Shigeto Versions

As he approaches a decade with Ghostly International, Shigeto and company extend a special session simply and aptly titled Versions. The full ensemble work culminates the fundamentals of the artist's upbringing, distinctive musical intuition, and connection to his collaborative community. The project's DNA traces back to Ann Arbor Community High School in the late 1990s. It was there where Zachary Saginaw and friends would jam with the school's artist in residence, jazz luminary Vincent York, earning themselves diploma-saving credits and style-shaping instincts. "(York) showed me how to play based on feeling and ear. I wouldn't be here without him," says Saginaw, dedicating the EP to his mentor. Whether in subtle or sweeping gestures, jazz has guided the drummer and producer's output from day one. Now he comes full circle with Versions, which acts as a counterpoint to recent dance-minded production and a connective thread between every era of Shigeto to date. "I wanted to show how different these songs can be when you take away the computer and make it a band," explains Saginaw. The personnel represents his closest crew and occasional stage plot: Marcus Elliot on tenor saxophone and flute, Ian Fink on keys, Brennan Duncan Andes on bass, Dez Andrés on congas, and Christopher Koltay on modular synths and analog delay. Fans will hear identifiable licks and original themes, but these songs are otherwise completely rewired, re-engineered for live instruments and interplay. "Back 2 Basics" tips a swing on The New Monday's "In Case You Forgot." The melody remains close, but the primary tune's rigidly programmed click drums wander into the pocket, splaying out with loosely sputtering fills and rolls. Here, Saginaw displays his brilliant stickwork, unplugged from any DAW constraints and instead fluid and active. Eliot's sax remains the lyrical heart of the song, and of most of the sessions, occupying the frontline with extended arpeggios. "MCW" _ an interpolation of "Field Day" (Lineage, 2011) _ rides Andes' bas...