San Francisco’s Dave Mihaly and his ensemble deliver sonic love letter to the life of Muhammad Ali....
At a Boxing Day concert in San Francisco some years back, composer Dave Mihaly and his spirit jazz ensemble, the Shimmering Leaves, did a number of thematic pieces dedicated to well known, and not so well known, prize fighters. Boxing Day seemed a perfect day to honor some of Mihaly’s favorite boxers. The piece dedicated to Muhammad Ali was particularly energetic that evening and after the performance the members of the ensemble talked about Ali and discovered that they all had an affinity for the man. Mihaly immediately began re-working the material to present a sonic narrative arc of Ali’s life and a month later debuted Light in the Ring, the Ali Suite during an engagement at San Francisco’s Elbo Room. The brilliant performance of the suite that evening inspired a member of the audience to suggest that the band record it as an album. The seed was planted. The suite had legs.
Dave Mihaly, best known for his drum and percussion work with Jolie Holland and SF improvisational collective Mushroom, has long been recognized as one of San Francisco’s premier musical collaborators, educators, and multi-instrumentalists. He has manned the drum chair for the likes of Trans Van Santos, Jason Simon of Dead Meadow, Victoria Williams, Gong’s Daevid Allen and, on one memorable occasion, jazz legend Don Cherry. As songwriter and bandleader with the Shimmering Leaves, Mihaly traffics in a genre bending fusion of free jazz, folk, world music, classical excursions, and neo-spirituals. Saxophonist David Boyce of the Braun Fellinis brings a Pharoh Sanders inspired approach to the proceedings and idiosyncratic guitarist Michael Cavaseno, with his electric nylon string guitar and chain of effects pedals, adds elements of the avant garde, classical music, and a lot of funk.
The album was recorded at San Francisco’s Crib Nebula Studios with Lemon deGeorge, known for his recording of the Grammy nominated Genghis Blues soundtrack which took place both at Crib Nebula and on location in Tuva with the late Cape Verdean bluesman Paul Pena and master Tuvan throat singer, Konrad-ol Ondar. The recording of Light in the Ring, the Ali Suite took place while Ali was at the end of his life, he passed shortly thereafter, and the energy of the players and clear affinity for Ali brings a deeply spiritual undertow to this sonic biography. Mihaly and his ensemble have presented an offering, a musical love letter and a moving tribute to a heroic life.
-Mark Matos
credits
released March 16, 2018
RECORDED BY LEMON DeGEORGE AT CRIB NEBULA, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
03/06/16
MASTERED BY MYLES BOISEN AT HEADLESS BUDDHA LABS, OAKLAND, CA
ALL SONGS BY DAVE MIHALY EXCEPT AS NOTED.
DAVE MIHALY: DRUMS, PIANO, GUITAR, VOICE.
DAVID BOYCE: SAXOPHONES, BASS CLARINET, DRUMS ( on POET OF X)
MICHAEL CAVASENO: GUITAR AND EFFECTS
ART BY: STEPHEN M. RICE
Dave Mihaly and Shimmering LeavesSan Francisco, California
Dave Mihaly, best known for his drum and percussion work with Jolie Holland and SF improvisational collective Mushroom, has long been recognized as one of San Francisco’s premier musical collaborators, educators, and multi-instrumentalists.
supported by 4 fans who also own “Light in the Ring: The Ali Suite”
The second sax is a nice addition! Great performances, BOTH! The .ore you listen, the more you're enveloped. The progression of this band is ASTOUNDING! Jonathan Pryor
supported by 4 fans who also own “Light in the Ring: The Ali Suite”
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