Described in the press materials as “an outstanding visual artist, a righteous community member, and a kind soul”, Chad Kouri has been absorbing and meditating on music in Chicago and Detroit for decades. His full-length debut album, Mixed, brings together an abundance of inspiration filtered through his lyrical saxophone, combined with field recordings, percussion, and synthesizers to create a unique, deeply felt musical experience.
For Kouri, 15 years of visual art and community work – including commissions from the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Museum of Art and Design New York, and Adidas, in addition to solo exhibitions and performances in Los Angeles, New York, and Italy – were followed by five years of returning to music practice as an all-consuming devotion. With Mixed, Kouri’s music explores deeply spiritual and liberating performances and improvisation through unconventional processes. Most of the tracks were recorded using portable, handheld recording devices or iPhones, along with some live recordings. The results are warm, spontaneous, and vibrant.
Opening with “How Who Hum Chant”, Kouri combines the warm buzz of synthesizers (creating a subtle droning effect) with chanting, resulting in a meditative piece that is immensely welcoming. However, it doesn’t take long for Kouri to shift gears with the exotic, lo-fi “KHFHH”, as Kouri’s saxophone blends with percussion (courtesy of a five-gallon water bottle) and accompaniment from Andy Hall on drum set, Alex Fuller on guitar, Rod Hunting on bass guitar, and John Hall on handmade chimes. The result is a unique and hypnotic take on jazz improvisation.
On “Torus”, Kouri’s saxophone adopts an impressive post-bop style, with sparse accompaniment from the brass, which adds an otherworldly dimension to the elegant saxophone bursts. Elsewhere, unique live recordings are added, such as “Sound Sketch”, which features Kouri on tenor saxophone, effects, and something called “little instruments” (featured in other parts of the album as well), recorded as part of an open jam session with Siena Jazz University students and faculty.
The sound is wild and unpredictable, yet also contains plenty of the communal warmth that Kouri seems to draw from. “Rhythm Meditation”, recorded during a public performance at Living Water Tea House in Chicago, shares a similar vibe, blending electronic gurgles with the organic swell of hand chimes.
The confluence of spiritual calm and jazz chops evokes the work of artists like Sun Ra and John Coltrane in his later, more experimental periods, and Kouri seems to gravitate toward that type of mood. In the closing “Detroit”, the low rumble of the saxophone and Matthew Daher’s jittery drums evoke music that is boundless and ripe with possibilities. On Mixed, Chad Kouri has tapped into a genre of improvisation where everyone is welcome, there are no rules, and it all sounds fresh and new.