Throttle Elevator Music's "Retrorespective" reunites Gregory Howe and Matt Montgomery with tenor Saxophonist Kamasi Washington for a fifth recording. This release contains nine original new compositions by Matt Montgomery, Gregory Howe and Kamasi Washington. Throttle Trumpet player Erik Jekabson and Kamasi sound amazing together throughout the title. This time around they are joined by rhythm section drummer Thomas McCree, guitarist Ava Mendoza, and bassist/pianist Matt Montgomery.
1. Liminality 8:21
2. Playing The Alleyway 5:25
3. February Drift 7:01
4. Flux And Solder 3:26
5. Retrorespective 2:43
6. Second Liminality 5:54
7. Subtract Limited 4:03
8. Rapid Rotation 2:22
9. February 15 7:51
Erik Jekabson
Erik Jekabson is an American trumpet player, composer, and music educator from Berkeley, California. He appears on Throttle Elevator Music IV and Throttle Elevator Music Area J.
Gregory Howe
Gregory Howe is a producer, engineer, musician and owner and founder of Wide Hive Records. Howe is an accomplished producer who has released over thirty albums through Wide Hive Records.
Kamasi Washington
Kamasi Washington is featured Saxophonist on Both Throttle Elevator Music and Phil Ranelin's Perseverance. Also as a composer Kamasi has scored for several films including Stacey Peralta's recent Independant Lens feature: Crips and Bloods: Made In America.
Matt Montgomery
Matthew Montgomery has performed or recorded with, abbreviated for brevity’s sake would include: Faye Carol, Calvin Keys, Donald “Duck” Bailey, Graham Connah, Hafez Modirzadeh, Eddie Gale, Mark Levine, Kevin Carnes and David Boyce (Professor Borris Karnaz and Black Edgar Kenyatta of BROUN FELLINIS), and Kat Ouano (CROWN CITY ROCKERS).
JOE LOVANO: tenor saxophone (1 &7), G mezzo soprano (8)
LAWRENCE FIELDS: piano
GERALD CANNON: bass
ROMAN DIAZ: congas (1, 8 & 9)
BILL STEWART: drums
All compositions by Steve Slagle,
Except “Body & Soul” by J. Green;
“Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out to Dry”;
J. Styne & S. Cahn; ”Inception” by M. Tyner
Produced By: Steve Slagle
Executive Producer: Rick Simpson
Recorded August 6, 2016 At Trading 8’s Studio, Paramus, NJ Recording & Mix Engineer: Chris Sulit
Photography & Graphic Design: Christopher Drukker
Steve Slagle on Alto Sax and Flute leads a new recording with a great line-up of diverse players who inspire a wide range of music playing five new exciting originals for the first time, as well as two classics and one solo alto sax piece. Alto Manhattan, is latino for the NYC neighborhood steve lives in-‘upper manhattan’or ‘the heights’ and the program here is: FAMILY—This composition for 2 saxes+2 drums is pure jazz, with Cuba and Africa in the make-up of what is a big family. Note Roman Diaz,from Cuba, and his great sound on Conga, as well as the whole group inter-play--all in the family! ALTO MANHATTAN, song #2 is so nice they play it twice! The first fiery take is with quartet and then later down the line Joe Lovano is added on tenor to create another harmony ( A.M.) Bill Stewarts contribution,on both takes, proves,as many know, he is one of a kind as a drummer. I KNOW THAT YOU KNOW is a lyrical alto blues oriented song that allows everyone to ‘let their hair down’. Bassist Gerald Cannon gets all the way down here! BODY+SOUL showcases Steve’s Alto alone, joining the canon of sax players who have attempted this classic ballad as a solo piece. Done in one take, Steve references Monk,Duke,’Bird and Ornette (twice!) within the structure of this classic song. INCEPTION came about after Slagle recently was asked to play with McCoy Tyners Quartet. This challenging McCoy composition eventually opens up into an extended minor blues. This is the first take of the date and notice the immediate empathy of all the players! I GUESS I’LL HANG MY TEARS OUT TO DRY, a beautiful ballad starting with the often forgotten verse, is given the romantic treatment here..Lawrence Fields piano mastery helps make this a shining version of a deep song. Finally Alto Manhattan ends with two flute pieces which are also very central to the sound of the record. HOLIDAY, the most thru-composed piece of the date,Slagle first wrote with harmonica master Toots Thielman in mind and dedicates this first recording of the song in memory of maestro Toots. Joe Lovanos G mezzo soprano along with the sound of the flute really takes the listener on a musical vacation. And with that, we have VIVA LA FAMALIA to end the proceedings -- a jam for 2 drums,bass and the flute lead. A fresh,original first take played spontaneously at the end of this unique and outstanding recording. Yes,Viva la Famalia!!
