Farnell Newton - Feel The Love (Posi-Tone Records)

Emotional integrity is the keynote address when Farnell Newton plays his trumpet with heartfelt and hopeful expressiveness entreating us to “Feel the Love.” As this 2021 album covers a wide range of moods and genres, Newton's trumpet playing remains steadily focused on portraying the subtle and tasteful elements of his style. He pushes melodicism to the forefront while also demonstrating his formidable command of the instrument. The whole album is truly a labor of love. To make this happen, Newton traveled east from Portland Oregon to New York City, to work with Posi-Tone and their capable rhythm section of pianist Art Hirahara, bassist Boris Kozlov, and drummers Rudy Royston and Joe Strasser.

The album also features wonderful guest appearances from several of Farnell's favorite saxophonists, including Jaleel Shaw, Braxton Cook, Brandon Wright, and Patrick Cornelius. With an amazing combination of diverse talents, several brilliant performances, and an evocative program of musical compositions, Farnell Newton keeps everything moving steadily straight forward, and continues to announce he is an important and emerging voice on today's jazz scene.

1. Feel The Love 04:43

2. Affectionately Roy 04:16

3. I'll Catch You 04:50

4. A Child Not Yet Born 05:13

5. The Bluest Eyes 06:34

6. Litoral 06:52

7. Pale 06:06

8. The Force Of Gravity 04:34

9. Laws Of Motion 04:37

10. Lawn Darts 05:19

11. Our Chosen Family 05:44

Farnell Newton - trumpet

Art Hirahara - piano

Boris Kozlov - bass

Rudy Royston - drums & percussion on all but 4, 6, 9

Braxton Cook - alto saxophone on 2, 10

Jaleel Shaw - alto saxophone on 3, 5, 7

Joe Strasser - drums on 4, 6, 9

Brandon Wright - tenor saxophone on 4

Patrick Cornelius - alto saxophone on 6, 9

Michael Dease - trombone on 7

Marc Free - producer

Nick O’Toole - engineer

recorded June 21, 2018 & September 17, 2019 (4, 6, 9) at Acoustic Recording, Brooklyn, NY

mixed & mastered at Woodland Studio, Lake Oswego, OR

photography by Andrew Wallner

package design by Jamie Brunson

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Michael Dease - Give It All You Got (February 26, 2021 Posi-Tones Records)

Poll-winning trombonist Michael Dease shows us just what it means to "Give It All You Got" on his eighth release for Posi-Tone. All the pieces fit together perfectly as Dease provides remarkable clarity of vision for enlisting the able assistance of Jim Alfredson on organ, Greg Tardy on saxophone, Anthony Stanco on trumpet, Gwendolyn Dease on percussion, and Ulysses Owens Jr. on drums.

This remarkable collection of hard hitting performances also features special guest appearances from saxophonist Sharel Cassity and guitarist Randy Napoleon that are seamlessly woven into the mix as the bandleader shines brightly with inspiration across a wide spectrum of styles and sounds! 

Critical ears and casual listeners will be delighted as Michael Dease continues to entertain and astonish, while walking the talk of his charitable message to "Give It All You Got."

1. A Sliver Of Silver 05:47

2. Climb The Mountain 07:04

3. Dave's Boogie-Down 05:58

4. Lake Toxaway Getaway 04:56

5. Parker's Fancy 04:57

6. Ritmo De Brevard 06:08

7. The Next Level 05:18

8. Transylvania County Funk Parade 06:08

9. Word To The Wise 05:23

10. Zanderfied 05:58

Michael Dease - trombone

Anthony Stanco - trumpet, flugelhorn 6

Gregory Tardy - tenor saxophone

Jim Alfredson - organ

Ulysses Owens Jr. - drums

Gwendolyn Dease - congas 1, 4, 6, 8, 10; triangle 5, 6

Brooklyn Dease - percussion 6

Luther Allison - drums 3, 9

Sharel Cassity - alto saxophone 5

Randy Napoleon - guitar 8

produced by Marc Free

engineered by Nick O'Toole

recorded September 22, 2019 at Acoustic Recording, Brooklyn, NY

mixed & mastered at Woodland Studio, Lake Oswego, OR

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OSU Jazz Orchestra (feat. Michael Dease) - Solid Gold (2018)

Solid Gold is the first commercially released recording by the Oklahoma State University Jazz Studies Program. The CD features two-time GRAMMY winning trombonist/composer Michael Dease backed up by the eighteen students of the OSU Jazz Orchestra.

You Dig?

