Hear in Now balances composed structures against spontaneous invention, taking cues from free jazz, contemporary classical traditions, folk lineages, and avant-garde experimentation. The international trio unites American violinist and vocalist Mazz Swift with cellist Tomeka Reid and Italian double bassist Silvia Bolognesi; the group focuses on original pieces that merge jazz inflections with avant-classical sensibilities. First assembled in Italy during December 2009 for the WomaJazz festival, the musicians have sustained their partnership ever since.
All three members maintain active careers as bandleaders while also contributing as sidewomen, amassing a broad collective history of performances, recordings, and collaborations alongside Anthony Braxton, Nicole Mitchell, Butch Morris, William Parker, Common, Jay-Z, and Kanye West. Their self-titled debut appeared in 2012. In January 2017 the ensemble formed half of the Roscoe Mitchell Sextet for his To John Coltrane concerts across Europe, then performed independently at the Impro Strings Workshop the following month. International Anthem released their second studio album, Not Living in Fear, in June, where it received universal critical acclaim. Griffin Rodriguez (Icy Demons, Beirut, Modest Mouse) and Alex Inglizian handled engineering duties, and Dee Alexander supplied guest vocals.