JIM EIGO, JAZZ PROMO SERVICES
272 State Route 94 South #1, Warwick, NY 10990-3363
Corpo de Dentro é o álbum de estréia do compositor, arranjador e guitarrista Lourenço Rebetez. Produzido por Arto Lindsay (Caetano Veloso, Ryuichi Sakamoto, David Byrne, Marisa Monte), o disco conta com uma formação instrumental ambiciosa: 8 sopros (trompetes, saxofones, trombones); 3 percussionistas (atabaques, timbaus, surdos virados, caxixis); piano, baixo acústico e bateria. São dez composições inéditas que, se por um lado têm o jazz evidente na maneira de tocar e nas ricas texturas harmônicas dos arranjos, têm firmes raízes no universo percussivo afro-brasileiro. Nesse sentido, a presença dos percussionistas baianos Gabi Guedes, Iuri Passos e Ícaro Sá é marcante no disco. A percussão aqui não tem uma função meramente decorativa. Pelo contrário, os naipes de atabaques, timbaus, surdos virados, combinados em arranjos inspirados, fazem deste um disco de apreensão “corporal”, feito pra se ouvir com o quadril tanto quanto com os ouvidos.
Mas, para além do uso intenso dos instrumentos de percussão nos arranjos, há ainda um sentido mais profundo, pois é das claves dos toques de candomblé e das levadas dos blocos afro-baianos que vem a matriz composicional desses dez temas instrumentais, o que faz deste um álbum de jazz profundamente brasileiro. São ritmos como opanijé, aguerê, ijexá, samba-reggae, samba afro, vassi e bravum, que se somam à cozinha potente de Henrique Gomide, Bruno Migotto e Vitor Cabral para formar os grooves enérgicos de O Corpo de Dentro. Diz Zuza Homem de Mello: “Eis Lourenço Rebetez, um jovem de 30 anos que aflora com seu corpo de dentro. Junta a riqueza rítmica da música brasileira com sopros do jazz. Com sua turma, ele provoca quem sabe ouvir música”.
01. Abertura (O Avesso das Coisas)
02. Ozu
03. O Mais Profundo é a Pele
04. Interludio 1 (Opanijé)
05. Imã
06. Pontieva
07. Birjand
08. Interludio 2 (Supernova)
09. Punjab
10. Sombrero
Lourenço Rebetez é músico de São Paulo, Brasil. Trabalha com composições e arranjos de linguagem jazzística e em colaboração com artistas de dança contemporânea, cinema e teatro. Estudou guitarra com Chico Pinheiro, composição popular e ritmos afro-brasileiros com Letieres Leite (Orquestra Rumpilezz),composição erudita no ciclo avançado da EMESP, além de piano e percussão brasileira. É formado pela Berklee College of Music em guitarra e jazz composition.
Enjoying a career which includes key roles with prominent UK symphony orchestras and big bands, plus recording/touring projects with Aretha Franklin, Quincy Jones, Tom Jones and Randy Brecker (to name but a few), trumpeter and composer/arranger Ryan Quigley now unveils his ten-track album What Doesn’t Kill You – a quintet release with Paul Booth (tenor sax, flutes), Steve Hamilton (piano, Fender Rhodes), Michael Janisch (double bass) and Clarence Penn (drums).
Having worked for a number of years with Scottish band Brass Jaw, as well as releasing his own album Laphroaig-ian Slip, Quigley’s experience shines through in this new set of originals which suggests the passion of early ‘60s hard-bop and early ‘70s fusion, yet is up to date in forward-thinking appeal. Here is music born out of strong compositional melody which, in turn, sparks honest improvisational freedom; and while it features the leader’s assured, incisive trumpet, the sense of group coequality remains blissfully evident throughout this near-hour-long session.
The swinging ‘Doctor Stage’ couldn’t be more infectious, Paul Booth’s effervescent tenor imaginings leaping off one of Quigley’s memorable, Freddie Hubbard-style unison riffs ahead of the trumpeter’s own, soaring improvisations. Slowly shifting ‘Fire Eyes’ shimmers broadly to Steve Hamilton’s piano and Clarence Penn’s soft-malleted percussion – a towering landscape of romantic horn textures embellished by distant, stadium-fanfare trumpet.
