Sydney Boettcher
Staff Writer

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On Nov. 1, jazz drummer Sean Dobbins graced The Alluvion with the performance of the year. He played alongside his band, The Sean Dobbins Ensemble. This show was part of their “The World We Know!” series, where they perform the titular project front to back.

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The Ensemble featured Dobbins on drums, Athena Johnson on vocals, Dwight Adams on trumpet, Andrew Bishop on saxophone, Rick Roe on piano, and Christian Dillingham on stand-up bass.

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The first song, ‘Freedom Day’, was an energetic start to the evening. Johnson’s soaring vocals, Adam’s erratic trumpet playing, and let us not forget the rhythm section; Dillingham provided a rock-solid foundation for the rest of the band’s flashier parts.

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Before every song, Johnson would give a small speech about the purpose and inspiration behind each piece. ‘Freedom Day’ was written to “depict the excitement, skepticism, and uncertainty that the slave felt as a result of the Emancipation Proclamation.”

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It absolutely captured that frantic energy. Excitement and fear are already very similar emotions, and ‘Freedom Day’ toes that line masterfully, wholly encompassing the emotional rollercoaster.

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The second song was the title track, ‘The World We Know’, and it ushered us into a calmer listening experience. It was much more soothing than the first song, and it had a warm sound to it. It had a really nice swing to it, as well.

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The third song was called ‘Dare to Dream’, and was about the importance of the inner child: “It takes dreams, visions, and bravery for a person to embrace their true meaning of self and understand how they can impact and change the world.”

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‘Dare to Dream’ was joyous and full of energy, like an excited bouncing child. It was so hopeful, I was invigorated just hearing it. It also doesn’t hurt that it had a sensational walking bassline. It walked me up and down the block like a dog, and I couldn’t be happier about it.

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After the emotional highs of ‘Dare to Dream’, the band brought us back down to Earth with ‘A Mother’s Cry… A Father’s Tear’ (which I will just be calling ‘A Mother’s Cry’ for brevity’s sake). ‘A Mother’s Cry’ was inspired by John Coltrane’s ‘Alabama’, which was itself inspired by the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing on Sep. 15, 1963, that killed four young African-American girls: Addie Mae Collins (14), Cynthia Wesley (14), and Carol Denise McNair (11).

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“Today, senseless violence continues to be a major problem in our world.” Johnson said as Dobbins started up the intro to ‘A Mother’s Cry’. “We are all caught in this web of destruction, and it is time that we come together.”

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‘A Mother’s Cry’ was slow, contemplative, and deeply pained. The composition left plenty of space for the audience to stew in their own thoughts on the acts of violence that inspired it. It was a powerful performance that sent chills down my spine.

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The fifth song, ‘The Village Speaks,’ was much lighter than ‘A Mother’s Cry’. Inspired by the African proverb “It takes a village to raise a child,” ‘The Village Speaks’ advocates for stronger communal bonds and a warm, friendly environment for children to grow up in. “Today, more than ever, we must find a way to get past our differences and remember that each of us has a responsibility to all of our children. If the Village could speak, what would it say?”

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That is the message and the question at the core of this song. Have we reached this platitude? If we do, what will it feel like? ‘The Village Speaks’ was a nice pick-me-up after the sorrow of ‘A Mother’s Cry.’ Its intro was a bombastic and booming drum solo from Dobbins that slowly lowered in intensity to a performance so subtle, you could hear Dobbins whispering the drum beats to himself under his breath. It was hypnotic. Once the rest of the band joined in, that warm, friendly environment I mentioned earlier blossomed from the music. It was beautiful.

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The next song continued this theme of connectivity. ‘Generations’ asked the audience to break through the time that divides us, to step over the generational gap and come together. It was friendly and upbeat; it felt like walking through a neighborhood where everybody knows and likes everybody else.

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The seventh song, ‘In Memory Of,’ was one of my favorites. A tribute to all the friends, family, and loved ones we’ve lost. It was a song of grieving, but also of celebration. There was genuine happiness in the performance. My favorite part was that the lyrics of the song recognize that one day, we too will be nothing but memories, and that we’d also like to be celebrated by the people we leave behind. I wonder who the performers think of when they play this one.

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After a short speech from Dobbins, the band played the eighth and final song, ‘The Wind.’ Another standout composition, in my opinion. It was so lively and positive, it made me want to get up and dance. I feel that it was the simplest song they performed that evening, and that is by no means a bad thing. It did everything it needed to, and I got everything I wanted out of it.

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It was an incredible show. Everyone involved gave 110% that night, but I’d like to bring special attention to Dillingham. His bass was always on point, and while I might be a little biased (as a bassist myself), I strongly feel that it is one of the most important positions in any band.

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This concert was cinematic; it felt like listening to a movie. It was thematically dense, with themes of community, love, and healing. I can safely count it amongst my favorite concerts I’ve seen this year. If the Sean Dobbins Ensemble is ever back in town, I implore you to buy tickets; musical experiences like this are few and far between.