Steve Griggs Ensemble
Sound in Stone: Poems by James Washington
Self-released

Saxophonist/composer Steve Griggs’ new album, Sound in Stone, is inspired by James Washington, the multi-talented artist from Mississippi who made his home in Seattle. Better known for his stone sculptures that can be found across the city, Washington was also a poet. On this album, Steve Griggs composed music to accompany and highlight Washington’s poetry.

It’s not easy to pair poetry with music. Poetic words convey meaning, but they don’t naturally fit a melody; Griggs circumvents this somewhat by letting the music do the singing and allowing the poems to be brought to life by Bernie Jacobs’ spoken word rendition. The poems speak of the freedom struggle of Black Americans as well as life-affirming concepts that Washington found vital to his existence. “Come Go With Me” starts off gently with the soft vibes played by Susan Pascal, then changes into a drum roll consistent with the cadence of marching soldiers, while the poem talks of religious salvation. The interludes of music, including Phil Sparks’ sensitive bass playing, are very pleasant and lyrical, but it is the strong speaker’s tone and strident messaging of the poems that shines through the pieces. “The Cycle of Life,” relates race struggles with the challenge of salmon that must swim against the current to live. Again, Sparks provides gentle bass accompaniment, while the confident saxophone accompaniment by Griggs makes the music come alive. The last piece, “Mother Earth,” is the most upbeat with its strong message of hope. The lyrics encourage us to “find out what you were meant to be and make it known to those you meet.” Milo Petersen plays an energetic drum sequence to end of this album on a high note. The noted flute, saxophone, and trumpet player Jay Thomas also contributed his talent to this album.

Lucienne Aggarwal