The Timelessness Project
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The Timelessness Project

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"Barbara Sfraga & Center Search Quest Light Up Satalla, JazzReview.com"

Concert Review
Venue: Satalla (New York, New York, USA)

May 11, 2005 - Barbara Sfraga has assembled an impressive group of musicians to perform their unique and soulful compositions. The complex arrangements highlight the many talents of each musician.

Extremely well rehearsed and at the same time leaving plenty of room for spontaneity, the group has much to offer. The band clearly enjoys playing with each other. They also enjoy the music they perform. This allows the listener to do the same.

The evening started with an introduction by saxophonist Allen Won, who was quickly joined by Chris Sullivan on the bass, followed by Michael T.A. Thompson on drums. Soon after, Barbara and pianist Mala Waldron took the stage. Mala joined Barbara on vocals for the first track, entitled Be There. Chris Sullivan also sang the refrain, Everyone has a place in this world, and closed out the tune with some quality improvising on the bass. The next selection, called Timelessness, featured Allen Won on flute. This tune also contains a memorable refrain, Time has entered timelessness frozen in time. Both of these selections have a theme central to the essence of jazz, living in the now. They are also both catchy numbers that stick with the listeners long after they end.

The next selection, Cool Water, was dedicated to Barbara?s sister. During Mala?s piano solo Chris Sullivan played percussion on the side of his bass, creating a distinctive sound. Tell Me, a ballad featuring the smooth gorgeous tones of pianist Mala Waldron, is the tune where the band really started to take flight. The crispness and tightness of the group was evident. From here the group covered a tune penned by Stevie Wonder and made famous by Chaka Kahn, Tell Me Something Good. A dynamite soprano sax solo and a playful vocal rap between Chris and Barbara were featured.

Dancing in the Rain, a mesmerizing ballad, showcased the tribal-sounding singing/scatting of drummer Michael T.A. Thompson and bassist Chris Sullivan. It ended most beautifully with Barbara?s voice being complemented by Allen Won?s flute. The heavy, freewheeling All Night Longincluded inspirational saxophone work by Won and xylophone sounds on a Korg keyboard executed by Waldron. I?m In The Light had deep, grooving bass runs and incredible vocals. All of the musicians sang on this piece, with Waldron and Thompson alternating on lead vocals.

An interesting interpretation of Aerosmith?s Walk This Way featured Barbara?s stellar vocals, as did the closing number, Hang On, Fly Home. Barbara?s use of her impressive range and uncanny knack for placing just the right note at just the right moment is testimony to her sensitivity for and understanding of the jazz idiom. Her ability to accomplish this on her own terms, with her own sound and in her own way is what makes her worth listening to. Her new group strives to create something new, something enjoyable, something wonderful and succeeds!
- Bryan Zoran


"BILLBOARD, Critic's Choice"

Vocalist Barbara Sfraga has tracked one of the most captivating jazz albums of the year with "Under The Moon." Her vocal work is consistantly inventive and sure, and she demonstrates a distinctive feel for how to unlock a song in a new way. Sfraga benefits from a terrific group of backing musicians, and in particular from her interplay with longtime collaborator/bassist Chris Sullivan. Their bass/vocal duet on Bob Dylan's "Every Grain of Sand" is one of the highlights of an album filled with special moments. The title track, written by Angela Bofill, is a dreamy groove that Sfraga settles into with a wonderfully modulated vocal. Duke Ellington's "Sophisticated Lady" receives a swinging treatment, calling forth a sweet bass solo from Sullivan and a Sfraga vocal that is so in the pocket that it is virtually a second instrumental solo. Sfraga's debut for A440 is a major-league jazz record. Racked by RYKO. -- Philip van Vleck, BILLBOARD, Issue 40
- Philip van Vleck


"Various Quotes"

