Taking Their Turn: sinonó in Holyoke

Every jazz generation has to carve their own path, create their own networks, and forge their own artistic identity in a constantly shifting landscape. Vocalist isabel crespo pardo, cellist Lester St. Louis and bassist Henry Fraser, who performed on Dec. 13 as sinonó, are 30-somethings doing just that. They gave a concert at Holyoke Media to a mesmerized crowd of 30.

The set consisted of crespo originals sung in Spanish, pieces she called “poemsongs”. These compositions, aptly referred to as “a kind of expressionist fado, middle-of-the-night music,” by Dada Strain, revealed a simpatico trio of fearless improvisers. A vocalist of Costa Rican ancestry, crespo delivered songs with a soft-edged fierceness that fit comfortably within the ensemble. sinonó is not a band featuring vocals with accompaniment, but a fully embedded assembly of accomplished musicians creating a group sound.

While they often sung in whispers and hushed tones, crespo also offered wordless vocalizations with a pointed attack that was matched by aggressive bowed string vibrations. They also referred to the pieces as “ofrendas” or offerings, and indeed the entire concert had the feeling of a prayer service. The pause before applause at the end of songs, and the audience’s extended, enthusiastic reaction at the conclusion of the evening, were indications of the reverence we felt in the space.

Despite their reserved and modest demeanor, crespo exudes a quiet, even steely confidence. Since earning a Masters from the New England Conservatory of Music in 2021, they have been busy creating art and community in New York. In addition to leading sinonó, they have used embroidery and screen-printing to construct graphic scores, devised haunting monologues for an experimental play, Mighty Angel…, and developed their solo practice under the moniker iiisa, weaving melodies and archival recordings of their family in Costa Rica. crespo has forged this new work through a Loghaven Artist Residency, a Roulette Intermedium Residency, and a Van Lier Fellowship, and has appeared at Pioneer Works, Bang on a Can’s LOUD WEEKEND, MATA Festival, and Big Ears Festival. Like many of their peers, they are piecing together an unconventional life in the performing arts.

Bassist Henry Fraser also graduated from the New England Conservatory (in 2014), and immediately moved to New York, where he still lives. He has collaborated with guitarist Brandon Seabrook on his celebrated release, brutalovechamp (2023), as well as the forthcoming Hellbent Daydream, both on Pyroclastic Records. Another high profile collaboration has Fraser working in guitarist Mary Halvorson’s new quartet, Canis Major, along with David Adewumi and Tomas Fujiwara. They headlined the fourth day of the Vision Festival in June, where they generated an exuberant response. Fraser has many touchstones, including the late Barre Phillips, and he told us the story of being first in line to acquire one of the great bassist’s bows after his passing. Like Phillips, who made the first solo bass record in 1968 (Journal Violone) and numerous others over 50 years, Fraser has dug deep into solo practice. His fourth solo record, Pneuma, is slated for release by Kou Records in early 2026. His extensive arco work and his use of harmonics captivated our ears and sparked our imagination. We will be hearing much more from the Wellesley-born bassist in the years ahead.

The interaction between Fraser and New York-born cellist Lester St. Louis was rich and provocative. Their combined sonorities were alternately sweet and sour, pleasing and prickly, and when added with crespo’s warm vocals, provided real drama. An autodidact with perfect pitch, St. Louis developed his musical skills not by matriculating at an institution, but by auditing cello, theory and composition classes all over New York. He’s had commissions from JACK Quartet and Roulette Intermedium, performed with new music juggernauts International Contemporary Ensemble and Wet Ink Ensemble, along with artists like edi kwon, Chris Williams, Ben Lamar Gay and Pheeroan Aklaff. He’s also curated music series at Sister’s in Brooklyn and the experimental music venue, SpectrumNYC. I first met him in 2018 when he performed in Easthampton with Jaimie Branch’s Fly or Die. Talented, affable and determined, I bet St. Louis will continue to show up in all kinds of interesting musical settings.

crespo has done retreats at the women-centered Institute For the Musical Arts in Goshen, and will be involved in helping to shape a succession plan for the organization. In fact, all three members of sinonó (yesnono) have absorbed the lessons of elders and are applying them with talent and conviction, crafting a friendly takeover of the creative music environment. The rivers of imagination continue their flow.