With his new album There’s Beauty Enough in Being Here, School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design Associate Professor Noam Lemish continues to build on his cross-cultural exploration of jazz – with some help from a friend and fellow York University professor.
When Lemish began planning a follow-up to his 2024 Juno Award-nominated album Twelve, he decided it was time to try something new. In fact, two things he had never done before would shape his next project.
“I've always loved the configuration of saxophone, piano, bass and drums,” says Lemish. “It's an ensemble I’ve been using professionally for over 20 years, but I've never recorded an album with it.”
That first “never” quickly led to a second; if he was going to record with that setup, he knew exactly who he wanted on saxophone: his friend and colleague Sundar Viswanathan, also an associate professor in York’s Department of Music and a Juno Award winner.
Lemish had long wanted to collaborate with Viswanathan in the studio, but despite performing together for more than a decade, the opportunity never presented itself. There’s Beauty Enough in Being Here became the perfect moment to bring that long-imagined partnership to life.
The two are a natural fit, both sharing an interest in crossing musical borders and using improvisation to explore identity and connection. Lemish’s approach bridges cultures, disciplines and artistic forms, blending jazz improvisation with global musical traditions and drawing inspiration from poetry and philosophy. Viswanathan’s work fuses Indian classical and other world music influences with jazz improvisation, producing compositions that are rhythmically intricate, melodically fluid and emotionally resonant.
In addition to performing together, Lemish and Viswanathan collaborate as educators. Both teach music theory and composition at York, and they frequently exchange ideas about teaching methods, curriculum and approaches that help students learn more effectively. Their conversations often bridge performance, composition and theory, reflecting how practical skills, creative exploration and scholarly understanding intersect in both their classrooms and on stage.
Viswanathan notes their shared musical philosphies were what first brought them together. Lemish felt those common values – alongside Viswanathan’s talent and deep familiarity with his work – would enrich the album. He describes Viswanathan as a uniquely expressive musician and improviser, whose ability to interpret and personalize his compositions adds a distinctive voice to the album.
Still, what mattered most was their bond. “I'm a big believer in the power of friendship when it comes to music making,” says Lemish. “When there is friendship and camaraderie, the music benefits – especially jazz, which is so interactive.”
For There’s Beauty Enough in Being Here, Lemish and Viswanathan were joined by bassist Andrew Downing and drummer Nick Fraser, both award-winning musicians, to record a suite of compositions Lemish had written – some dating back decades – but never recorded.
The resulting album reflects Lemish’s intercultural inspirations. Several tracks draw on his time in Bhutan during a residency, incorporating Bhutanese folk melodies and rhythms. Another piece is based on a theme by classical composer Robert Schumann, demonstrating how Lemish integrates European classical influences into his jazz compositions.
A guiding influence for the album came from a poem by Portuguese writer Fernando Pessoa called “Beyond the Bend.” Its lines – “Let's pay attention only to where we are / There's enough beauty in being here and not somewhere else” – resonated with Lemish’s approach to performance and improvisation. “The notion of the present moment being the only moment we actually have is so central to making music. In my view, the key ingredient to successful improvisation is the ability to be in the present moment,” he says.
At the same time, the poem reflects the mood and experience Lemish hopes the album conveys. “Good music allows us to forget everything other than what it feels like to be alive in this moment,” he says. “I hope that when people listen to my album, they can be in the present moment.”
Viswanathan admires his co-performer's dedication to emotional honesty. “When he writes music, he invests his own emotionality into it,” he says. “Because of that, the work has meaning – in beauty, form, structure and reference. But at its essence, he writes honestly. And when it feels that way, it’s more of a pleasure to play.”
Through their musical and academic collaboration, Lemish and Viswanathan demonstrate how creativity, cultural exploration and mentorship can intersect. There’s Beauty Enough in Being Here offers listeners an opportunity to experience inventive jazz and the synergy of friendship, scholarship and artistry in action.
Audiences can experience There’s Beauty Enough in Being Here live during a release concert on Nov. 15 at Heliconian Hall in Toronto.
For more information about the album and concert, visit noamlemish.com.