Out Friday, July 16: Scott Reeves' The Alchemist

Trombonist, multi-instrumentalist and composer Scott Reeves unearths a buried treasure from his past on thrilling new release

The Alchemist, due out July 16, 2021 via Origin Records, rescues a brilliant 2005 performance by the masterful Scott Reeves Quintet, featuring Russ Spiegel, Mike Holober, Howard Britz, Andy Watson, and Reeves on alto flugelhorn, alto valve trombone and electronics

 

“[Scott Reeves’] compositions are sophisticated yet accessible, his arrangements scrupulously burnished and invariably engaging.”

– Jack Bowers, All About Jazz

 

 “[The quintet’s] sound slips out of the ‘standard’ description, with its atmosphere of adventure and edgy energy, and an approach that more than hints at the avant-garde in a way that perhaps Jackie McLean did on his '60s Blue Note recordings… [Reeves’] solos are spirited and spontaneous.”

– Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz

Multi-instrumentalist, bandleader and composer Scott Reeves expected to have some time on his hands upon his retirement from teaching, following an illustrious career on the faculties of the City College of New York, Juilliard and other prestigious institutions. But when the pandemic struck just a few months later, Reeves suddenly found himself with an abundance of free time as performance opportunities disappeared. In addition to a productive period of writing for his longstanding big band, the Scott Reeves Jazz Orchestra (with two recent recordings on Origin), he now had the opportunity to revisit his own archives and discover some hidden gems.

 

That search unearthed the stunning new release The Alchemist, featuring a previously unheard live date by the Scott Reeves Quintet – a never-recorded band featuring Reeves on alto flugelhorn, alto valve trombone and electronics, alongside guitarist Russ Spiegel, pianist and keyboardist Mike Holober, bassist Howard Britz and drummer Andy Watson. Captured in May 2005 at the City College of New York, the album is set for long-overdue release on July 16, 2021 via Origin Records.

 

“I don't even know if I ever meant to release it,” Reeves says of the shelved recording. “But when I listened to it last summer I thought the band sounded really inspired that night. I also thought it might have been some of the best playing I've ever done that's been recorded. So I determined to get this project out there.”

 

The issue that Reeves faced, and that may have discouraged him from attempting to release the concert at the time, was that the recording suffered from audio issues. The evening was well recorded by students from the college’s recording technology program, but it was intended merely to document a collection of new compositions. No baffling was used between the instruments, leading to drum leakage and other flaws.

 

In the intervening years, however, Reeves had begun working with Grammy Award-winning recording/mixing engineer Brian Montgomery, who has worked with such luminaries as Paul McCartney, Esperanza Spalding, Donald Fagen and the Maria Schneider Orchestra. Reeves brought the files to Montgomery, who worked his audio magic and rescued the recording, isolating each instrument and remixing it. “I have high regard for Brian’s abilities to bring out the best quality in a project,” Reeves says. “Eventually he was able to get the sound to what you would expect out of a good studio recording.”

Why go to all this trouble for a single concert recording from a decade and a half in the past? The music speaks for itself in response to that question. The Alchemist finds these five brilliant musicians in top form, exploring what was for Reeves new and adventurous territory. Best known as a trombonist, the axe he yields in big bands led by Dave Liebman and Bill Mobley as well as his own 17-piece Scott Reeves Orchestra, Reeves here focuses on some more unusual instruments from his arsenal: the alto valve trombone and the alto flugelhorn. In addition, he’d recently begun experimenting with altering the sound of his horns with electronics, a path he abandoned not long after. (The rediscovery of this recording, however, has led him to dust off some of that equipment once again.)

 

“I started playing trombone when I was 10,” Reeves explains. “As I got along in my career I struggled to find my own voice outside the influence of J.J. Johnson, Curtis Fuller, Slide Hampton and the like. I found the alto flugelhorn, which is a German instrument between the range of a trombone and a trumpet, and I really fell in love with that sound.” 

 

The alto valve trombone had been used in 19th military bands but long since passed into obscurity when Reeves had one specially made for him. “The sound of these two instruments being slightly higher than the trombone as well as the use of valves opened up ways of reshaping what I was going to play,” Reeves describes. “I really started finding my own individual identity on them. In fact, Dave Liebman once had me take a solo in his big band and told me, ‘Play that alto whatever-you-call-it thing. You have more of an identity on that.’ Which is similar to what Miles Davis told him about the soprano saxophone.”