“...one of the strongest, if not the most eclectic, rhythm sections working today in Thompson and Sullivan...., their rhythmic intensity and discoveries reflect a broad history across a wide spectrum of styles from the hard driving free sounds of Archie Shepp to the calypso rhythms of the Mighty Sparrow. But the result is never muddy or confused. Theirs is a journey of purpose, tightly focused, without distraction...but taken at leisure. As a sojourner with them on their travels, the result is most enlightening...” --DRIMALA RECORDS

"Mala Waldron's playing exhibits a fascinating combination of tension and relaxation that sustains the mood of each composition." -- Shariff Abdur-Salaam, WKCR-FM

"Allen Won is a masterful musician whose richness of tone and musicality are at a level so few ever attain in a lifetime, let alone so early in their career."
-- Seth Abramson, THE JAZZ STANDARD, NYC

“...Chris Sullivan and Michael Thompson are masters of feel, maestros of the deep earthen groove... (fans of Parker and Drake will surely not be disappointed).”
-- SIGNAL TO NOISE

“New York City-based multi-reedman/composer Allen Won is an artist who fluently segues between the classical and jazz idioms...Won is outwardly comfortable withion a variety of modes. He often soars skyward with passion and fire, yet can spin a memorable melody into an
improvisational launching pad... (A top pick for 2005...)"--JAZZREVIEW.COM

“...the superb bassist Chris Sullivan and master drummer/percussionist Michael Thompson brings the nuance of each piece that much more brightly to the fore...”
-- JAZZREVIEW.COM

“...Michael Thompson on drums and piano, both played with elegance and a sense of deep meaning...” --TOUCHING EXTREMES


- Various Publications


"Jazziz Magazine"

Barbara Sfraga and Center Search Quest
Timelessness Frozen in Time
(SyncTimiCity)

Barbara Sfraga has been working with Center Search Quest in some form for the past four years. Here with an expanded lineup -- bass artisan Christopher Dean Sullivan and soundrhythium Michael T.A. Thompson were joined two years ago by pianist Mala Waldron and saxophonist Allen Won -- she offers her first recording with the band.

This is also the first CD in which Sfraga focuses on original material. It's a bit of a stylistic turn as well. In two previous outings -- her debut, "Oh, What a Thrill" and 2003's "Under the Moon" -- Sfraga offered clever new standards, giving a jazz spin on pop tunes and a contemporary makeover to old standards. In the process, she's gathered a sheaf of glowing reviews and comparisons to fellow 'voicists' (as Sfraga refers to herself) Cassandra Wilson and Patricia Barber.

This time out, the only non-original is the Stevie Wonder-penned Rufus hit, "Tell Me Something Good." And that will tell you a lot about this CD, with its strong strain of soul and lyrical focus on love, light and higher planes.

Though a couple of songs ("Cool Water", "Be There") are cut from straightahead cloth, most tracks seem more Steely Dan than Strayhorn, more RTF than MJQ. That said, these 'jazzicists' are a cohesive group, both in terms of their own interplay and the ease in which they incorporate soul, funk, rap and adventurous modern jazz into the mix. Sfraga's clear voice is always appealing, and the whole set has a soaring energy that is in keeping with its positive message music slant.

- Chris Heim


"Jazz Times Magazine"

Ms. Sfraga claims her quintet, Center Search Quest plays music without borders. Consider her background; church organist to rock-and-roll belter to jazz singer-writer-arranger. She has never met a genre she didn't like or couldn't assimilate. In the past, Sfraga has done "Sophisticated Lady" as an up-tempo jazz waltz and added reggae to "Stardust." In Sfraga's new album, she calls herself a 'voicist'; Michael Thompson is a 'soundrhythium'. Bottom line: few fusion groups can compete with such jazz-oriented diversity. The trio of singers, scat-savvy Sfraga, Mala Waldron (Mal's daughter) who doubles on keyboards, and Thompson doubling on percussion, bark out phrases with the bite of a brass section, and Barbara's soprano cuts through massed sonorities like a laser. On "Be There," tenorist Allen Won adds his horn to the vocal blend, creating four-note chords while the feeling of 3-against-4 pervades the track. On the title tune, Sfraga and her fearless 'voicists' swing in 5/4 as Won's soprano sax weaves soothing obligati. Sfraga's high, thin voice has no difficulty coping with her own wordiness on "Cool Water;" the lyrics are crystal clear. Kudos to Christopher Sullivan for choosing acoustic bass to get that distinctive growl. Highlight: the give and take of "Hang On, Fly Home," Sfraga trading fours and eights with Won's tenor, culminating in astonishing, contrapuntal "free scat."
- Harvey Siders


