In 2020, Kevin Diehl approached Oliver Lake with a commission to compose and arrange music for his Sonic Liberation Front quintet and four added vocalists. As one would expect from one of the greatest composers and bandleaders in the vanguard of jazz, the result is arguably one of the most-unique recording projects of Mr. Lake’s 50-year career: Justice – The Vocal Works of Oliver Lake. (2022 High Two Recordings)

The Justice project represents Mr. Lake’s first work centered around his stellar compositions for voice. The selections vary: voices with quintet, a capella with poetry, voices with quintet and poetry, conduction. Among the highlights are Oliver reading his own poetry. The performances vary greatly in mood, sentiment, and timbre. The compositions, the poetry and performances are cries for love, justice, empathy, and progress, for a world in need of the same.

The Justice project premiered at the Vision Festival NY in June 2022, was hosted in Philadelphia by Fire Museum Presents in August 2022, and was presented as the topic for a streaming NEA supported workshop in December 2022 which was presented by the Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts.

Justice received wide press accolades: New York Times, Bandcamp Daily, DownBeat, Stereo Gum, JazzTimes, Jazziz, the New York City Jazz Record, Post Genre, The Whole Note

Touring configuration
A quintet: tenor sax, flute, violin, acoustic bass, drum kit
A trio of singers
Oliver Lake conducting and reciting poetry

Backline needs for outside of the U.S. Mid Atlantic region:
(1) small guitar amp and DI for violin
(1) upright bass, small bass amp and DI
(1) small drum kit and DI for Kevin hybrid acoustic drum system
sound reinforcement for 5 instrumentalists, 3 singers and Oliver Lake’s poetry

RECORD CREDITS

Sonic Liberation Front
Kevobatala (Kevin Diehl): Drumkit, Bata Drums, Sensory Percussion
Matt Engle: Acoustic Bass
Veronica Jurkiewicz: Violin
Elliot Levin: Tenor Sax
Jameka Gordon: Flute

Sonic Liberation Singers
Shanon Chua: Soprano Voice
Chaela Harris: Alto Voice
Ravi Seenarine: Tenor Voice
Michael Ford: Baritone Voice – On the Recording Only

Produced by Aaron Levinson
Co-Produced by Kevin Diehl
Recorded at large during COVID Summer 2020
Mixed at Range Recording, Ardmore, PA
Mix Engineer – Eric Scattareggia
Vocal Editing Engineer – Michael Ford
Mastering – Carl Saff, Chicago

LP & Cover Design: John Hubbard
LP Insert Design: Ade Fumi

CLOUDS

Ain’t Nothin’ Real BUT Love

Video Cinematography by Christopher MacDonald and company.
Post Production Video Vision by John Hubbard
Interview by Dan Buskirk WPRB, Princeton University.