How can one man be simultaneously so sleek and so greasy, so in and so out—and hip, besides? Maybe, in part, it’s his deep appreciation of the past, the ur-music, and his enthusiasm for its unpredictable and ongoing efflorescence. However he does it, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and band leader Steven Bernstein has made this contradictory fusion his trademark, and he’s just announced Community Music, a project that will release four new albums over the course of a year. Recorded in January 2020 with two of his working aggregations, the Millennial Territory Orchestra and The Hot 9, the albums document his arrangements and compositions, many never before heard, and you can check out (and purchase, if you like) the Community Music sampler, now available on Bandcamp, which offers a track from each album.