"Midwest Record Recap"

BARBARA SFRAGA/Timelessness Frozen in Time: There's no doubt Sfraga's a jazzbo, but she leaves no doubt that she's about pushing the envelope, so much so that she bills herself as a 'voicist' rather than a vocalist. Cutting edge from start to finish, even when tackling some well known funk, this set of mostly group written originals succeeds in pushing the envelope in the tradition of the best progressive jazz in contemporary times no matter what freak flag it flies under. Anyone who's dug progressive jazz in the past has something new to look forward to.
2602 (SyncTimiCity) - Midwest Record Recap


"Jazz Improv Magazine, NY Jazz Guide"

Barbara Sfraga is one singer who thinks out of the box.

Unfortunately, her discography is sparse. "Timelessness Frozen in Time" is Sfraga's third CD ineight years, even though she has been performing in New York since the 1980's. As a result, Sfraga has developed somewhat of a cult following. The buzz about her talent is growing, particularly after the release of her last album, "Under the Moon," on which she reinterpreted some classic standards in unconventional ways. The reviews for "Under the Moon" were uniformly positive. In fact, more than several critics raved. With good reason.

The fact that Sfraga refuses to be typecast is consistent with the originality of her recorded output. Sfraga freely chooses the songs she wishes to record, as she draws on her vast interest in all types of music, from jazz to rock to classical to spoken word to folk to R&B to Broadway musicals to raga to reggae. Such freedom works in her favor. For Sfraga is one of
those fearless singers who can take any song, no matter how time worn, reconsider its possibilities, apply her own imprint and leave the listener with a previously unthought-of way of regarding the same song.

True to form, Sfraga absolutely refuses to fit into categories on "Timelessness Frozen in Time." If, from the evidence of "Under the Moon," people think Sfraga is, and forever will remain to be, an inventive interpreter of standards, think again. Her newest album consists entirely of original compositions, and they make no attempt to maintain reassuring connections with familiar songs like "Stardust" or "Mood Indigo." Rather, much of the music of "Timelessness Frozen in Time" originated not with Sfraga, but with a group called Center Search Quest, which bassist Christopher Dean Sullivan and drummer Michael T.A. Thompson started in 1990 as a means for boundless expression. Sfraga found Sullivan and Thompson to be kindred spirits when she met them in 2002, and they have been performing -- with just voice, bass and drums -- ever since as opportunities arose. After keyboardist Mala Waldron and saxophonist Allen Won joined Center Search Quest in 2004, Waldron, Sullivan and Thompson developed some music specifically with Sfraga in mind and presented it to her. Sfraga chose the music that inspired her lyrics. Then after Sfraga wrote some of her own songs, "Timelessness Frozen in Time," recorded in five sessions from August 2004 to March 2005, became a reality in search of distribution.

