It may seem counterintuitive that NYC flutist-composer-bandleader, Jamie Baum, accomplishes her breakthrough to greater recognition with the stellar In This Life, but so be it. An album inspired by her travels in South Asia and the music of the late Pakistani Qawwali vocalist Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn, Jamie's musical imagination and skills are not limited by her origins or circumstances instead, they are enriched by her experiences. They help her realize on In This Life a suite of loosely connected pieces for her Septet (Plus) that is exciting, beguiling, memorable, warm, virtuosic and multi-layered. It is one of those rare and treasured recordings that pulls you in at first pass revealing more delightful depths with each subsequent hearing.Baum's fifth album as a leader, her third fronting her septet (here expanded with special guests), is in fact an unusual work. From the opening flute cadenza of "Nusrat," which dives into a swirling ensemble riff, to the final hauntingly beautiful Sweet Pain that brings us full circle to the recap of Nusrat , the compositions are arranged as a detailed yet inseparable blend. She paints for us a rich palette of melodies, harmonies, timbres and flowing rhythms in compelling, surprising, exotic ways which listeners will turn into stories themselves.
