Biophilia Records
Endless Field
Jesse Lewis & Ike Sturm
Guitarist Jesse Lewis and Bassist Ike Sturm Debut Their New Collaboration, Endless Field
The uncategorizable duo blend jazz, indie, folk, world, ambient and classical influences with the help of Donny McCaslin, Ingrid Jensen, Fabian Almazan and others
Close your eyes and picture an “endless field”– what comes to mind might be a placid landscape, grass stretching out as far as the eye can see, swaying gently in the wind. Now look up, and another endless field looms overhead – the vast expanse of space, the night sky offering a mere glimpse of its infinite destinations. Think in less literal terms, and the phrase might suggest the never-ending pursuit of the musician or artist – a field of study that can last a lifetime and beyond.
All of those meanings tumble together on the uncategorizable, cinematically beautiful self-titled debut album from Endless Field (out June 23 from Biophilia Records), the duo of longtime collaborators Jesse Lewis and Ike Sturm. Both intimate and expansive, boundless and introspective, the album captures the genre-vaulting imagination and the deftly entwined vision of these two artists and their special guests, drawn from some of the most forward-looking voices in modern music.
Working together in a variety of contexts for more than ten years, guitarist Jesse Lewis and bassist Ike Sturm have evolved a unique approach that can be classified as theirs alone. From the hushed, breathtaking sound of fingers on strings to atmospheric ambient textures and thrilling improvisations, the duo venture through a vast territory of experimentation on Endless Field, both inspired by and suggestive of the diverse beauty of nature.
Along the course of that trek they’re joined by such fellow adventurers as Grammy-winning saxophonist Donny McCaslin (David Bowie), keyboardist Fabian Almazan (Terence Blanchard), trumpeters Ingrid Jensen (Maria Schneider Orchestra), flugelhornist Nadje Noordhuis (Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society), and vibraphonist Chris Dingman (Steve Lehman). The sonic palette is enriched by the percussion of Rich Stein and the vocals of Misty Ann Sturm.
Deeply influenced by their musical community, their shared vision was also shaped by the duo’s similarly eclectic tastes, which they gradually discovered over time. Both developed listening to a stylistic hodgepodge that blends surprisingly harmoniously in the music of Endless Field – everything from the fingerstyle guitar instrumentals of Michael Hedges and Kaki King to the progressive jazz of Pat Metheny, minimalist compositions to the folk music of Zimbabwe, the artfully crafted songs of Sufjan Stevens and Bon Iver to ambient electronica.
The concept for Endless Field was devised as much during hikes through the natural splendor of upstate New York, where both Sturm and Lewis call home, as on the stages where the two perform together, as with Sturm’s inventive ensemble Evergreen. “We
took a summer trip and went up into the Catskills,” Sturm recalls. “We played for 12 hours a day and ended up writing a fair amount of this music during that time.
”Nature, music, memory and friendship converge in these eleven songs in myriad ways. Appropriately for music so deeply inspired by the wilderness, Endless Field will be released via Almazan’s pioneering Biophilia label, which focuses on environmental conservation, activism and sustainability.
Fortunately, Sturm and Lewis can foresee no end to their own collaboration. With Endless Field, they embark on a journey with limitless potential.
