Catalogue

Summary:

Rhythm Nation celebrates American rhythmic traditions as an expression of bodily autonomy and tacit history keeping. This wide-ranging exploration features new works by Jlin, Jeff Scott, Mazz Swift, and Eddie Venegas, commissioned by PUBLIQuartet with the support of a 2024 Chamber Music America Artistic Projects grant. The quartet also expands upon two works from the library of Kronos String Quartet’s Fifty for the Future project: Fodé Lassana Diabaté’s Sunjata’s Time (2015) and Henry Threadgill’s Sixfivetwo (2018), with electronics interludes created by Jannina Norpoth and John-Paul Norpoth meditating on the poignant words of Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation.” Each of the pieces on the album evokes a distinct rhythmic world, reflecting the plurality of American movement(s) and protecting the unspoken spirit of their lineage’s narratives.

Tracklist:

FODÉ LASSANA DIABATÉ (b. 1971)
Sunjata’s Time, arr. Jacob Garchik
1. I. Sumaworo
2. III. Nana Triban
3. IV. Bala Faseké

JLIN (Jerrilynn Patton) (b. 1987)
4. Baobab

JANET JACKSON (b. 1966); JAMES HARRIS III (b. 1959); TERRY LEWIS (b. 1956)
5. Rhythm Nation Remix: I. We the People

HENRY THREADGILL (b. 1944)
6. Sixfivetwo

JANET JACKSON; JAMES HARRIS III; TERRY LEWIS
7. Rhythm Nation Remix: II. Janet’s Test

JEFF SCOTT (b. 1967)
8. Blues for Buddy

DUKE ELLINGTON (1899–1974)
9. Come Sunday

EDDIE VENEGAS
10. Cachumbambeando En Clave

MAZZ SWIFT  (b. 1974)
11. Digging Gold; Deeper Blue

JANET JACKSON; JAMES HARRIS III; TERRY LEWIS
12. Rhythm Nation Remix: III. Outro

DANIEL BERNARD ROUMAIN (DBR) (b. 1971)
13. Hip-Hop Studies and Etudes, Book I: X. C-Sharp Minor