 

Exploring the mysterious contours of a Phrygian vamp, “New Bamboo” opens the album with Reeves’ altered horn and Spiegel’s guitar lines melding into shimmering textures. The Gil Evans-inspired “Shapeshifter,” based on a 12-tone row, is one of three pieces debuted at this concert that has since been revived with the Jazz Orchestra; the melancholy bossa nova “Without the Trace” gave the big band’s 2018 album its title, and Reeves’ funky arrangement of the classic “All Or Nothing At All” was expanded for the same recording. “The Alchemist” is a scintillating soul-jazz burner dedicated to Miles Davis, while “Remembrances” is an achingly tender ballad.

 

Thoroughly modern in conception and timelessly thrilling in execution, The Alchemist sounds like it could have been recorded yesterday and is every bit as exhilarating as if it was. “I think it's probably the best small group work I've ever done in my life,” Reeves concludes. “I'm very happy to finally have it out there.”

1. New Bamboo 7:57

2. Shapeshifter 8:21

3. Without a Trace 7:57

4. The Alchemist 7:29

5. Remembrances 6:02

6. All or Nothing at All 7:09

Scott Reeves - Alto valve trombone, Alto flugelhorn, Electronics

Russ Spiegel - Guitar

Mike Holober - Piano, Electric piano

Howard Britz - Bass

Andy Watson - Drums

All compositions by Scott Reeves published by Reebone Music, BMI, except: "All or Nothing at All," Arthur Altman & Jack Lawrence, published by Range Road Music, Inc.)

Produced by Scott Reeves

Recorded by Miho Goto in May 2005

at The City College of New York, Harlem, NY

Mixed by Brian Montgomery, Astoria, Queens, NY

Mastered by Michael MacDonald at

Algo Rhythms Mastering, Santa Fe, NM

Photo of Scott by Dennis Connors, with

astrophotography by Vinny Coulehan

Cover photograph by Maksud

Cover design & layout by John Bishop

Pre-order

Scott Reeves Jazz Orchestra (feat. Steve Wilson & Carolyn Leonhart) - Without A Trace (ORIGIN RECORDS 2018)

The Scott Reeves Jazz Orchestra celebrates its first decade 

on Without a Trace, due out March 16, 2018 from Origin Records

The 17-piece big band’s second release features a stellar line-up of New York City jazz greats on bandleader/composer/trombonist Reeves’ vibrant originals and reimagined jazz classics

“[Reeves’] compositions are sophisticated yet accessible, his arrangements scrupulously burnished and invariably engaging.” – Jack Bowers, All About Jazz

“This group of fabulous musicians are continuing and developing the great tradition of big band music.”

– Adrian Fry, London Jazz News

Performances  • Sunday, April 15 – Trumpets, Montclair, NJ   • Monday, April 23 – Sir D’s, Brooklyn, NY

• Saturday, May 12 – Smalls, NYC

Duke Ellington famously insisted that he never wrote music for instruments, but tailored each piece for the particular individuals in his band. After nearly ten years together with a remarkably stable line-up featuring some of the most gifted musicians on the New York City jazz scene, the Scott Reeves Jazz Orchestra offers bandleader, composer and trombonist Scott Reeves a similar opportunity. The big band’s thrilling second album, Without a Trace, showcases the results with a decade-spanning repertoire drawing from both original compositions and bold new arrangements of jazz standards.


Due out March 16, 2018 from Origin Records, Without a Trace draws on the influences of great big band composer/arrangers from Ellington and Gil Evans to Thad Jones, Bob Brookmeyer and Jim McNeely. Reeves spent years writing for the likes of Dave Liebman’s Big Band, the Westchester Jazz Orchestra, Bill Mobley’s Smoke Big Band, and the BMI Jazz Composers Orchestra before setting out on his own in 2008. Seeing the divide between swing traditionalists and more harmonically inventive modernists, Reeves decided to cull the best from both worlds, devising inventive harmonic progressions but never letting go of the vigorous swing that makes large ensemble music so exciting.

“I’ve had people describe my band as sounding like ‘swinging dissonance’,” Reeves says with a laugh. “A lot of my music is overtly swinging in the tradition of big band jazz, but in the majority of my work I’m trying to get away from the typical harmonic palette.”

