“NO THIS ISN’T JAZZ EITHER “ by Marc Soucy

With “No This Isn’t Jazz Either,” Marc Soucy continues to defy musical expectations and genre conventions, pushing the boundaries of instrumental storytelling in his ongoing STIR: Soundscapes Evoking Realities Only Imagined series. As the title cheekily suggests, this piece dances around jazz influences without ever fully stepping into the genre—embracing improvisational flair, tonal exploration, and rhythmic complexity while maintaining its own unclassifiable identity.From the very first notes, “No This Isn’t Jazz Either” seduces the listener with syncopated rhythms, layered textures, and rich harmonic palettes that hint at a jazz sensibility—then quickly pivot into something else entirely. Soucy’s compositional voice is confident and unpredictable, moving fluidly between styles with a kind of effortless grace. The track unfolds like a short film—dynamic, witty, slightly mysterious, and utterly immersive.

What’s striking is how Soucy maintains emotional clarity even amid structural playfulness. Echoes of jazz, electronica, ambient, and modern classical music swirl together, yet the composition never feels chaotic. Instead, it feels like controlled freedom—a masterful illusion where every shift in tone or tempo feels both surprising and inevitable. The track showcases not only Soucy’s deep musical vocabulary but also his seasoned understanding of mood and pacing, honed over decades as a producer and composer. As with the other entries in the STIR series, “No This Isn’t Jazz Either” functions as a kind of mini soundtrack—evocative, cinematic, and narrative-driven. It’s a sonic vignette that creates a vivid internal world, rich with atmosphere and possibility. The production is crisp and nuanced, with each sonic element occupying its space perfectly, likely a testament to Soucy’s long-standing expertise behind the mixing board.

Fans of Soucy’s earlier works like “Tashkent Club Fire” and “The Tong” will recognize his signature approach here: genre-defying, emotionally intelligent, and meticulously crafted. Yet this track carries a lightness and wit that’s refreshing—a wink to the listener, a reminder that exploration can be playful as well as profound. In “No This Isn’t Jazz Either,” Marc Soucy offers more than a song—he offers a conversation with music itself, daring us to let go of labels and simply listen. It’s another brilliant chapter in a series that continues to surprise, challenge, and delight.