By Deuce

There just aren’t very many—if any—albums quite like Reaching In, a fascinating magnum opus by the James McGowan Ensemble. It’s not just because of the numerous members in the ensemble, which involves more than 10 players. Nor is it the atypical assortment of octets, saxophones, electric guitars, drums, and other instruments on display on this project.

But it’s the sheer boldness and gravity of the subject matter tackled by the gang—and how well they’re able to pull it off. This collection of songs exceeds traditional stereotypes about music with substance, and is composed and evocative of sentiments and ruminations one doesn’t usually encounter these days. It’s found in the seriousness of the subjects, songs, and symphonic productions.

We’re talking about cuts entitled “Thoughts and Prayers, “Internal Conflict”, and “Grief and Despair”, if you can believe that. There’s no denying the dirge-like appeal, if such a thing be possible”, on “Despair”, which is personified by the instrumentation and the delivery of many of the performances.

But perhaps it’s this tendency of the collective—to render emotions that are moving, gripping, and about the inner feelings and moods which mankind, collectively, that is, has the capacity to experience—for which this album is most remarkable. “Conflict” is a masterpiece in which the numerous strings found in the ensemble vie to outdo one another in their portrayal of tension, with a single bead of perspiration dropping down one’s face while the whole of the world, if not one’s life, is weighted in the balance.

As such, it’s less than two minutes long, characterized by an odd, anxiety-inducing rhythm, and has the strangest proclivity for seeming as though, with each passing heartbeat, the notes are ascending higher and higher in pitch. Even better than being made for the movies, it’s made for experiencing ‘internal conflict’ in reality, maybe even when simply listening to the tune.

And so it goes, song for song, on this album, which engenders a stark portrayal of strikingly life-like moments with each track. There’s a spoken word emcee on the leadoff ditty, “Imagine (Part1)”. The electric guitar work found on “Uncertain Future” and other cuts is reminiscent of the best of George Benson. As such, there’s something for everyone on this pastiche of sounds and sentiments, and for which one is the better after having heard.