About Jesse Lewis:
Hailed as “an articulate ace” (NY Times) and a “poet of the steel string” (Stereophile Magazine), New York City-based guitarist Jesse Lewis is a first call collaborator with the finest musicians in the world. Known as an extremely versatile and eclectic artist, Lewis’ distinctive sound can be heard on a wide variety of projects crossing the worlds of jazz, world music, pop, and electronica. In 2008 he released Atticus, revisiting the project with the 20-piece Awakening Orchestra on Atticus Live! in 2016. Lewis has performed or recorded with many of the world’s finest creative jazz musicians, including Chris Potter, Nicholas Payton, Ellis Marsalis, Ingrid Jensen, Aaron Parks, Donny McCaslin, Anat Cohen, Chris Speed, Joel Frahm, Jon Irabagon, Louis Bonilla, Bill Goodwin, Dick Oatts, Dave Douglas, and Matt Wilson. His unique and eclectic style has also been utilized by a wide variety of artists outside of the instrumental jazz world, such as Grammy Award-winning R&B sensation Chrisette Michele; African music legends Chiwoniso and Sam Mtukudzi; EDM superstar Dominic Lalli of Big Gigantic; and Motown Legends Little Anthony and the Imperials. Lewis has also worked with many legendary jazz vocalists including the New York Voices, Janis Siegel (Manhattan Transfer), and Jo Lawry, whose new album Taking Pictures features Sting.
About Ike Sturm:
Ike Sturm was raised in a musical home in Wisconsin and has performed with many world-renowned artists, including Gene Bertoncini, Wynton Marsalis, Donny McCaslin, Bobby McFerrin, Ben Monder, Ingrid Jensen, Steve Lehman, Catherine Russell, Maria Schneider and Kenny Wheeler. He has played with the International Contemporary Ensemble and has recorded several Steve Reich releases with Alarm Will Sound on Nonesuch Records. Sturm curates the internationally renowned jazz program at Saint Peter’s Church in Manhattan. He created and leads Jazz 4 All, a gathering of musicians of different ages, musical styles and faith backgrounds focusing on improvisation. Sturm’s Jazz Mass, a work for voices, strings and jazz ensemble features Ingrid Jensen, Adam Benjamin, Ted Poor and Grammy award-winning saxophonist Donny McCaslin. The album was awarded 4 1/2 stars by Downbeat magazine and was named one of the “Best CDs of 2010.” The large-scale project has been performed with choirs and orchestras throughout the U.S., Norway, Germany, Sweden and Denmark. Sturm’s band, Evergreen, released Shelter of Trees in 2015, dedicated to the memory of his father, composer and arranger Fred Sturm. Renowned music writer Bill Milkowski called the album “undeniably beautiful."
The uncategorizable duo blend jazz, indie, folk, world, ambient and classical influences with the help of Donny McCaslin, Ingrid Jensen, Fabian Almazan and others
Close your eyes and picture an “endless field”– what comes to mind might be a placid landscape, grass stretching out as far as the eye can see, swaying gently in the wind. Now look up, and another endless field looms overhead – the vast expanse of space, the night sky offering a mere glimpse of its infinite destinations. Think in less literal terms, and the phrase might suggest the never-ending pursuit of the musician or artist – a field of study that can last a lifetime and beyond.
All of those meanings tumble together on the uncategorizable, cinematically beautiful self-titled debut album from Endless Field (out June 23 from Biophilia Records), the duo of longtime collaborators Jesse Lewis and Ike Sturm. Both intimate and expansive, boundless and introspective, the album captures the genre-vaulting imagination and the deftly entwined vision of these two artists and their special guests, drawn from some of the most forward-looking voices in modern music.
Working together in a variety of contexts for more than ten years, guitarist Jesse Lewis and bassist Ike Sturm have evolved a unique approach that can be classified as theirs alone. From the hushed, breathtaking sound of fingers on strings to atmospheric ambient textures and thrilling improvisations, the duo venture through a vast territory of experimentation on Endless Field, both inspired by and suggestive of the diverse beauty of nature.
Along the course of that trek they’re joined by such fellow adventurers as Grammy-winning saxophonist Donny McCaslin (David Bowie), keyboardist Fabian Almazan (Terence Blanchard), trumpeters Ingrid Jensen (Maria Schneider Orchestra), flugelhornist Nadje Noordhuis (Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society), and vibraphonist Chris Dingman (Steve Lehman). The sonic palette is enriched by the percussion of Rich Stein and the vocals of Misty Ann Sturm.
