As a narrator and conceptualist, my music reflects my spirituality and its prophetic significance to humanity. My name is Olayemi Ogundola, a Nigerian Alto saxophonist, Composer and Educator. My music takes you into a deep adventure of excitement, lamentation, and meditation. My quartet's sonic adventurous effort combines jazz, liturgical and Yoruba music in the same space. The danceable poly-metric time signature leaves the audience in a state of curiosity, yet the captivating melody of the music excites the listener. My group's musical identity is crafted from JAHE; Jeduthun, Asaph and Heman Expressions. Historically, these are Sons of Korah, they are Levitical priests appointed as musicians and the king's seer back in the day. Such expression is what I am replicating in my music, and the goal is to be able to transcend with the band into that realm of divine creativity to command an atmosphere of Edification, Exhortation and Comfort. 

 

"Cloud of witnesses" was written based on the encounter I had with John Coltrane and Prophet Bob Jones. Cloud of witnesses are those who have gone ahead of us on planet earth, they have passed on the baton to us who are still here. The music is an invocation of their presence in the earth, though they are dead but their voice still echoes. I was caught up in a dream and trance in a season of my life when I began questioning my existence, and God gave me an answer through them. The music begins with a swing section, with some elements of Trane's music and ends on a hymn-like melody in compound time.

 

"Caught Up”… I was thinking more about the bass player while writing the music. I wanted the bass to be the soul of the music, so I wrote a groovy bass line, something the rest of the band can lock into. The music is from a spiritual experience I had some time ago when I was caught up in heaven in a dream. I saw myself levitating, and as soon as I got close to the cloud I stretched out my right hand and there appeared galaxies of light. I woke up with a feeling of electric current on my right hand. That experience was an initiation for me, it was my first time being caught up into the heavens. The use of percussion is a call for initiation for the listener, the sound of the Talking Drum and other percussive instruments arouses the listener to dance. Such type of music can be heard amongst Aladura churches in Nigeria. They get caught up into trance and spiritual experiences with the use  of percussive instruments in songs. Heaven is not just for the dead, the living too can be caught up and this music is an embodiment of that reality.

 

On "JUDAH, ISSACHAR & ZEBULUN" These are music of induction into the triple anointing, I wanted to create a narrative about a company of people with three identities. "Judah" , which is the first identity, is like the prevailing spirit of a young lion who has no fear. They have been imparted with a ruling anointing, such that operates with great authority. This song was written in a season when I struggled with fear, anxiety and panic attacks. Life challenges are like music with metric modulations and with a deliberate use of metric modulation, I wanted the music to have that expression. Though the harmonic rhythm could leave the listener in a state of suspense and curiosity, the melancholic melodic phrases help the listener understand the motion. The end of the song feels like a safe place after navigating the difficult metric modulation. "Issachar" is a soothing ballad which leaves the audience in a state of empathy. The song speaks of understanding the times and seasons which is the second identity. I am intentional about giving an introductory solo to the bass, I want the bass to set the mood for the band, and bring the audience to a moment of reflection into times and seasons of life. "Zebulun" which is the third identity is highly poly-metric and energetic, filled with conviction and unpredicted motions. The song gives room for the band to fully express themselves musically, an atmosphere where everyone comes alive in their space. I was thinking about writing something that elevates the soul, which I got from the meaning of the word Zebulun. Zebulun means “exalted”, which means elevated or lifted up to a high place. 

 

“Ekklesia Arising” The song has elements of Judah, Issachar and Zebulun. I was deliberate about writing something that captures the three songs. Ekklesia means the called out ones, they are the ones who have been impacted with the three identities. The three identities are elements and DNA for Ekklesia. I want the band to have a grip on the compound time and play around different times in the same space.

 

“Enriched in all utterance” The music is an expression of the expression of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. This music is free and allows the band to express till the state of nothingness.