Solid Gold

Decisions

Out Front

Gorgeous Gwen

Discussao

Good and Terrible

After You’ve Gone

Tommy Poole: director

Ryan Hatcher: trumpet

Matt Herron: trumpet

Kevin Kamau: trumpet

Tyler Murray: trumpet

Noah Mennenga: trumpet (8)

Charlie Chadwell: alto sax, flute

Ashley Krogstad: alto sax (1, 3, 5, 7)

Marcos Alvarez: alto sax, flute (2, 4, 6, 8)

Sydney Pointer: tenor sax, clarinet

Eric Stults, tenor sax, clarinet

Matthew Floeter: baritone sax (1-3, 5, 7, 8)

Hayden Anderson: baritone sax, bass clarinet (4, 6)

Jacob Eyler: trombone

Kyle Hunt: trombone

Paul Bussert: trombone

Dorien Tate: bass trombone

Dylan Shadoan: piano

Bradley Spears: guitar (6)

Mickey Webster: bass

Matt Durkee: drums

Featuring

Michael Dease: trombone

Michael Dease - Reaching Out (POSI-TONE RECORDS January 26, 2018)

Trombonist Michael Dease brings together a new group of hands to help engage his audience by Reaching Out. Assembling a diverse group of voices, both young and old, Dease succeeds in creating an artful conglomeration of supporting talent featuring saxophonists Walt Weiskopf and Ralph Bowen, vibraphonist Behn Gillece, bassist Peter Brendler, pianist Luther Allison, and drummer Zach Adleman. Dease s skillful band leading keeps the music steadily straight forward as the group undertakes an exciting program of new compositions and intelligent arrangements of some new and familiar melodies. With yet another enjoyably swinging affair firmly grounded in both tradition and exploration from start to finish, Dease continues reaching ever higher for the blue skies of a brighter tomorrow. Listeners will certainly agree that Dease s new album succeeds in delivering a compelling and engaging message that encourages everyone to continue Reaching Out.

www.michaeldease.com

Behn Gillece - Walk Of Fire (POSI-TONE RECORDS 2017)

Vibraphonist Behn Gillece has been a fixture on the New York jazz scene for the past decade, notably in his project with one of this era’s great tenor sax player/composers, Ken Fowser. Gillece also has a cooker of a new album, Walk Of Fire due out mid-month from Posi-Tone Records.

This is the most straight-ahead, unselfconsciously infectious stuff that the prolific, often ambitiously eclectic Gillece has come up with since his days with Fowser. The title track, a terse, brisk swing shuffle, opens the album. Listen closely to pianist Adam Birnbaum’s judicious, rhythmic chord clusters and you may get the impression that the song was originally written for Rhodes. Or maybe that’s just what vibraphonists come up with. Trombonist Michael Dease contributes a leapfrogging solo, and then the high-powered frontline – also comprising trumpeter Bruce Harris and tenor player Walt Weiskopf – are out.

Fantasia Brasileira, true to its title, is an easygoing bossa that Dease takes to New Orleans before Gillece ripples gracefully through the horn section’s big raindrop splashes.. Moodily resonant horns rise over bassist Clovis Nicolas and drummer Jason Tiemann’s blithe, latin-tinged, fingersnapping stroll in Bag’s Mood, Harris taking a low-key turn in the spotlight before the bandleader raises the ante.

Likewise, Dauntless Journey follows a balmy, allusively chromatic tangent out of Gillece’s resonant intro, maintained by Weiskopf, with brief elevation from Dease before the vibraphone subtly alters the groove. Battering Ram gives Weiskopf a launching pad for Weiskopf’s Coltrane-channeling, Dease’s contrasting gruffness and Birnbaum’s precise, rippling attack over quick, punchy, syncopation.

Gillece and Birnbaum blend subtly intertwining lines and then shift into separate lanes in the moody Reflective Current, a quartet number. Something New follows a similarly pensive, waltzing tempo: the point where the vamping grey-sky horns drop out completely makes a tasty jolt to the ears.  Specter, a catchy, vamping clave number, features Gillece’s most expansive but purposeful solo in this set and a welcome, tantalizingly brief confrontation between vibes and piano.

Break Tune has a subtle juxtaposition of steady, emphatic swing and allusive melody, echoed by Weiskopf before Gillece goes vamping and Harris spirals triumphantly. Artful metric shifts and Gillece’s rippling staccato raise the vamps of the concluding tune, Celestial Tidings above the level of generic. Marc Free’s production is characteristically crisp: the lows on System Two’s concert grand piano cut through as much as every flick of the cymbals.

Michael Dease - All These Hands (POSI-TONE RECORDS 2016)

Trombonist Michael Dease delivers a unifying message about the Jazz diaspora and the impassioned assistance of “All These Hands.” The program’s message is carefully constructed to provide listeners with a musical narrative about the evolution of the jazz art form as it spread through the different regions and localities of America. To provide assistance in bringing his vision to fruition, Dease assembled an all-star lineup of musicians including trumpeter Etienne Charles, alto saxophonist Steve Wilson, pianist Renee Rosnes, bassist Gerald Cannon, and powerhouse drummer Lewis Nash, along with a number of special guests like Rodney Whitaker, Randy Napoleon and Rufus Reid.