It helps when bridging such a stylistic gulf to be supported by some of the most talented and sought-after musicians in modern jazz, and Reeves can count many of them as regular band members for the whole of the 17-piece Orchestra’s existence. The line-up on Without a Trace includes saxophonists Steve Wilson, Tim Armacost, Vito Chiavuzzo, Rob Middleton, Jay Brandford and Terry Goss; trumpeters Seneca Black, Nathan Eklund, Chris Rogers, Bill Mobley and Andy Gravish; trombonists Tim Sessions, Matt McDonald, Matt Haviland and Max Siegel; pianist Jim Ridl, vibraphonist Dave Ellson, bassist Todd Coolman, and drummer Andy Watson. Stunning vocalist Carolyn Leonhart, on a break from her busy touring schedule with Steely Dan, guests on the lovely title tune.

Having been able to get know his musicians’ sounds so intimately over the years, Reeves has become adept at styling his arrangements to spotlight their particular talents. Not that there’s much that a virtuoso like Steve Wilson – an in-demand guest soloist for most bands, but regular lead alto with Reeves’ Orchestra – couldn’t handle. Wilson’s fiery yet controlled voice drove Reeves’ take on Kurt Weill’s classic “Speak Low,” which begins with a nod to Bill Evans’ classic rendition from his New Jazz Conceptions album before surging along on an Afro-Cuban beat. Trumpeter Chris Rogers and drummer Andy Watson follow with their own blistering solos.

Leonhart’s elegant turn on Reeves’ own “Without a Trace” follows. Where the orchestra’s debut, Portraits and Places, featured wordless vocals as a coloristic element, here Reeves pens lyrics to craft a love song that matches the emotion and drama of some of the Songbook standards in his repertoire. Leonhart’s subtle grace belies the tune’s angular melody, which combine to conjure a uniquely dark-tinged atmosphere for the song. The familiar “All or Nothing at All” is completely reimagined in Reeves’ handling, with an Ahmad Jamal-inspired groove and a taste of John Coltrane’s immortal “Giant Steps,” giving the timeless tune a feeling unmoored from any particular era.

“I always try to transform a song in some way when I do an arrangement,” Reeves explains. “I learned that particularly from studying Gil Evans’ music. He would take a tune and it would somehow end up in a completely different universe from where it originally started.”

Reeves’ entrancing original “Incandescence” was inspired by a trip to the south of France, where the composer – an amateur astronomer when away from the bandstand – marveled at the star-filled skies over a medieval walled village. The very next day he was at the piano in his rented house, capturing the majesty and mystery of that experience in music. “Shapeshifter” is similarly evocative, built on a tonal twelve-tone row that adds a touch of sci-fi strangeness (with an explicit wink towards Star Trek).

“JuJu” has been a favorite of forward-looking jazz musicians since Wayne Shorter first recorded it more than 50 years ago; of course, being one of the most forward-looking of them all, Shorter has never been interested in doing things the same way. John Patitucci, the longtime bassist in Shorter’s revered modern quartet, gave Reeves the lead sheet for the sax icon’s current approach to the song, which Reeves combines with a sax-section arrangement of Shorter’s original solo, making this version something of a portrait of Shorter’s incredible evolution. Another portrait of sorts, the lively “Something for Thad” closes the album with a brisk homage to another of Reeves’ bandleading heroes, the great Thad Jones.

Though the prospect of leading a big band in the current music-industry environment is a daunting one, Reeves has learned all the right lessons from his mentors: assemble brilliant musicians; pen original, heartfelt music and inventive arrangements; innovate without losing touch with the tradition. With all of those elements radiantly in place, the Scott Reeves Jazz Orchestra takes its place among jazz’s most compelling ensembles on Without a Trace.

Scott Reeves

Scott Reeves is a trombonist, alto flugelhornist, composer, arranger, author, and college jazz educator. A Chicago native, he attended Indiana University where his teachers included David Baker and Thomas Beversdorf. Over the years, he also studied improvisation with Woody Shaw and Kenny Werner, and arranging with Manny Albam, Mike Abene, Jim McNeely and Mike Holober. Reeves regularly performs with the Dave Liebman Big Band, the Bill Mobley Big Band, and the Valery Ponomarev Big Band, and has subbed with the Vanguard Orchestra, the Chico O’Farrill Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra, and the Oliver Lake Big Band. His own groups include the 17-piece Scott Reeves Jazz Orchestra, his quintet with saxophonist Rich Perry, and his 4-trombone, 3-rhythm band, Manhattan Bones. Reeves has been teaching jazz at the university level since 1976 and is currently a Professor at The City College of New York, CUNY. His two books, Creative Jazz Improvisation and Creative Beginnings (both published by Prentice-Hall), are among the most widely used texts in their field.

