The innovative composer discusses her new album, Purposing the Air, and the three-year process of transforming Erica Hunt's sixty cryptic koans into musical miniatures for four distinctive vocal-instrumental duos.
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Today, the Spotlight shines On saxophonist and composer Ingrid Laubrock.
Ingrid's just released Purposing The Air, a double album that sets 60 brief poems by Erica Hunt to music through four different vocal-instrumental duos. It's an ambitious project that transforms Hunt's emotionally sharp koans into what Ingrid calls "a library of moods”—each piece capturing a different feeling, from the everyday to the searching.
The project began during Ingrid’s master's studies, when she met Hunt through a friend and immediately connected with the poet's work. What started as writing for one duo became something much larger: a collection where poems float through musical space, each tailored for specific performers, such as Fay Victor and Mariel Roberts, or Theo Bleckmann and Ben Monder.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Ingrid Laubrock’s album Purposing the Air)
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[00:01:36] Moving from London to New York and the evolving jazz scenes
[00:02:44] The F-IRE Collective and finding a musical home in London
[00:06:13] How collective work aided compositional development
[00:08:02] Family influences: literary household and musical games
[00:10:35] Early teachers Jean Toussaint and Dave Liebman
[00:16:27] First major work with words: "Purposing the Air" origins
[00:18:43] Finding rhythm and melody in Erica Hunt's text
[00:20:53] Writing for others vs. performing yourself
[00:24:22] Relationship dynamics between duo participants
[00:28:14] The meaning of "purposing" and intentional collaboration
[00:30:45] Compression and chamber-like approach to composition
[00:34:11] How master's degree work changed her compositional approach
[00:36:11] Teaching as mutual exchange and learning
[00:38:55] Working with master improvisers like Braxton and Abrams
[00:43:19] Collaborating with partner Tom Rainey
[00:45:08] Handling praise, criticism, and staying authentic
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Visit Ingrid Laubrock at http://ingridlaubrock.com
and follow her on Bluesky → https://bsky.app/profile/ingridlaubrock.bsky.social
Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=620871649
and YouTube → https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCdR3xjOhpl0-V5Db2CDkeyQ
Purchase Purposing the Air from Pyroclastic Records → https://pyroclasticrecords.com/release/purposing-the-air
Bandcamp → https://ingrid-laubrock.bandcamp.com/album/purposing-the-air
or Qobuz → https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/purposing-the-air-ingrid-laubrock/cx9suf3rswkna
and listen on your [streaming platform of choice → https://album.link/i/1784357094
For extensive show notes, links, and podcast information, go to https://www.spotlightonpodcast.com
Be sure to check out The Tonearm, our new magazine site featuring fascinating perspectives and conversations with creative people → https://www.thetonearm.com
The Tonearm on Mastodon → https://social.lol/@thetonearm
The Tonearm on Bluesky → https://bsky.app/profile/thetonearm.com
The Tonearm on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-tonearm
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