Deeply influenced by their musical community, their shared vision was also shaped by the duo’s similarly eclectic tastes, which they gradually discovered over time. Both developed listening to a stylistic hodgepodge that blends surprisingly harmoniously in the music of Endless Field – everything from the fingerstyle guitar instrumentals of Michael Hedges and Kaki King to the progressive jazz of Pat Metheny, minimalist compositions to the folk music of Zimbabwe, the artfully crafted songs of Sufjan Stevens and Bon Iver to ambient electronica.
The concept for Endless Field was devised as much during hikes through the natural splendor of upstate New York, where both Sturm and Lewis call home, as on the stages where the two perform together, as with Sturm’s inventive ensemble Evergreen. “We
took a summer trip and went up into the Catskills,” Sturm recalls. “We played for 12 hours a day and ended up writing a fair amount of this music during that time.
”Nature, music, memory and friendship converge in these eleven songs in myriad ways. Appropriately for music so deeply inspired by the wilderness, Endless Field will be released via Almazan’s pioneering Biophilia label, which focuses on environmental conservation, activism and sustainability.
Fortunately, Sturm and Lewis can foresee no end to their own collaboration. With Endless Field, they embark on a journey with limitless potential.
About Jesse Lewis:
Hailed as “an articulate ace” (NY Times) and a “poet of the steel string” (Stereophile Magazine), New York City-based guitarist Jesse Lewis is a first call collaborator with the finest musicians in the world. Known as an extremely versatile and eclectic artist, Lewis’ distinctive sound can be heard on a wide variety of projects crossing the worlds of jazz, world music, pop, and electronica. In 2008 he released Atticus, revisiting the project with the 20-piece Awakening Orchestra on Atticus Live! in 2016. Lewis has performed or recorded with many of the world’s finest creative jazz musicians, including Chris Potter, Nicholas Payton, Ellis Marsalis, Ingrid Jensen, Aaron Parks, Donny McCaslin, Anat Cohen, Chris Speed, Joel Frahm, Jon Irabagon, Louis Bonilla, Bill Goodwin, Dick Oatts, Dave Douglas, and Matt Wilson. His unique and eclectic style has also been utilized by a wide variety of artists outside of the instrumental jazz world, such as Grammy Award-winning R&B sensation Chrisette Michele; African music legends Chiwoniso and Sam Mtukudzi; EDM superstar Dominic Lalli of Big Gigantic; and Motown Legends Little Anthony and the Imperials. Lewis has also worked with many legendary jazz vocalists including the New York Voices, Janis Siegel (Manhattan Transfer), and Jo Lawry, whose new album Taking Pictures features Sting.
About Ike Sturm:
Ike Sturm was raised in a musical home in Wisconsin and has performed with many world-renowned artists, including Gene Bertoncini, Wynton Marsalis, Donny McCaslin, Bobby McFerrin, Ben Monder, Ingrid Jensen, Steve Lehman, Catherine Russell, Maria Schneider and Kenny Wheeler. He has played with the International Contemporary Ensemble and has recorded several Steve Reich releases with Alarm Will Sound on Nonesuch Records. Sturm curates the internationally renowned jazz program at Saint Peter’s Church in Manhattan. He created and leads Jazz 4 All, a gathering of musicians of different ages, musical styles and faith backgrounds focusing on improvisation. Sturm’s Jazz Mass, a work for voices, strings and jazz ensemble features Ingrid Jensen, Adam Benjamin, Ted Poor and Grammy award-winning saxophonist Donny McCaslin. The album was awarded 4 1/2 stars by Downbeat magazine and was named one of the “Best CDs of 2010.” The large-scale project has been performed with choirs and orchestras throughout the U.S., Norway, Germany, Sweden and Denmark. Sturm’s band, Evergreen, released Shelter of Trees in 2015, dedicated to the memory of his father, composer and arranger Fred Sturm. Renowned music writer Bill Milkowski called the album “undeniably beautiful."