Now that it has been released, "Timelessness Frozen in Time" won't disappoint the listeners who have been impressed with Sfraga's bold interpretations, attention to lyrical meaning and rhythmic playfulness. But "Timelessness Frozen in Time" is no "Under the Moon." Sfraga has embarked upon an entirely new venture, disclosing another side of her personality, another facet of her talent, that wasn't apparent on previous albums. Many of the same characteristics do remain. Her ability to tell a story with swinging humorous rapidity, inspired she says by Lambert Hendricks & Ross, is present on "Cool Water."
Sfraga's total immersion in the exigencies of a song, never breaking away from it until an entire image has been created, is evident on "Love Breaks Free," the foreboding nature of the initial chorus leading inexorably from the modal tension to dynamically soaring release. While many writers have compared Sfraga to Sheila Jordan or Patricia Barber, probably because they read such comparisons in the press releases of Sfraga's publicists, Sfraga's influences appear to be much more varied than that. She's too unpredictable to be compared to Jordan, and she's not cool enough to be a direct comparison to Barber, who rarely raises her voice to a shout. Truth be told, the closest comparison to Sfraga's work on
"Timelessness Frozen in Time," in my opinion, would be to some of the recent recordings of Janis Siegel, another singer who understands the importance of lyrics. "Dancing in the Rain," in particular, recalls some of Siegel's work on her recent CD "A Thousand Beautiful Things" (which also uses spoken word, Marion Saunders', as does "Timelessness Frozen in Time"). Even a little bit of Sade is apparent in the final harmony of "Be There."

In the end, Sfraga and Center Search Quest have developed a sound of their own that incorporates a multitude of influences, including the reggae on "I'm in the Light" and quarter-tone Jaipurlike wavering on "Love Breaks Free." Presenting
a repertoire that's as varied as the experiences of the members of Center Search Quest, "Timelessness Frozen in Time" features yet another aspect of Sfraga's talent that hadn't been entirely apparent from her few previous recordings. The song "Timelessness Frozen in Time" does, however, lope along in 5/4 times, as did "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" on "Under the Moon." Plus, Sfraga's notes occur off the beat as often as not, a stylistic characteristic found on previous recordings
too. "Timelessness F - Bill Donaldson


"JazzUSA.com"

Sfraga is a throwback to the days of vocal jazz and improvisational creativity. Barbara's musical focus evolved from church organist to rock keyboardist to jazz singer to voicist, giving her a rounded perspective on writing and producing tracks. Under the Moon, which was one of the good projects released by the now-defunct A440 Records, and What a Thrill (Naxos Jazz) had a few of her originals sprinkled throughout, but she was primarily known for her unconventional twists on jazz and pop standards (pops-terdizing jazz and jazz-terdizing pop, as she says.)

Her new CD blends her strong, beautiful voice with a new group of musicians and emphasizes her writing skills more than previous CDs. Joined by Christopher Dean Sullivan, Michael T.A. Thompson, Mala Waldron and Allen Won (collectively known as Center Search Quest), Sfraga and the group are genre-bending their way to a whole new sound. All five musicians lend their creative - and sometimes their physical - voices to this project. There is even some three part harmony in the rocket-paced Cool Water which is as close to scatting as you can get without actually doing it. Chris Sullivan refers to himself as a Bass Artisan on the notes and you'll feel what he means when you follow his bass moves and changes as they carry Barbara along on Love Breaks Free.

Her take on the Rufus classic Tell Me Something Good is 180° from the original, filled with clever phrasing and some nice sax work by Allen Won, and even a little spoken word... another fine example of jazz-sterdizing an R&B track. My favorite is Tell Me, both for the lyrical beauty and the musical groove. Somewhere between Pharaoh Sanders and Tania Maria, this track works a melodious magic on the listener carrying you off to wherever it is that Sfraga is holding your imagination. It's music without borders! With roots firmly planted in jazz and with the improvisational element always in place, Sfraga and CSQ are on a quest to leave no groove unturned. Dig it. - Stephen H. Watkins


"Listen Here! Radio"

Neil Tesser: I have a new recording from Barbara Sfraga. That's a difficult name to pronounce, although Mark, you've pronounced it often because you produced her previous album.

Mark Ruffin: That's right.

