap clap clap) deep in the heart before he’s a true Texan.
“Three!” hisses the tumbleweed as it passes by, and so it shall be! Rob Mazurek, the elusive dreamer of Chicago’s free jazz scene, will be releasing an entire trilogy of new records on Astral Spirits. They are called his “Marfa Trilogy,” as they are inspired by the desert surroundings of their birthplace: Marfa, TX.
Two of the records—Love Waves Ecstatic Charge and Psychotropic Electric Eel Dreams IV—are real lone rangers (that means they’re made by just Rob, alone on the plains with a modular synth and a computer). The third—Desert Encrypts Volume 1—finds Rob hittin’ the dirt with Kris Davis on piano, Chad Taylor on drums, and Ingebrigt Håker Flaten on bass (more info here).
The whole trilogy is set for a release on August 16. For those looking to have a live experience of what will now be known as “Texan Jazz,” look no further than the show that will begin the second volume of Desert Encrypts, which you can learn more about here.
Desert Encrypts Volume 1 tracklisting:
01. Encrypt II Spiral 10:35
02. Encrypt II 7:28
03. Encrypt IV Bird Encrypt Morning Song 11:11
04. Encrypt IV Blue Haze 9:18
05. Encrypt 37 10:00
06. Encrypt I 11:25