New Album: Quinn Sternberg, Pleasant Returns
Pleasant Returns (out April 4 on Mind Beach Records) is Asheville bassist Quinn Sternberg’s 5th full-length album, and his most personal musical offering to date.
The collection of seven new original compositions was recorded in his old home of New Orleans with long-time friends and collaborators Sam Taylor (tenor saxophone), Oscar Rossignoli (piano), and Peter Varnado (drums) one year after his move to North Carolina. Over the passage of time between the composition and the recording of these songs, Sternberg reflects on the evolution of their meaning to him.
In addition to returning to New Orleans to record, Sternberg used the session to return to the aesthetic of his earliest albums, focusing on live performances and acoustic instruments in favor of studio production. A departure from his prior releases, Cicada Songs and Walking on Eggshells, Pleasant Returns features four musicians playing acoustic instruments together in a room with nothing added to alter the performances in post. “Having not seen or played with my bandmates in close to a year, I wanted to do something that captured the joy of reconnecting with old friends through music,” Sternberg notes. “We’ve played a lot of great music together over the years, and I didn’t want anything to distract from our live quartet sound.”
The evolution of Sternberg’s emotional connection to the music can best be highlighted by the single Stretch. The song was written for Quinn’s oldest friend, who was going through a tough time when the composition came together. Initially, the character of the piece felt wistful and somber, being written to provide solidarity and hopes for better times. One year later, Sternberg was on the other side of a complete career rebuild and loving his new home in Asheville, and his friend, referred to as “Stretch” by his co-workers, was experiencing profound and positive life changes after emerging from his troubles. “I think the song kind of became what it was always supposed to be when I could start viewing it as a fun theme song for my friend to celebrate his resilience instead of a solemn rumination on love lost.” Stretch combines a more delicate and textural approach in its A sections with a Rock-influenced chorus, featuring standout solos by Sternberg, Rossignoli, and Taylor.
The closing ballad, Barry, was written as a eulogy for Sternberg’s uncle whose sudden death left his family shaken. A year later, the song stands as a peaceful tribute, a loving remembrance. Barry is the album’s most dynamic track, journeying from an airy piano-led intro to Sternberg’s melodic bass solo, and ultimately culminating in Taylor’s energized sax solo which riffs off of the chorus melody. With contrasting sections and a long, steady build Sternberg attempts to both tell his uncle’s story and represent his family’s mourning. Harmonically it is his most gospel-influenced song to date, using church-inspired chords to convey the spiritual nature of death. Sternberg reflects that while grief is a life-long process, it has brought some peace having a song recorded to connect with his lost uncle.
Amidst the heavier subject matters on Pleasant Returns, Sternberg also provides snapshots of simple, joyous moments. On the single Ponchatoula Strawberry, he recalls a nice afternoon in Louisiana when his partner baked a delicious pie with locally grown strawberries. The improvised section of the song features all four band members collectively building a tranquil texture to emulate the experience of eating a piece of pie cooked by a loved one. This section gets more rhythmically dense and interactive as it progresses, and the eater/listener becomes increasingly more full and satisfied.
Through instrumental stories of friendship, death, and pie, Pleasant Returns seeks to remind listeners that there is always reason for optimism, even in times of uncertainty and life change. Sternberg, Taylor, Rossignoli, and Varnado reconnect on this record with their most raw and genuine release to date.
Album: Pleasant Returns
Artist: Quinn Sternberg
Label: Mind Beach Records
- Feedback Loop (3:53)
- Ponchatoula Strawberry (4:17)
- Stretch (5:31)
- Any Day Now (3:36)
- Regal Duties (4:16)
- The Penultimate (3:58)
- Barry (5:40)
All compositions by Quinn Sternberg
Quinn Sternberg: Acoustic Bass
Sam Taylor: Tenor Saxophone
Oscar Rossignoli: Piano
Peter Varnado: Drums
Recorded at Marigny Studios
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Justin Armstrong
Album art by Jason Chrisman
Visit online at quinnsternberg.squarespace.com/
