A thoughtful and gorgeously textured collaboration between vocalist Theo Bleckmann and progressive brass ensemble the Westerlies, 2021's This Land finds them exploring themes of social protest, American identity, and the search for a safe refuge during times of upheaval. A quartet featuring trumpeters Riley Mulherkar and Chloe Rowlands and trombonists Andy Clausen and Willem de Koch, the Westerlies have distinguished themselves with their vibrantly cross-pollinated blend of classical, folk, and jazz. Similarly, Bleckmann has garnered acclaim for his virtuoso and often unorthodox brand of vocalese. Together, they bring all of their varied skills to bear on This Land, placing their own harmonically inventive originals alongside finely curated traditional songs.
Especially purposeful is their rendition of Joni Mitchell's anti-war song "The Fiddle and the Drum," which they transform into a plaintive and angular chamber piece. We also get a particularly skillful reharmonization of the 1970s garment workers jingle "Look for the Union Label" that flows into a haunting rendition of the 1900s spiritual "Wade in the Water." And while the tracks with Bleckmann are the most cinematically compelling, we also get several buoyant instrumental tracks, including swinging takes on Woody Guthrie's "The Jolly Banker," "Two Good Men," and "Tear the Fascists Down." Prominent among the original pieces here is "Land," a bluesy rumination on being an immigrant that borrows its text from Kashmiri American Muslim author Agha Shahid Ali's poem of the same name. Equally compelling is Bleckmann's deeply moving composition "Another Holiday." Written in the wake of the 2016 shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, the song is a poignant rumination on how some people don't feel safe to express their love out of fear even within their own family. Some tracks, like the ambient "Grandmar," are wordless evocations, while others such as "In the Sweet Bye and Bye/The Preacher and the Slave" are more traditional singalongs, bringing to mind the brass bands and folk dances of the 1800s. What's particularly captivating about Bleckmann and the Westerlies' work together is how well they blend, his steady vocals mirrored with uncanny clarity by their warm brass intonations. It's that hopeful sense of unity, both musically and philosophically, that permeates all of This Land.