Scott Reeves Website

UP-COMING PERFORMANCES

Apr 19, 2018 - Scott Reeves Jazz Orchestra

Trumpets, Montclair , NJ

Apr 23, 2018 - Scott Reeves Jazz Orchestra

Sir D's Lounge, Brooklyn , New

May 12, 2018 - Scott Reeves Jazz Orchestra

Small's Jazz Club, Manhattan , NY

Scott Reeves Jazz Orchestra - Portraits & Places (2016)

Label: Origin Records

Source: Allaboutjazz - Jack Bowers

Scott Reeves formed his splendid New York-based orchestra eight years ago, in 2008, and while Portraits and Places marks its recorded debut, Reeves spent a number of years before that sharpening his composing and arranging skills at the highly regarded BMI Jazz Composers Workshop where he received tutelage and counsel from Manny Albam, Mike Abene, Jim McNeely and Mike Holober, among others. Judging from the eight numbers presented here (three of which comprise the colorful L & T Suite), that strong background has paid off handsomely, as Reeves is a resourceful writer with a firm grasp of the components that are essential to the success and stability of any large ensemble.

Foremost among those traits is a keen ear for melody, harmony and counterpoint, and Reeves earns high marks here, as his compositions are sophisticated yet accessible, his arrangements scrupulously burnished and invariably engaging. Kudos are also in order for Reeves' choice of sidemen, as the orchestra's roster reads like a who's who of the New York area's busiest and most sought-after musicians. That's one less burden for the leader to bear, knowing that the notes he has inscribed on paper can and will be scrupulously brought to life in the recording studio.

Those notes begin with "The Soulful Mr. Williams," a shuffling blues-based groover with typically close-knit ensemble work and decorous solos by Reeves on alto flugelhorn and the resourceful pianist Jim Ridl. As an aside, the alto flugelhorn sounds much like a trombone or, to adduce a more historical reference, the bass trumpet wielded so handily by Cy Touff in Woody Herman's Second Herd in the mid-40s. "3 'n 2" is a carefree flag-waver with ardent solos courtesy of tenor Tim Armacost and trumpeter Bill Mobley, preceding a temperate journey to the Far East for "Osaka June," on which Sara Serpa's wordless vocal sets the stage for spoken dialogue (in Japanese) by Emi Miyajima Nobe and Yuzuki Nobe (mother and son / daughter?) and ripping solos by Ridl and soprano saxophonist Steve Wilson.

Jobim's flowing "Aguas de Marco" (Waters of March) is next (eloquent statements by Ridl, alto Vito Chiavuzzo, trumpeter Nathan Eklund and a second wordless vocal by Serpa), followed by the L & T Suite, whose movements are the agile "Wants to Dance" (featuring Wilson on alto and drummer Andy Watson), the balladic "Trombonist's Tale" (with the trombonist in this instance represented by Matt McDonald) and the ebullient "Hip Kitty," again showcasing Ridl's earnest piano. "Last Call," which closes the session, gives the lower register its due, enfolding splendid solos by bass trombonist Max Seigel and baritone Terry Goss before floating calmly away on the wings of Seneca Black's muted trumpet.  

01. The Soulful Mr. Williams 9:51
02. 3 'n 2 5:24
03. Osaka June 9:08
04. Aquas de Marco 9:52
L & T Suite:
05. Movement 1: Wants to Dance 5:20
06. Movement 2: A Trombonist’s Tale 6:10
07. Movement 3: Hip Kitty 4:39
08. Last Call 6:37

Scott Reeves - conductor, arranger, alto flugelhorn
Steve Wilson - soprano & alto saxophones, flute
Vito Chiavuzzo - alto sax, flute
Rob Middleton - tenor sax, clarinet
Tim Armacost - tenor sax, clarinet
Jay Brandford - baritone sax, bass clarinet (1,4)
Terry Goss - baritone sax, bass clarinet (2,3,5-8)
Seneca Black - lead trumpet
Nathan Eklund - trumpet & flugelhorn
Bill Mobley - trumpet & flugelhorn
Andy Gravish - trumpet & flugelhorn
Tim Sessions - lead trombone
Matt McDonald - trombone
Matt Haviland - trombone
Max Seigel - bass trombone
Jim Ridl - piano
Todd Coolman - bass
Andy Watson - drums
Sara Serpa - voice (3,4)
Japanese vocal dialogue (3) - Emi Miyajima Nobe & Yuzuki Nobe

BUY IT @