Steve Lacy - Anthem

What does it mean to abandon instrumental solitude for a collective architecture? Anthem, released in 1990 on labels BMG, Novus, and RCA, is not an exercise in style. It is a deliberate break with the tradition of the lone saxophonist that has defined Steve Lacy since the seventies and eighties.

From Sempre amore to More Monk: The Trajectory Toward Anthem

Steve Lacy arrives here after having erected monuments to individualism: Sempre amore in 1987 marked a precedent, but it is Anthem that executes the radical turn. We know this album will be followed by More Monk in 1991, but between the two, there is a profound transformation of artistic energy. The artist no longer composes to sound alone in his sonic bubble; he seeks to reinvent the relationship with the group.

Number One at the Opening and The Rent at the Close: A Narrative Structure

The album opens with Number One, the track that sets the tone for this new collective ambition. It closes with The Rent. Between them, four other tracks build a complete narrative arc. This is not merely a succession of songs; it is an intentional progression. The sequencing is not random; each transition prepares the arrival of the next, as if the album itself were breathing according to a rigorous internal logic.

Borrowed Poetry: Mandelstam and Frazee Serving Lacy-Avenel

The poetic dimension is central to this approach. Prelude And Anthem incorporates lyrics by Osip Mandelstam, while The Mantle features words by Mary Frazee. Prayer, meanwhile, blends composition by Steve Lacy with text by Galway Kinnell. These borrowings are not mere ornaments; they transform the very nature of the musical statement. The voice becomes a full-fledged instrument, one that dialogues with the instrumentation rather than simply overlaying it. It is also here where we fully perceive the role of Jean-Jacques Avenel: his composition J. J.'s Jam introduces a distinct signature within the collaborative project.

Review of a transitional work

The presence of additional voices transforms the collective dynamic: the singing no longer dominates the instrumentation; instead, it integrates as an organic element of the setup. Between Sempre amore (1987) and More Monk (1991), Anthem constitutes a decisive pivot that permanently rewrites the place of the saxophonist in avant-garde jazz. This transitional work does not merely add layers; it intertwines composition, poetry, and instrumentation to forge a coherent whole that heralds the enduring evolution of the soprano saxophone's role in the musical landscape at the end of the 20th century. Anthem should not be read as an album in itself, but rather as the culmination of an evolution that peaks before the next release, More Monk. It rewrites Steve Lacy's place in the history of avant-garde jazz. Between personal composition and poetic borrowing, between an augmented sextet and additional voices, he constructs a work that does not simply add sonic layers: it intertwines them to create a coherent whole. This album marks the end of an era where the soprano saxophone was synonymous with solitude, inaugurating a new phase where the instrument becomes the center of a complete sonic ecosystem.

Technical details

- Release: 1990 - Label: BMG, Novus, RCA - Tracks: 6 - Opening / Closing: Number One / The Rent