Birthing Days

New York City–based drummer Mike Pride is mostly known in avant-garde rock and downtown jazz circles, but Birthing Days reveals the flexibility of the drummer and his band From Bacteria to Boys. Also featuring rising-star saxophonist Jon Irabagon, pianist Alexis Marcelo, bassist Peter Bitene, and a few guests, the album moves from the soulful R&B of the title track to the modern classical of “Marcel’s Hat” and the noir-ish bebop swing of “Brestwerp” to the odd-metered mayhem of “79 Beatdowns of Infinite Justice, The” and the aptly titled ballad “Lullaby for Charlie.” That song refers to his son, and the album’s liner notes outline how inspired Pride was by the birth of his first child. With this in mind, he's set out to capture all of the moods (and wild mood swings) that are part of life as a young family. Often, challenging music connotes seriousness and a lack of emotion. But Birthing Days is the sunny polar opposite of that, bursting with the excitement of its inspiration.