I’m thrilled that on September 11 (as part of Resonant Motion’s Jazz Up Close series) I will finally have the opportunity to play with flutist Jamie Baum, and better still to play some among her many lovely compositions. Over more than thirty years she has established a musical niche with her distinctive conception, and yet she also has the sensitivity and versatility have become an indispensable sidewoman in a wide variety of groups. I have been a fan for a long time, and here are some personal favorites culled from her wide-ranging discography.

1 ) “Seven Sides to the Story” from Sight Unheard (1995)

This driving performance features several elements that would prove to be hallmarks of Jamie’s work as a bandleader moving forward, including intricate writing, ease with “odd” time signatures, and the sensitive yet energetic drumming of her husband and collaborator, drummer Jeff Hirshfield. The flute solo, of course, is a highlight, as is trumpeter Dave Douglas’s work atop the interactive rhythm team of Hirshfield, Drew Gress, and Roberta Piket.

2 ) “Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye” from Let Yourself Go by Judi Silvano (2003)

Michael Abene’s Brazilian-flavored arrangement of this Cole Porter chestnut is a ton of fun. The resulting performance demonstrates Jamie’s fluidity as a soloist on alto flute and as a sensitive accompanist of vocalists.

3 ) “Enjoy It While It Lasts” from Blood Pressure by George Colligan (2006)

The Latin/funk tune, with Colligan on electric piano and synth, evokes fun, semi-crossover ‘70s music like CTI-era Hubert Laws. Jamie’s authoritative solo and her melody statement along with the Rhodes give it the perfect flavor.  

4 ) “Wheeler of Fortune (for Kenny Wheeler)” from Solace (2007)

One endearing aspect of Jamie’s career is her commitment to shining a light on her heroes and mentors, and the next three examples offer different iterations of this. Here she and her septet burn through a swinging tribute to trumpeter/composer Kenny Wheeler, with solos by Colligan, trumpeter Shane Endsley, and Hirshfield following the mighty flute solo.

5 ) “Toni” from the Jaki Byard Project: Inch By Inch by Yard Byard (2011)

This collective quintet also features Essiet Essiet, Adam Kolker, Jerome Harris (heard here on guitar), and George Schuller, exploring the music of the iconoclastic pianist/composer Jaki Byard. This comparatively obscure (even by the standards of the underappreciated Byard) composition demonstrates Jamie’s mastery of modern jazz waltzes and also features elegant bass clarinet work from Kolker and a swinging solo by Harris.

6 ) “Nusrat” from In This Life (2012)

If this performance consisted of only Jamie’s solo flute intro, which liberally bends both pitch and genre, it would still be worthy of attention. But when the band enters to pay tribute to Sufi vocalist Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, it is pure fire. Jamie, Amir ElSaffar on trumpet, Chris Komer on French horn, and Brad Shepik on guitar all get short but powerful solos and Dan Weiss’s tabla complement Hirshfield’s drums exquisitely.

7 ) “Poem for a Dead Soldier” from For Langston by Ken Hatfield Sextet (2013)

Jamie figures prominently throughout guitarist Hatfield’s program of compositions based on Langston Hughes poems. This one juxtaposes upbeat harmonies and asymmetrical meter with the somber words, sung here by Hilary Gardner, and Jamie weaves around those lines as well as having a solo of her own.

8 ) “Song Without Words” from Bridges (2016)

This heart-rending tribute to Jamie’s father is a wonderful demonstration of Jamie’s ballad mastery, both with the flute and the pen (here writing for her Septet+). ElSaffar’s voice and John Escreet’s piano bring us in, and Sam Sadigursky’s bass clarinet is featured prior to Jamie’s own wonderfully lyrical solo.

9 ) “Seas of Change” from Eternal Dance by Monika Herzig (2019)

Jamie has been a core member of pianist Herzig’s Sheroes ensemble, contributing this funky, modern original composition to the band’s third album. In addition to solos by Herzig and guitarist Leni Stern, there is ample room for interactive collective improvisation between Baum and her longtime frontline mate in the band, trombonist Reut Regev.

10 ) “Sorrow Song” from What Times Are These (2023)

This poetry-inspired album has gotten some well-deserved critical praise. This slyly funky track features a swaggering rap by KOKAYI preceding his recitation of Lucille Clifton’s poem and Jamie’s and Shepik’s gnarly electrified solos.