About The Recording
Beneath the Canopy is saxophonist Ari Silberman’s debut album. He fronts a quartet and woodwind ensemble that performs his dynamic original music, featuring LA-staple musicians Josh Nelson, Christian Euman, Jake Leckie, Erin Bentlage, and his long-time teacher, Brian Walsh. Developed with producer and mentor Daniel Rotem, Silberman explores solitude, nature, self-confidence, and deep relationships in this 11-track reflection. The title “beneath the canopy” captures the array of concepts on the record and the diverse set of songs that comprise it.
Silberman is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and music teacher. He recorded this debut album while pursuing his teaching credential at Cal State Northridge. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Sonoma State University and is a Distinguished Jazz-Studies Graduate. A native angeleno, his first album explores musical influences and includes many of his close mentors.
Silberman embarked on his debut album focusing on music for jazz quartet, woodwind ensemble, and the blend of the two ensembles. Two woodwind pieces bookend the album: “Dinosaur Point” and “Passing,” while the third, “Hummingbird,” centers it. The bouncing bass clarinet line, quick and agile clarinet interjections, and smooth flute melody recall a hummingbird’s flight.
Silberman performs his late grandfather Rabbi Harvey Fields’s translation of the poem “Meditation for the Turning of the Year” during his own composition of the same name. Strongly influenced by his grandfather and his Jewish identity, Ari recounts the line “let my senses be open to bearers of wisdom and new light,” and uses it as a spiritual guide. The poem also inspired the piece that follows it, “Blossoming into Blessing,” a saxophone-led ballad that develops the melodic content of the preceding tune.
The angular melody of “Augmented Blues” with its changing time feels and extended form, reflects on the seemingly endless timeline of the pandemic. It showcases the twists, turns, and lifestyle changes we all experienced, utilizing phrase-length, metric-modulation, and arrangement. Silberman is moved by his musical heroes. His composition “Waitin’” is inspired by Horace Silver and Dexter Gordon, and he arranged Kurt Weill’s “Mack the Knife” after Sonny Rollins’s own timeless version.
The title track “Beneath the Canopy” returns to the theme of connecting with others, and shows that there’s still room for exploration in literal and metaphorical confined areas. With a nod towards ballads’ evocation of love, “If the Moon Turns Green,” is Silberman’s featured ballad with vocalist Erin Bentlage. “A Determined Ray of Sun,” written by saxophonist and producer Daniel Rotem, begins with a collective quartet improvisation that emphasizes intentional interaction between band members. The track’s meditative melodies convey the imagery of the title: “a ray of sun determined to breach the canopy and reach the forest’s floor.” Finally, the final woodwind composition, “Passing,” closes the album.
Ari’s debut album reflects his personal and musical upbringing and aims to capture the contrasts and synergies of all that coexists beneath the canopy. | 
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