Soprano Angela Brown literally dreamed up her new music project, Spectrum. She woke up after sleeping and had the name and the type of music she would perform.
Also part of the dream: Pianist and producer Joshua Thompson, her co-host of the podcast “Melanated Moments in Classical Music.” And Joshua’s twin brother, saxophonist Jared Thompson of the jazz group Premium Blend.
Now that dream is a reality. The three musicians played their first gig at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church’s Juneteenth festival, just two months after the trio formed.
With Spectrum, the trio performs original songs as well as covers, spanning jazz, classical, funk, soul and hits from the Great American Songbook.
(To keep up to date with Spectrum performances, follow Angela Brown, Joshua Thompson and Jared Thompson on social media.)
While visiting to record the audio for Play List, Mirror Indy’s first arts and culture newsletter, Brown and Joshua Thompson sat down to discuss how the group was formed, the art of blending several different genres and what comes next.
Question: Do you plan to record or just perform live?
Angela Brown: We are definitely going to do both. We’re looking to do more festivals, but we are open to what the universe would have us do.
Q: Why are you drawn to festivals?
Joshua Thompson: The energy of a festival matches the energy that we’re bringing, and they’re just fun.They’re a wonderful way to spread what Spectrum is around the country and around the world.
AB: We are definitely open to concerts, especially around here and on out into the world.
Q: Spectrum is such a mix of so many different kinds of music, how do you blend those sounds together?
JT: We’re not trying to overthink anything. It’s calculated experimentation, and that’s really fun. We just make sure that everyone is playing to each other’s strengths. We have a fabulous music director in Jared Thompson, and he helps us stitch things together.
Q: You performed together for the first time just two months after forming. How does it work?
AB: This trio can go in front of a chamber orchestra, a jazz ensemble, it can always work into something else. So, we are making ourselves very malleable and easy. As long as the arrangements are there, the groove is going to be there.
Q: Joshua, is this your first time being in a group with Jared?
AB: (Laughs.) He was in the womb with Jared!
JT: When Premium Blend first started, I was playing trumpet. We’ve performed together a couple times this year, but as far as being in a group, yeah this would be the first time.
I think we’re finally at the point where we’re secure enough in who we are as individual artists to come together. And we still get along for the most part — I don’t know if I could have said that eight years ago. (Laughs). But we’ll see what happens. He’s not going anywhere, and neither am I.
Q: You mentioned in your Instagram announcement that you’re planning on sharing some Great American Songbook tunes. Will you write original songs or stick with covers?
AB: Both! It will all be original for us. Even with the American Songbook, what song has a saxophone solo? We can do that. We would just have to make it fit.
Like this past weekend, we had a spiritual that we were doing — Joshua was playing a piano spiritual afterwards, and we just did a mashup. The best thing I can say is, you’ll just have to come to a performance because it’s going to be like what’s left in the corner in the refrigerator. It’s like, “Ok, I’ve got these children to feed. What I got?” You go in there and find that leftover onion, some bitter cheese and then you mix it up, and honey, you’ve got deliciousness.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Mirror Indy reporter Breanna Cooper covers arts and cultures. Email her at breanna.cooper@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X @BreannaNCooper.
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