Darren Barrett’s dB-ish To Release “The Opener” 8/22

Darren Barrett’s dB-ish Presents Experimental New Release “The Opener”

Featuring Special Guest Guitarists Kurt Rosenwinkel & Nir Felder

Due out August 22nd, 2017

With the help of his eight piece ensemble, dB-ish, Grammy Award-winning trumpeter and multi-instrumentalist Darren Barrett proudly announces the August 22nd release of his highly-anticipated new album The Opener. Featuring special guest guitarists Kurt Rosenwinkel and Nir Felder, The Opener brilliantly weaves acoustic instruments with synthesis, samples and soundscapes into the fabrics of modern jazz. “Sometimes we play open, sometimes we play structured and then sometimes we play over vamps.  What I really love is there is room for melodies, room for improvisation, room for the synthesis, room for samples and soundscapes,” says Barrett on his approach to his new project. 

dB-ish features several long time bandmates including Alexander Toth on bass, Anthony Toth on drums and Santiago Bosch on piano and keyboards. The album also includes respected saxophonists Clay Lyons and Erena Terakubo, percussionist Judith Barrett and dynamic keyboardist Chad Selph. Barrett is particularly honored to be joined by world-renowned guitarists Kurt Rosenwinkel on aptly-titled track “The Opener” and Nir Felder on composition “To Conversate”.

“Kurt is simply brilliant. His abilities are endless. Nir Felder has a wondrous approach to playing music that was so perfect for this project.”

Multi-instrumentalist Darren Barrett has had an extraordinary career. He has performed and recorded with Elvin Jones, Jackie McLean, Herbie Hancock, Roy Hargrove Big Band, Common, Will.i.am, Myron Walden Momentum, D’Angelo and Antonio Hart. After winning the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition for Trumpet in 1997, Barrett went on to release his first album First One Up in 1999 followed by Deelings in 2001, The Attack of Wren: Wrenaissance Volume 1 in 2004, and A Very Barrett Christmas in 2011.

He performed on the Grammy Award-winning Esperanza Spalding album, Radio Music Society in 2012 and in 2014 he released The Music of the Bee Gees (2014), with Energy in Motion and Live and Direct (2014), with dB Quintet. In 2015, Barrett released the reggae infused Trumpet Vibes and in 2016, he explored the work of the late Amy Winehouse on Trumpet Vibes: The Music of Amy Winehouse.

He now leads dB Quintet, Energy In Motion, dB-ish, and dB Treyo and is a professor in the Ensemble Department at his alma mater, Berklee College of Music in Boston. 

The Opener is a departure from Barrett’s previous work as it explores his interest in electronic and experimental music more-so than any of his earlier projects. “I grew up with many different influences and always experimented in the electronic world so I am so happy to have finally realized a project utilizing all of these ingredients,” says Barrett. A prime example of this is the opening track, “The Opener”, which features Kurt Rosenwinkel and incorporates soundscapes, samples and drum machines synthesized with the acoustic instruments.

Barrett considers this track to be “the heart of dB-ish”. Another standout is “Throughout” which turns the traditional jazz tune on its head with orchestrated electronics. The utilization of old synths like the Prophet 5 and Oberheim Xpander help to bring the track to life.

With The Opener Darren Barrett brings a fresh approach to the genre-bending world of experimental jazz and ushers in a new era of his already expansive career.