Characterized by Janisch’s simple, leaping figures and Clarence Penn’s softly pulsing rhythms, the lazy heat of ‘Green Light’ spotlights Hamilton’s eloquent piano, punctuated by gentle trumpet and sax phrasing; and an underlying poignancy in ‘Hymn To Their Homeland’ is affirmed by the creative openness of its solo bass introduction and the elegant mystery of Paul Booth’s low, swooning flute – an episode which is both affecting and majestic.
The deep groove of title track ‘What Doesn’t Kill You’ offers still greater freedom as Quigley’s blistering, stratospheric technique combines with Penn’s tumultuous drumming; and supported by Michael Janisch’s agile bass resonances, while Hamilton’s Fender Rhodes extemporisations are especially sweet. ‘Say What You See’ possesses that contemporary jazz-fusion edge, its rattling propulsion encouraging fiery soloing amidst the brightest ensemble colors (Penn matching both Quigley and Booth for voltaic energy); and the wide swing of ‘The Long Journey Home’ pulls out all the stops – a full-on vibe with the melodic framework to prompt powerful, often raucous individual expressions.
This release – bookended by lyrical, echoic solo trumpet – finds Ryan Quigley delighting in the opportunity of working with good friends who share his innate desire for musical integrity, and whom he also counts amongst his musical heroes: “My hope is that this recording captures something of that ambition, and that listeners can feel its warmth, depth of feeling… and friendship.”
“Live Jazz Playing at its best.”★★★★ The Guardian (live review)
"Full of sparkle and dynamics... Hugely enjoyable."London Jazz
"A fine band of like minded musicians... Classy."★★★★ Jazzwise Magazine
"An exhilarating evening of jazz... Steeped in the traditions of the idiom, but in no way restricted by those traditions."Seen & Heard International (live review)
"Strong melodic themes are a constant throughout and the playing from a stellar cast is terrific... Bright, inventive and vivacious."★★★★ The Jazz Mann
"Ryan Quigley proves with his latest recording that he can write swinging and engaging tunes as well as he plays them. A very satisfying set indeed demanding frequent replays."★★★★ All About Jazz
"Strong melodies, a cohesive, collective sound, and the assured improvisational flights one would associate with Quigley and his band mates."Bebop Spoken Here
"It’s a great set of tunes, firmly grounded in the tradition as codified in the hard-swinging 1970's, with everyone playing their hearts out and a real feeling of warmth and friendship between the participants."Jazz Views - Album of the week
"An absorbing album which shows how a contemporary sensibility can be applied to past jazz genres to create something new and original."Sandy Brown Jazz
It is commonplace to describe many of today's jazz musicians as "sharp-eared," "having lightning reflexes," or "uncanny musical ESP" and this is many times true even for one-off gigs.
As new generations of performers and composers mature in front of our eyes and ears, the level of musicianship continues to rise to astounding levels. New recordings constantly surprise with modes of expression that feel completely natural while being fresh and new.
Despite so much good music appearing almost daily, the trio that is Stream -pianist Yago Vazquez, bassist Scott Lee and drummer Jeff Hirshfield- must be placed in the highest echelon of such groups.
Their music combines the qualities of depth with lyricism, intensity with calm assurance and an elastic, yet sure handed rhythmic sense. Stream's hallmark sound is one of graceful chamber jazz, which nevertheless, has a taught core.
The qualities that each player brings to whatever group in which they find themselves are perfectly balanced when brought together in Stream. Lee and Hirshfield, having played together for a long time, have now almost become one. As Hirshfield's delicate, yet insistent cymbals fill the sound space, Lee's bass lines simultaneously provide the bottom and counterpoint to Vazquez's piano. This supple and responsive "rhythm section" gives the younger Vazquez not only the freedom to lead, knowing Lee and Hirshfield will follow, but also the room to step back and provide accompaniment.
The music presented in Second Stream has many intertwining levels, and can be listened to in a number of ways; the most appropriate being with one's full attention, letting this master session weave its spell. -Budd Kopman
“the most expansive, expressive and exciting new jazz orchestral sound to have emerged in this country since the late-lamented Loose Tubes”– John Fordham, The Guardian “A force to be reckoned with on the British scene … his approach to the interplay of the historical and the contemporary is as open-minded as it is creative…”– Jazz Journal “an incredible achievement from Hans Koller, and has to be rated as one of the most important and musically rewarding releases in 2016.”– UK Vibe
Dustin Laurenzi's Natural Language is a band of four like-minded improvising musicians. The quartet weaves its way through original compositions that bring to mind the idiosyncratic melodicism of drummer/composer Paul Motian as well as the melancholy folk songs of Nick Drake. Each member brings his own distinct voice as an improviser, but no single member outshines the group. Melodies are passed between the musicians, creating contrapuntal textures with simmering intensity.
