Jesse Zubot
Dementia
Cognitive Decline
Isolation
Semantically Lost
Atrophy
Dementia
Nootropics
Sundowning Part 1
Frontotemporal
Delusions
Apraxia
Sundowning Part 2
Delirium
Defeated
A Wish
* album cover image by Jessica Eaton
Dementia is Jesse Zubot's first album entirely made up of improvisations. It pivots between solo improvised violin, micro-mandolin orchestras and minimal electronic-influenced sound design. This music was documented during a condensed period of contemplation (June 2006) and is meant to reflect the decline of a human's cognitive state. The urge to go back and edit problematic musical events was purposely avoided in order to capture moments of confusion, paranoia, hope, agitation and the momentum of passed time.
Jesse Zubot, of Vancouver, B.C., is a founding member of the acoustic roots group 'Zubot & Dawson'. Their last recording was produced by Lee Townsend (Bill Frisell, Charlie Hunter) and released on True North Records in Canada. Zubot is also a member of the Great Uncles of the Revolution which includes well-known Toronto bassist Andrew Downing and jazz trumpeter Kevin Turcotte. Both groups are Juno Award winners (2002-03). In the past few years, Jesse has delved heavily into the world of improvised & creative music working with artists as diverse as Fred Frith, François Houle, Secret Mommy, Peggy Lee, Dylan van der Schyff, Fond Of Tigers, Eugene Chadbourne, Dave Douglas, Joe Fonda, Nels Cline, Tony Wilson, Evan Parker, Tony Wilson, David Tronzo, Humcrush, Ron Samworth, Gerry Hemingway, Henry Kaiser and countless others. In 2005, Jesse released two albums entitled LaConnor and Zubotta on his new Drip Audio label. LaConnor, a disordered electro-acoustic album, ended up on many year end best-of lists including Exclaim! Magazine's Top Ten Experimental/Avant-Garde albums. Zubotta, spent a lot of time on !Earshot's Electronic music chart and received airplay on programs such as CBC Radio 3. Jesse spends a lot of his time performing live with these various projects and has appeared at some of the worlds more prestigious festivals including the Monterey Jazz Festival, Era Jazzu (Poland), The Montreal International Jazz Festival, The New York Guitar Festival, Dobrofest (Trnava, Slovakia), Mulhouse Jazz Festival (France) & The Guelph Jazz Festival. In 2003 Jesse was named ‘Violinist of the Year’ at Canada's National Jazz Awards (2003).
Press
"...it's the kind of thing that could permanently alter your neurons if you aren’t careful – but I guess I’ll take the risk, because it sounds better each time." - Paris Transatlantic Magazine (Nate Dorward)
"Dementia is a stunning recording, both highly personal and yet technically fascinating, somehow simultaneously open and closed, rich in allusion, technique, music and mystery." - Musicworks Magazine (Stuart Broomer)
"The sonic landscape contains echoes of Stravinsky and Blind Willie Johnson - you bet things get spooky in there! - and the end result is a musical narrative that is startling in its humanity." - CODA Magazine
"...sweetly nostalgic and achingly wounded...this is beautiful music." - Exclaim!
"Idiosyncratic and well worth seeking out." - The Wire
"...a fine disc..." - Signal To Noise
"...savage, yet tender." - CBC Arts Online
"...extraordinary multi-instrumental abstraction." - The Vancouver Sun
"...a sonic experience that would be best taken in with the lights low, and everyone else asleep." - Luka Symons/CKUA Radio (Edmonton)
Album Review: The Squids Ear
Album Review: The Wire
Album Review/Interview: Exclaim!
Album Review: Paris Transatlantic Magazine
Album Review: dMute
Best of 2006: Albany Jazz (bottom of page)
Album Review: Point of Departure
Album Review: Textura