NL premiere

SML is a forward-thinking cosmic jazz quintet formed by rising luminaries of the West Coast jazz scene: bassist Anna Butterss, synthesist Jeremiah Chiu, saxophonist Josh Johnson, percussionist Booker Stardrum, and guitarist Gregory Uhlmann – they perform at Rewire as a quartet, sans Butterss. Their album Small Medium Large (2024) started out as a series of recordings from two longform improvised performances at the beloved venue ETA in LA. Compiled, edited, and added to from their various home studios, Small Medium Large on International Anthem is a bubbling combination of familiar and new sounds. Free-jazz brass spirals above entracing drones and polyrhythmic refrains, all kept in line by cyclical kraut-rock percussion. What stands out in SML is their quivering electronics, bringing a particular rhythmic and tonal dimension usually unheard in jazz: the robotic firmness of their programmed samples and synthesis is offset by the warm improvisations of their strings and brass section. SML provide a textural treasure trove of psychedelic jazz timbres and infectious circulatory grooves.