"Laurenzi has already achieved one of the toughest things to do in jazz without overdoing it: a genuine presence." - Peter Margasak, Chicago Reader
"...a compelling portrait of an agile quartet." - Izzy Yellen, DownBeat Magazine
"This superb album is another milestone in [Laurenzi's] brilliant career." - Hrayr Attarian, All About Jazz
Chicago saxophonist Dustin Laurenzi has developed a distinctly personal approach to improvisation and composition that has garnered the attention of the city's creative music community. Recognized for his "offbeat approach to articulating harmonies and constructing melodies" (NextBop), Dustin's music is inspired and informed by jazz, folk, improvised music, and contemporary classical music. His wide range of influences and inventive improvisational sensibilities have made him a sought-after musician in many circles of Chicago's rich music scene.
Dustin has been a leader/co-leader of his own projects, Twin Talk, Snaarj, and Natural Language, and a member of the Marquis Hill Blacktet, the Quentin Coaxum Quintet, and Katie Ernst's Little Words, among others. He has released several albums featuring his original compositions, including Twin Talk’s eponymous release, praised by Chicago Jazz Magazine as “a cohesive and original album that brims with a vibrant fluidity and a poetic sense.”
Dustin earned a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies and a Performer's Certificate from Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music in 2011. He has performed or recorded with Jeff Parker, Matt Ulery, Russ Johnson, Jeff Hirshfield, Corey Christiansen, Lil BUB's Big Show, the Dave Lisik Jazz Orchestra featuring Tim Hagans, and has recently been featured at the Chicago Jazz Festival, the Hyde Park Jazz Festival, and the Kennedy Center. Dustin’s debut album as a leader, Natural Language, will be released in September 2016 on ears&eyes Records.
djamlarevue Le plus odieux dans la formule journalistique est moins son implacable débilité, que le constat que de temps à autre, bien plus rarement qu'on ne l'utilise, elle convient. Elle idoine même. Elle sied. Donc oui, Jobic Le Masson est bien « le secret le mieux caché » du jazz parisien, depuis trop longtemps pour trouver cela normal. Mais je m'arrêterai là, dans le cadre de ma thérapie contre la quérulence chronique de ces chroniques. Revenons au pianiste : deuxième album de ce trio après Hill en 2008, mais cette fois avec Steve Potts aux saxophones en plus de Peter Giron et John Betsch (basse et batterie). Soit un line up très marqué par Steve Lacy, parfaitement. Deuxième album en leader pour ce pianiste bientôt cinquantenaire qui a pourtant joué avec beaucoup de monde, notamment les camarades de la scène parisienne de sa génération et notamment ceux passés par le free. Or, Jobic ne joue pas là du free, quoique les incursions plus out aient plus qu'un droit de cité dans l'album (voir le solo de Steve Potts sur « Double Dutch Treat », composé par John Betsch). Song est une caravelle gonflée d'universelle musicalité navigant dans la mer des Sargasses d'une histoire du jazz idéale, sans recherche de concept ni de référence que ceux qui viennent sous les doigts. Sous les heures et les années d'improvisation à quatre, sous la complicité et l'entente qui ont pris leur temps. Song est peut-être une chanson, filée par un propos très narratif dont les solistes fournissent une trame captivante et soubresauté de mille plateaux : ballade langoureuse à la pulsation bancroche (« Idania »), marche antimilitaire à la solennité fantasque et créatrice (« Tangle »), up tempo dont l'évidence masque la précision de l'arrangement et de l'interprétation (« Cervione »), etc. Song est peut-être la somme des influences de son leader, revendiquées ici à travers Waldron et Monk (j'aime ce type,!), suggérées dans le jeu de chacun des solistes. Song est peut-être sa diversité musagète, peut-être plus que la somme de quatre individualités fortes dont chaque solo touche juste, c'est-à-dire au cœur de tout ce qui fait que nous écoutons de la musique, dans la simplicité d'une tonalité comme dans la touffeur ésotérique de vocabulaires plus complexes. Song est peut-être tout cela, et plus encore tout ce qu'on ne peut écrire ni dire, parce que Song est. Ça suffit bien à préserver cette vie de toute attaque journalistique, dont le plus odieux reste de réifier les êtres vivants. Alors faisons silence, devant la chanson de ce quartet précieux.