With a thoughtful program of original compositions and an uplifting message of inclusivity, “All These Hands” remains insightfully straight forward, steadily swinging, and refreshingly melodic enough to evoke a wide assortment of bright moments to discerning jazz fans everywhere." 

Michael Dease Website

Michael Dease - Father Figure (2016)

Label:

Source: Allboutjazz - Dan Bilawsky

Style: Modern Jazz

GAB's Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Paying it forward is simply a given in jazz. Long before the music was welcomed in ivory tower institutions and codified for classroom consumption at all levels, seasoned musicians were sharing their hard-earned knowledge with aspiring youngsters on bandstands and in basements, serving as guides, exemplars, nurturers, and teachers all at once. Those experienced players were musical father figures, helping the next generation(s) along on their quest to join them, and that's a role that trombonist Michael Dease aspires to on this, his third date for Posi-Tone and his seventh release in total.

Dease's paternal instincts have, no doubt, grown by leaps and bounds since he took on a larger role in jazz education at Michigan State University and became a father himself. Both experiences feed into Dease's need to do his part to bridge the gap between generations and bolster the ranks of those on the rise. Or at least that's what this album seems to say. Rather than build a band solely around known quantities for this date, Dease decided to tap into the youthful stream of musicians out there who are ready and eager to make their move. All of his choices in that department prove wise. Bassist Endea Owens is the biggest revelation here, possessing a wonderfully wide beat, an incredibly fine-tuned internal compass, pitch-perfect intonation, and solid technique. Then there's drummer Luther Allison, a player fully capable of working well in mellow and molten environments, and alto saxophonists Markus Howell and Immanuel Wilkins, strong-minded horn men who work well together and apart. Add to that list two established musicians—vibraphonist and label mate Behn Gillece and pianist Glenn Zaleski—and you have a solid band ready for action. 

 The eleven tracks presented by that band touch on the old and new. There are originals, songs from The Music Man, winners from the likes of trumpeter Claudio Roditi and the late pianist-educator Mulgrew Miller, and classics from the respective books of saxophonist Charlie Parker and trombonist Grachan Moncur III. This crew proves adept at handling all of it. They mine bluesy veins ("Church Of The Good Hustler," Moncur's "Riff Raff"), bop along with the best of them (Parker's "Confirmation"), swim in strong Brazilian currents (Roditi's "Annette's For Sure"), and capture the pure beauty embedded in the music ("Till There Was You"). Everybody gets a chance to shine, but it's Dease who shines brightest. His buttery tone, monster chops, and impeccable sense of musicality lead the way. He sets the bar high here, as any father figure would, and his bandmates rise to the challenge.

 

 

 

 

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Michael Dease - Decisions (2015)

BY S. VICTOR AARON / somethingelsereviews

I’ve might have said this before: Michael Dease is the rightful heir to the trombone legacy of Curtis Fuller, and even Fuller himself might agree. Rare is the trombonist who can match the technical proficiency, inventive phrasing and genuine feel that seems to come easily to Dease.

After making a triumphant foray into big band for his Posi-Tone debut Relentless, Dease gets back to small ensemble business for Decisions (August 28, 2015). Heading a five-piece band with Tim Green on alto sax, Glenn Zaleski on piano, Rodney Whitaker on bass and Ulysses Owens behind the drum kit, Dease makes good use of the talent he’s assembled using mostly his own compositions with a couple of standards tossed in for good measure.

Dease serves up prime post-bop in all sorts of flavors. “Grove’s Groove” has a nice shuffling groove courtesy of Owens’ precise drumming, but Zaleski’s spry solo is the high point of a series of fine solos by nearly everyone. The rhythm section forges a crisp, contemporary groove for “Jason’s Gonna Get Ya” that the horns nimbly syncopate around, but Dease composed a complexity to the song that goes well beyond being just a riff. He does the same for “Right Place Wrong Time,” a track where Green’s expressive alto steals the show. Whitaker’s taut bass work anchors a lilting swing for “Decisions,” again a highlight for Zaleski. And Owens gets to show off on the blues based “The Big D.”

Take those stellar individual performances away and you can still be blown be dazzled by Dease’s trombone. He makes it sing on “Gorgeous Gwen” and on ballads like “Everything Must Change” he knows just how much emotion to invest in his trombone to make it believable.

A model of consistency, style and grace, Michael Dease stays at the head of the class among jazz trombonists with his seventh album, Decisions.

01. Grove's Groove

02. Jason's Gonna Get Ya

03. Trayvon

04. Gorgeous Gwen

05. Decisions

06. Right Place Wrong Time

07. Everything Must Change

08. Three And One

09. You're My Everything

10. The Big D

Michael Dease: trombone

Tim Green: saxophone

Glenn Zaleski: piano

Rodney Whitaker: bass

Ulysses Owens Jr.: drums

BUY THIS ALBUM!!!

VÍCTOR