N.T.: The name is spelled S-F-R-A-G-A, Barbara Sfraga, and this new album features a band she's calling Center Search Quest. And this is both an extension of her previous album, the one you, Mark Ruffin, produced, but also a departure from it, I think. She was moving into some heady territory on the previous album and I thought - I love that album - using just guitar, bass and drums as her backup. She's expanded a little on that here to include the piano work - piano and keyboards - of Mala Waldron, the keyboard-playing daughter of the late Mal Waldron. She also includes a saxophonist and some other vocalizations on this recording. But the real spirit of this, I think, lies in Barbara Sfraga's intention of embracing pop music with a jazz sensibility. This is pop music at its best I think - at its best on the album, but also as good as I'd want to hear pop music ever done. And I think the reason for that is because the musicians are not trying to do something they don't believe in, but they also have the ability to bring more to the table than most pop musicians do. Listen to a little bit of this tune. It's the opening track called Hang On, Fly Home.

(plays sound clip of Hang On, Fly Home)

N.T.: That's vocalist Barbara Sfraga and her new band entitled Center Search Quest, and a new album entitled Timelessness Frozen in Time. And just for good measure it's on a new label entitled SyncTimiCity. But in any case, Barbara Sfraga is taking on the guise, the trappings, of a pop music approach, but with the sensibility of jazz artistry. And I think that that's something that is gonna make this album one of my favorites as the year winds down.

N.T.: One thing that is very well known or well talked about in pop music is finding the hook, and Barbara Sfraga, in the tunes that she's written for this album has managed to find hooks that, I think, really catch the imagination. Here's one on a tune -- in fact, the title track -- Timelessness Frozen in Time, the hook comes in about a minute into the part that we're hearing, but you'll hear it.

(plays sound clip of Timelessness Frozen in Time)

N.T.: There's that little hook I told you about. Barbara Sfraga and her band Center Search Quest wrote almost all the music on this new album called Timelessness Frozen in Time. But one tune written by Stevie Wonder and made famous by Chakah Khan, she does, and a little insouciance in the phrasing makes it sound new -- and hers. Which is pretty hard when it was originally done by Chakah Khan.

N.T.: Barbara Sfraga, the new album called Timelessness Frozen in Time. It's on SyncTimiCity Records.

~Neil Tesser, Listen Here! Radio (www.listenhereradio.com)

This is pop music at its best I think - at its best on the album, but also as good as I'd want to hear pop music ever done. And I think the reason for that is because the musicians are not trying to do something they don't believe in, but they also have the ability to bring more to the table than most pop musicians do...taking on the guise, the trappings, of a pop music approach, but with the sensibility of jazz artistry. And I think that that's something that is gonna make this album one of my favorites as the year winds down.
- Neil Tesser


Discography

Barbara Sfraga & Center Search Quest, "Timelessness Frozen in Time", street date: September 5, 2006

Barbara Sfraga, "Under The Moon", A440 Music Group, #4025, 2003

Barbara Sfraga, "Oh, What A Thrill", Naxos Jazz #86047, 1999

Christopher Dean Sullivan and Michael "T.A." Thompson with Joe Giardulo, "Language of Swans", Drimala, #DR02-347-05, 2002

Allen Won, "Jewel in the Lotus", 2004

Mala Waldron, "Always There", Soulful Sound Music, SS22241, street date, March 15, 2006

Photos

Bio

“Cutting edge from start to finish, even when tackling some well known funk, this set of mostly group written originals succeeds in pushing the envelope in the tradition of the best progressive jazz in contemporary times no matter what freak flag it flies under. Anyone who's dug progressive jazz in the past has something new to look forward to.”
~ Midwest Record Recap

