Alisha Pattillo
Recorded at Wire Road Studios and produced by Pattillo, the album’s core combination of tenor saxophone, guitar, bass, and drums was recorded live in the studio in one smooth five-hour session. To preserve that initial wave of energy, other instruments, including percussion and keyboards, were overdubbed later. “When I started scheming on a concept for this album, I decided to put my Houston dream-team together,” says Pattillo. “I chose musicians who I respect, who are versatile, and whose company I enjoy as much as their playing.” The “dream team” on Chromazone includes guitarist Greg Petito, keyboardist Andrew Lienhard, bassist David Craig, and drummer Gavin Moolchan. Brian Fincher is featured on brass winds, and Reinaldo Araujo handles percussion and some vocalizing on Jorge Ben’s “Mas Que Nada,” a tune made famous by Brazilian bandleader Sérgio Mendes.
The album takes its name from the first track, a “shred fest” composed by guitarist Mike Stern for his breakout album Time in Place (1988), featuring the late great Michael Brecker on saxophone. Panned hard left and right, Pattillo and Petito navigate the tune’s labyrinthian melody, phrasing together as if they were one instrument, before splitting off for some burning but all-too-brief soloing. (We need to hear this band play this live, Alisha!) Perhaps surprisingly, Pattillo chooses to follow this track with flugelhorn master Chuck Mangione’s “Feels So Good,” which speaks to the range of music she loves to play.
“I guess I’m the thread,” says Pattillo when asked what connects the tunes she selected for Chromazone. “I went hunting through my collection searching for material that has a recognizability factor, is enjoyable to listen to, and would translate well on tenor.”
Born in Australia, Pattillo grew up in Singapore, where her parents worked in the oil industry. She caught the music bug at age five after hearing a family friend play the saxophone, and soon started on recorder, then clarinet, before beginning lessons on saxophone at age 11. At age 16, unbeknownst to her parents who had relocated to Houston and left their daughter behind in boarding school, Pattillo was sneaking out at night to perform with bands in Singapore’s nightclubs and bars. She played rock, funk, and groove-oriented jazz tunes, which formed her taste and aesthetic as a multifaceted musician. After earning a bachelor’s in music in Jazz Saxophone and Education Preparation from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music in Brisbane, Australia, Pattillo decided to join her family in Katy and see what kind of opportunities there were for a working musician. Being a seasoned player, she found work immediately in Top 40 bands, dropped in on jazz and blues jam sessions, and first met some of the musicians who appear on Chromazone.
While there are no immediate plans for an album release party, Pattillo is pleased to have Chromazone out and available across all streaming platforms, and when not gigging, enjoy the relatively kinder weather in Northwest Arkansas. When asked if she has any advice for other hard-working musicians, Pattillo’s answer is succinct. “Start a project, and see it through,” says Pattillo. “Don’t get distracted by others. Consistency and discipline will get you where you want to go.”
Ron Nagle's 'The Puddle of Love,' part of 'Love Languages'
Organized by Rachel Mohl, assistant curator of Latin American and LatinX Art, Contested Landscapes can be described as a reexamination of the tropes of traditional landscape painting and art through a contemporary and critical ecological lens. The exhibit includes works by the duo Studio DRIFT, who create immersive, kinetically charged installations that connect the viewer to the natural world and propose solutions to the overwhelming environmental challenges we face. Another featured artist is photographer Dawoud Bey, whose 2022 MFAH exhibit An American Project featured more than 80 portraits of Harlem residents and nighttime photos of stops along the Underground Railroad.
'Caribbean Cosmos' by Teresita Fernández, part of 'Contested Landscapes'
Organized by the team of Alison de Lima Greene and Mari Carmen Ramirez, Hidden Histories brings together several generations of artists from Europe, the United States, Asia, Africa, and Latin America, who share a common concern for the lives of “ordinary citizens” and “places that have been ignored, sidelined, or deliberately obscured by official accounts.” The old adage, attributed to Winston Churchill, “History is written by victors” comes to mind. Hidden Histories includes works by Houston artist and 2023 Guggenheim fellow Jamal Cyrus, and San Antonio-born painter Vincent Valdez in collaboration with Adriana Corrak.
DRIFT's 'Fragile Future 3.14,' part of 'Contested Landscapes'
'Dead Soldiers' by Michael Armitage, part of 'Hidden Histories'
Joan Semmel's 'Hand Down,' part of 'Love Languages'
And last but not least, Love Languages, curated by Anita N. Bateman, associate curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, explores the art of love through artists’ love of art.
Looking ahead to October, a Houston edition of Simone Leigh’s sculpture, Satellite, enters the MFAH’s collection, and will be installed in front of the Kinder Building. Leigh recently made history as the first Black woman ever to represent the U.S. at the 2022 Venice Biennale.
“It is an honor to have Simone Leigh represented at the Sarofim Campus,” said Gary Tinterow, Director of the MFAH in a statement. “The installation of Satellite, and this next series of installations in the Kinder Building, will highlight for our public the strength of our modern and contemporary holding, the fastest-growing segment of our collection.”
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