A new beginning in a new world

«Mayflower»’s odyssey through the continents — Jekaterina Šarigina’s musical journey

Looking back on a pilgrim journey from England to the «New World» in 1620, a new album was born in 2022, on April 8. This is a debut album from singer Jekaterina Šarigina titled «Mayflower». The title has been inspired by a ship with the same name that, at the beginning of the 17th century, transported the abovementioned pilgrims to America, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Slightly under 400 years earlier, some 200km away, another journey has taken place, also from England to Massachusetts, but this time to a New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, where a singer from Latvia got her master’s degree. The new beginning in a kind of new world, which is how Europeans often view America, created a whirlwind of stories and impressions.

«Mayflower» is a new beginning. Getting rid of the weight of the past and preparing for the unknown the future brings, accepting it with ease, as described by the composer herself. And similarly to the singer, the album has traveled to different parts of the world. The album was recorded in the USA and Latvia, as well as in China, and mastered in Great Britain. It includes seven compositions, each with its own story, performed by five great musicians: pianist Moshe Elmakias from Israel, double bassist SeaJun Kwon from South Korea, trumpeter Michael Brehm and drummer Joey van Leeuwen from the United States, as well as singer Jekaterina Šarigina from Latvia.

Jekaterina’s album opens with trumpeter Kenny Wheeler’s music composition «Wintersweet», in which the words written by Norma Winstone are introduced through a soft dreamy vocalization. Šarigina’s voice in this version is like a sunrise for Winston’s nocturnal timbre. The voice of the Latvian singer is lighter, which, even without particularly changing the mood of «Wintersweet» in the arrangement, makes it sound in a completely different mood. Winstone’s smoky, mysterious tone, filled with experiences and untold stories, is replaced by a clear yet more hopeful and wondrous voice. The composition transforms into an aria worthy of a «Disney» cartoon princess in the best sense. In honor of the author, Michael Brehm’s trumpet solo is also heard in the composition.

«If I Were» — the album’s second composition — brings out a darker and more anxious vibe. In the syncopated double bass part, backed by the piano, changing time signatures that do not allow you to lose attention; and, at the same time, how easily the melody and the words written by the soloist slide over the music, singing «if I were / if you were» in romantic imagery… She is seeking ways to describe the power and the immortality of her love in the most vivid way, how far it can be stretched. The same way E.E. Cummings, Rumi, Edgar Allan Poe, Francois Mauriac, and others did. The imaginative story is replaced by Jekaterina’s improvisation, which is continued by the virtuoso pianist Moshe Elmakias’ piano solo. In the composition, we can hear inspiration from modal jazz, ‘Latin’, as well as oriental music, as well as from contemporary jazz, with polyphony in the vocals, reminiscent of Lauren Desberg’s 2014 EP «Sideways».

Moving further, musicians continue playing with the tonal points in the album «Mayflower»; in the third composition, «Wrong Lullaby», Jekaterina starts developing the intensity of the melodies in unison with Michael; she continues along the same lines while the ensemble joins in as well. The harmonic structure of the composition reminds me of John Coltrane’s «Giant Steps». The melodic and harmonic chain of sequences takes the composition to a chaotic, agitated cloud of Shakespearean dialogues, which creates a surreal, even schizophrenic, sense of internal conflict and chaos. Accompanied by dissonant piano, bass, and trumpet parts, it builds up to a dramatic breaking point, to a silence filled with the dialogue of unisons. Continuing this game of seemingly twisted melody and ever-unresolved harmony until it is intercepted by Michael Brehm’s trumpet solo, the song moves further and further away — without ever revealing its resolution. The title of the composition perfectly describes its essence — ‘wrong’. Not so much ‘wrong’ this time, more ‘wrong’, ‘unusual’ — just like Tim Burton.

A peaceful and light ballad, «Serenade», continues the singer’s musical adventure, which twists the melodic path to unexpected turns, ups, and downs; the same path might have been taken by Thelonious Monk in his «Pannonica» or the already mentioned Kenny Wheeler in «Wintersweet». In this dreamy story, the author makes you listen to the melody through the lyrics. This probably isn’t a song we’d be humming as we walk down the street. It has a complicated direction — it is like an unbreakable line that continues to develop, leading us forward. Surprisingly, this unstoppable movement and unpredictability of the melody are what make the listener focus on the lyrics even more. At some point, it is intercepted by a trumpet solo, followed by the singer’s improvisation — in contrasting and tonal phrases until she returns to the story she has been telling us from the start. There are no choruses or verses in the «Serenade» — it is a story that must be listened to from start to finish.

«Lighthouse» is the album’s longest composition, which also seemed to come to an end faster than any other — as if time stopped for a moment. The composition begins with a polyphonic conversation between the vocalist and the trumpeter, who are delicately joined by the rest of the ensemble. The melody, which sounds so easily performed by Jekaterina, still has a noticeable weight in it, even if, for a moment, it is lifted by pianist Moshe Elmakias with a heartfelt solo interlude. A hint of folk music is introduced to the listener by the whole ensemble leading the music to the often-mentioned trumpeter Brehm’s solo, which is fantastically accompanied by Moshe on the piano — easily, creatively, excellently complimenting Michael’s playing and outlining a slightly oriental sound of the trumpet’s part. This interplay is definitely one of the brightest elements that do remind of a lighthouse’s lamp shining through the darkness. This bright solo is then followed by an emotional double bass solo played by SeaJun Kwon — such deep and intense emotions make you freeze up and stop breathing for a short while.

«Mayflower» continues with the composition «Al Dente», which switches the mood to a Brazilian one. The inspiration for this tune came from a famous Shoro singer Tatiana Parra and pianist Sara Serpa from Portugal. This short, soulful duet of piano and voice, while simple in its essence, perfectly complements the album with its flowing intensity while still being in a relaxed mood.

At the end of the album, the listeners are presented with the composition «Spring Salutation» — it is a tribute to spring and its colors and brightness. The ‘Basso ostinato’ that weaves through the piece intensifies it with increasing movement. We can also hear Jekaterina’s favorite storyteller’s approach to creating a melody for this song. At the heart of the work is Moshe Elmakias’s piano solo, with the usual dissonant approach accompanied by voice and trumpet, which creates more and more tension until it resolves into the theme. «Spring Salutation» has the feel of a more usual song form, but the individual sound remains.

Saturated and inspired by the folk music of different nations and musicians from different parts of the world, Jekaterina Šarigina’s album has taken her on a journey through different countries, letting her inhale those foreign elements and experiences. «Mayflower» is a testament to the passionately exploratory nature of the composer, lyricist, and singer. She demonstrates her personality in each mentioned field and introduces the listeners to a part of what she has experienced and felt. Jekaterina currently lives and works in China, and I can’t wait to see what kind of journey the singer conjures up in her next album.