Kris Davis - Diatom Ribbons (2019) [Hi-Res]

When I compose, I’m alternating between the micro and macro, shaping the details and then standing back to see how they make up the structure of the composition. While writing for this album I learned about diatoms, which are unicellular microalgae that live in the oceans and freshwater and soils. They contribute massively to the planet’s oxygen supply, and there are something like one hundred thousand species. From satellite images above oceans and lakes, huge blooms sometimes appear as beautiful zigzags and ribbons. Up close under a scanning electron microscope, you can see these incredible, ornate structures. So seeing these plants extremely close-up and then so far away, I made a connection between the process of composition and my experience of nature, and that changing your proximity to the same object or idea can dramatically alter your experience of it, often yielding unexpected and inspiring results.

Esperanza Spalding - voice
JD Allen - tenor saxophone
Tony Malaby - tenor saxophone
Ches Smith - vibraphone
Nels Cline - guitar
Marc Ribot - guitar
Trevor Dunn - electric bass
Val Jeanty - turntable
Terri Lyne Carrington - drums
Kris Davis - piano