Hidemi (2021)

Patrick Shiroishi

Los Angeles-based experimentalist, Patrick Shiroishi, has spent years writing compositions that protest racism against Asian Americans. His last record, Descension, is a collection of free jazz compositions that brood upon the inhumane interment camps of his Japanese-American ancestry in the 1940’s. On the saxophonist’s latest record, Hidemi, Shiroishi shifts his focus to the life of Hidemi Pat Shioirshi, his grandfather who spent four years in an internment camp. The album explores a broad range of emotions. While the music evokes sadness, it also overpowers tragedy with therapeutic inner peace.

(Pictured: Patrick Shiroishi; Photographed by: Amber Navran)

Shiroishi’s latest album arrives through Chicago-based experimental label, American Dreams. DIY noise mainstay, Jordan Reyes (ONO, Threshing Spirit), started the label with the intention of exclusively distributing synth-based music, but over time began signing ambient and noise artists. American Dreams has since grown into a hub for the most sought-after experimental musicians. This year, the label has released acclaimed records from Claire Rousay, Devin Shaffer, Brett Nauke, and Blue Lick, amongst others. As their roster grows, the imprint’s collection becomes more eclectic and esteemed.

Hidemi incorporates several playing styles from jazz to experimental, and classical music. For the majority of his career, Shiroishi has refined the free jazz and minimalist counterbalance, so both of these subgenres sit at the center of his recordings. The album’s second song, “Tule Lake Like Yesterday” (above) is a seamless fusion of uplifting spiritual jazz and understated classical. The tone of Shiroishi’s saxophone echoes like a frenetic Dexter Gordon, but the composition leans toward a minimalist classical build. It unfolds as though a saxophone street performer assumed the challenge of covering a complex Steve Reich composition, and closes with a set of abrasive scattered notes that recall a free jazz blueprint. The song moves from graceful to intense in a matter of three minutes, and quickly establishes a deep sense of emotional turbulence that drives the isolating concept of the album.

The following track, “Jellyfish in the Sky” (below), is played with the same inspirational energy as staple spiritual jazz recordings, but its structure mirrors minimalist classical even more than the previous track. The repetitive cyclical nature of the first section of the song sounds like Philip Glass’ most influential pieces, such as “Vessels” (1983.) While the song ends with a layered harmony of saxophones, every section leading up to the closing medley is a nod to the likes of pioneering noise artists like La Monte Young. Hidemi embraces Shiroishi’s jazz roots far more following this track, after showcasing his versatility as a musician on the first few songs.

A high point on the album is the stunning “Stand Up And Let Us Go Witness This Ourselves.” It’s one of the shorter pieces on the record, but an incredible triumph for a solo act. The track plays like one of the noisier sections on a Mingus big band recording, as though it were influenced by the iconic composer’s The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (1963) or Changes One (1974). Both of these Mingus records are humongous productions, defined by polarizing horns and intricate spurts of noise throughout each track. The significant difference between the Mingus big band era and Shiroishi’s comparative recordings is that Shiroishi elicits a similar range of overwhelming emotions solely through his saxophone, and even more impressively as a solo artist.

The album hits its blissful emotional peak as it progresses towards the end, with its brightest track being “The Long Bright Dark” (below). After several tragic-sounding portions on Hidemi, the ninth track is rapturous and upbeat. Shiroishi pulls from minimalist classical influences once again, but the composition’s climax appears at the two minute mark, when an unexpected and reserved vocal harmony joins the warm horn harmonies. As the choral vocals follow the horn melody, Patrick’s message of strength and hope is realized, he reiterates the strength of his culture, even after a dark period of oppression.

The nature of healing has been the defining characteristic of free jazz since it’s conception. From John Coltrane’s opus, A Love Supreme (1965), to Pharoah Sanders’, Karma (1969), the saxophone has been an integral tool in crafting the soundtrack to this spiritual awakening. Shiroishi falls somewhere in between Sun Ra’s avant-garde jazz and Steve Reich’s theory-based minimalism. Hidemi has its abrasive moments, but the balance of harsh noise and graceful harmonies reinforce the inspiring story that spawned this record and the saxophone’s historical context solidifies the healing power of his music. Shiroishi’s grandparents left the internment camps after four years, but they never completely escaped their memories of that time. The composer’s compassionate meditation on this buried period of American history is not only a reminder that it happened, but also a testament to the power of community, family, and resilience.

(Pictured: Patrick Shiroishi; Photographed By: Kristin Cofer)

©Total Trash Ltd, 2021