“Bottom line: few fusion groups can compete with such jazz-oriented diversity. The trio of singers, scat-savvy Sfraga, Mala Waldron (Mal's daughter) who doubles on keyboards, and Thompson doubling on percussion, bark out phrases with the bite of a brass section, and Barbara's soprano cuts through massed sonorities like a laser. On "Be There," tenorist Allen Won adds his horn to the vocal blend, creating four-note chords while the feeling of 3-against-4 pervades the track. On the title tune, Sfraga and her fearless 'voicists' swing in 5/4 as Won's soprano sax weaves soothing obligati. Sfraga's high, thin voice has no difficulty coping with her own wordiness on "Cool Water;" the lyrics are crystal clear. Kudos to Christopher Sullivan for choosing acoustic bass to get that distinctive growl.” ~ Jazz Times Magazine

A favorite of critics and fans alike, The Timelessness Project's NEW mixed-media venture "Timelessnessity" features the ensemble's creative sounds and original compositions intertwined with the ‘journeyart’ of Barbara Sfraga, and the evocative photography of Barbara Sfraga, Michael T.A. Thompson & Mala Waldron.

Since Barbara was gifted with 12 songs from songwriting team: ‘soundrhythium’ Michael T.A. Thompson and triple-threat pianist/vocalist/songwriter Mala Waldron in 2003, The Timelessness Project has expanded it’s writing process to the complete group, which reflects on their 2006 release Timelessness Frozen in Time. The recording features their original compositions, while the cover art is adorned with drawings by Barbara composed at the mixing session.

The Timelessness Project’s let-it-flow way of being and constant evolution inspired Barbara’s 2006 book, The Subway Series: A Book of Drawings Sprinkled with Words. Some of the Words referred to in the title are the ensemble’s lyrics from Timelessness Frozen in Time. The effortless flow of all this creativity led to Barbara’s murals on Sullivan’s bass and T.A.’s drums, which in turn naturally led to the Timelessnessity mixed-media venture.

HOW IT ALL CAME TOGETHER...
Described as consistently inventive (Billboard), a master of bold interpretation (Jazz Times), jazz singing at its cutting edge best (LA Times), Barbara Sfraga has been on a musical journey that evolved from church organist to ‘voicist’.

In 1989, ‘bass artisan’ Christopher Dean Sullivan met kindred spirit ‘soundrhythium’ Michael T.A. Thompson and collaborated to form "Center Search Quest", offering some of the most fun, unbridled jazz you'll ever hear. "Center Search Quest" is just that: a search for the center of sound and vibration. This ensemble taps into each other's spirit in such a way that their improvisations become spontaneous compositions. When they ultimately fall into a tune, it's a purely organic occurrence. All walls are down, everything is up for grabs and anything can happen.

Barbara stepped into 'The Quest' in 2002, after hearing Chris and T.A. perform at Harlem's Lenox Lounge Monday night sessions. Barbara instantly knew she had found her kindred sprits, and the three embarked on yet another odyssey. Throughout the course of the next 2 years they collaborated ("bassdrums'n'voicethang"), performing some of Barbara's originals as well as their unconventional arrangements of jazz and pop standards. During that time, T.A. made a comment to Barbara that what she needed to do next, was an all-original project. Although she had a few of her originals sprinkled throughout her previous two recordings (“Oh, What a Thrill”, Naxos Jazz and “Under the Moon”, A440 Music Group) she was more known for her unconventional twists on jazz and pop standards ('pops-terdizing' jazz and 'jazz-terdizing' pop...)

In 2003, T.A. and 'triple threat' pianist/vocalist/songwriter Mala Waldron began a writing collaboration. Both had been writing for their own projects, and after being commissioned to write material for another musician, they realized they had a distinct writing chemistry and decided to expand that toward writing for other artists. Shortly thereafter, they surprised Barbara with material they had written expressly for her, with the invitation to write lyrics to any of the tunes she resonated with. That gift put this present journey into motion. Soon after, the unit began regularly writing together toward what would become "The Timelessness Project". Mala Waldron (who has her own ensemble: "The Mala Waldron Group") officially joined the unit in the summer of 2004. Her much awaited first U.S. recording, the critically acclaimed "Always There", features nine of Mala's originals an