In 2018, jazz saxophonist/composer/leading light James Brandon Lewis receives a phone call from maverick American musician William Parker with an offer: compose the music for a production put on by the Czechoslovak American Marionette Theater Company that pays tribute to the Czechoslovakian classical composer Antonín Dvořák. Since the project had originally recruited Lewis’ late friend Roy Campbell, Jr., who died before he could start it, Lewis said yes. Calling Antonín is the result.
Joined by his Red Lily outfit, consisting this round of cornetist Kirk Knuffke, cellist Tomeka Reid, bassist Joshua Abrams, violist Melanie Dyer, and drummer Chad Taylor, Lewis presents a remarkable set of songs for the show. Listen to the way he uses Eastern European music in “Going Home,” “Lento” and the title track, concentrating on the melodies while still giving them a bluesy swing. The soul-soaked spirituals “Spirit of the Living God” and “I Want Jesus to Walk With Me” tie into Dvořák’s interest in Black gospel music, as well as paying tribute to Lewis’ minister father. The whimsical “Ode to P.L.D.” nods to late nineteenth century poet Paul Laurence Dunbar by imagining a collaboration between Dunbar and Dvořák at the 1893 World’s Fair. “Finale – Humoresque” closes the cycle with some postbop aggression and lush balladry, while a relatively faithful reading of the Czech folk song “Ó řebičku” serves as a string-laden encore of sorts. It’s a challenging musical program to navigate, but the accomplished players in Red Lily have no trouble finding the heart of every tune, keeping it beating with energy and panache.
Lewis draws upon some public domain material as basis for some of these tunes, but that’s appropriate. A huge supporter of using homegrown cultural resources as inspiration, Dvořák himself used Czech folk songs in his European work, and African American spirituals for the music he wrote while he lived in the United States, including for his New World Symphony. Lewis holds on to that tradition, and once again filters music of mastery and majesty through Red Lily. Calling Antonín is another masterpiece in his catalog.
