''Xenogenesis Suite'' is an album by American jazz flautist Nicole Mitchell with her Black Earth Ensemble, which was recorded in 2007 and released on Firehouse 12. The work was commissioned by

Chamber Music America Chamber Music America (CMA) is an American non-profit organization that provides small ensemble professionals with access to a variety of professional development, networking, and funding resources. CMA's regular initiatives include grants, awards, ...

and premiered at

Vision Festival The Vision Festival is the world's premier festival of experimental music (typically free jazz/avant-garde jazz), art, film and dance, held annually in May/June on the Lower East Side of New York City from 1996 to 2011, in Brooklyn from 2012 to 20 ...

XII in New York City. It was her first suite based on the '' Xenogenesis'' novels of American science fiction writer

Octavia Butler Octavia Estelle Butler (June 22, 1947 – February 24, 2006) was an American science fiction writer who won several awards for her works, including Hugo, Locus, and Nebula awards. In 1995, Butler became the first science-fiction writer to recei ...

.''Xenogenesis Suite''
at Firehouse 12

Reception

In his review for

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

, François Couture states "Moving, intricate, and immediate, this album marks a paradigm shift in her work as a composer, toward a much more personal voice." The ''

Down Beat ''DownBeat'' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm that it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1 ...

'' review by Greg Burk notes "Though the intent is to prod rather than please, Mitchell’s dyspeptic horn harmonies possess a coarse beauty."Burk, Greg. ''Xenogenesis Suite'' review. ''Down Beat'' October 8: page 83. Print. The

All About Jazz ''All About Jazz'' is a website established by Michael Ricci in 1995. A volunteer staff publishes news, album reviews, articles, videos, and listings of concerts and other events having to do with jazz. Ricci maintains a related site, ''Jazz Near ...

review by Troy Collins says "A surprisingly effective combination of disturbing surrealism delivered with raw emotion and lyrical experimentation, ''Xenogenesis Suite'' is an endlessly rewarding listen."Collins, Troy
''Xenogenesis Suite'' review
at

The Penguin Jazz Guide observed "Mitchell has made a considerable splash with her Black Earth Ensemble, whose music is not so much a throwback to 40 years ago as a strong reminder of how much has moved forward in cultural politics. Some of the creative ethos is still the same though, and there is no mistaking the power in Mitchell's writing. ... The ensemble is tightly disciplined but still free to explore the dimensions of Mitchell's big ideas on their own individual terms".

Track listing

All compositions by Nicole Mitchell # "Wonder" – 4:56 # "Transition A" – 5:54 # "Smell of Fear" – 5:36 # "Sequence Shadows" – 4:42 # "Oankali" – 4:22 # "Adrenalin" – 5:43 # "Transition C" – 5:49 # "Before and After" – 6:39 # "Down of a New Life" – 7:01

Personnel

* Nicole Mitchell – flute *David Boykin –

tenor sax The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while ...

*David Young –

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ...

flugelhorn The flugelhorn (), also spelled fluegelhorn, flugel horn, or flügelhorn, is a brass instrument that resembles the trumpet and cornet, but has a wider, more conical bore. Like trumpets and cornets, most flugelhorns are pitched in B♭, though ...

*Mankwe Ndosi – vocals *

Tomeka Reid Tomeka Reid (born 1977) is an American composer, improviser, cellist, curator, and teacher. Reid has performed and recorded with the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Nicole Mitchell, Anthony Braxton, the AACM Great Black Music Ensemble, Mike Reed's L ...

– cello *Justin Dillard – piano * Josh Abrams –

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

*Marcus Evans – drums *Arveeayl Ra – percussion

References

{{Authority control 2008 albums Nicole Mitchell (musician) albums