Michael Dease: The Other Shoe: The Music of Gregg Hill

Straightahead / Mainstream Jazz
premiera polska: 2023-10-27
kontynent: Ameryka Północna
kraj: USA
opakowanie: Gatefoldowe etui
opis:
multikulti.com * * * * 1/2
Michaela Dease'a poznałem dzięki Christianowi McBrideowi, w którego Big Bandzie usłyszałem go po raz pierwszy. Dwie dobre płyty, do których wracam z chęcią "The Good Feeling" (Mack Avenue, 2011) i "Bringin' It" (Mack Avenue, 2017) ujawniły duży potencjał, jako sidemana.
Poznali się na nim amerykańscy krytycy i fani jazzu, bowiem zwyciężył w 69th Annual DownBeat Magazine Poll for Trombonist of the Year, ma też na swoim koncie kilka statuetek Grammy, jako członek większych zespołów.
Teraz mamy okazję poznać go, jako lidera, i trzeba przyznać, że efekt daje dużo satysfakcji.
Płyta "The Other Shoe" zawiera wyłącznie kompozycje współczesnego amerykańskiego kompozytora - Gregga Hilla (rocznik 1945), do którego utworów sięga coraz więcej amerykańskich muzyków. Narrację prowadzą solidarnie lider na puzonie i okazjonalnie na barytonie plus nieznana mi Virginia MacDonald na klarnecie. Dwa "frontowe" instrumenty szczególnie dobrze wypadają w momentach o szybko zmieniających się tempach, jak chociażby w "Scooter's Dream", czy w niezwykle wymagającym technicznie "The Sleeper" i bluesowym skowycie "Hello, Blues".
Dease rzadko używa wibrato, czy przypomina wielkich mistrzów instrumentu, jak Lawrence Brown, Jack Teagarden czy J.J. Johnson. Każdą nutę intonuje jasno i czysto, co pozwala mu stawiać akcenty z niezwykłą kontrolą i spójnością.
Płyta Michaela Dease'a to solidna dawka amerykańskiego mainstreamowego grania, z którego płynie energia, prawdziwy jazzowy czad!
autor: Mateusz Matyjak
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Audiophile Audition * * * * 1/2
Dease to jeden z najwybitniejszych współcześnie puzonistów jazzowych. Brzmienie jego puzonu łączy w sobie to, co najlepsze w starej szkole z nowoczesnym brzmieniem post bopu. Okrągły i pełny, z bogatym basem, puzon Michaela pasuje wszędzie, niezależnie od tego, czy jest to klasyczny blues, czy ostra, ze skłonnościami avantowymi forma.

All About Jazz * * * *
Fascynująca twórczość Gregga Hilla została ożywiona doskonałą aranżacją Michaela Dease'a i grą znakomitego zespołu. Efektem końcowym jest jeden z najlepszych albumów tego roku, jak dotąd!

DownBeat
Program płyty złożony wyłącznie z kompozycji Gregga Hilla będzie dla większości nieznany. Rezultatem jest kolejne wspaniałe nagranie zespołu Dease'a, którego doskonałość instrumentalna jest już dobrze znana.

Editor's info:
Perennial DownBeat Critics Poll winner, trombonist Michael Dease has embraced his role as a torchbearer for his mentors and the great jazz ancestors over his 15 deeply-swinging, state-of-the-art mainstream recordings. For The Other Shoe, Dease teams with the formidable composer Gregg Hill, expanding his rhythmic & harmonic palette with a flexible, in-the-moment perspective while remaining true to the sensibilities at his musical core. With the prodigiously talented pianist Geoffrey Keezer as a central foil, Dease brings along a wide-ranging collection of musicians, each specifically brought in for their unique outlooks and talents, including clarinetist Virginia MacDonald, Liany Mateo on bass, and drummer Colleen Clark, among others

... A model of consistency, style and grace, Michael Dease stays at the head of the class among jazz trombonists.
SOMETHING ELSE!
Audiophile Audition * * * * 1/2
Michael Dease has been on my radar screen for many years as one of the pre-eminent active jazz trombonists, both first call for any major big band, as well as a leader (fifteen albums already, with nine on the straight ahead label, Posi-Tone). Dease’s trombone tone combines the best of old school with modern post bop cred. Round and full, with a rich bottom end, Michael’s trombone fits it everywhere, whether it be a classic blues, or an edgy tune with avant leanings. At 40 years old, he has already won the Downbeat Critics poll (he had my vote..), as Best Jazz Trombonist, two times.
Dease came up under the mentorship of Wycliffe Gordon, and studied at Juilliard. Having stints in the big bands of Christian McBride, Charles Tolliver, and Roy Hargrove, put him in good stead to go out on his own, exploring both his own book, as well as the classics of others.
On Michael’s latest CD, The Other Shoe, just released on Origin Records, Dease for the first time devotes an entire release to the compositions of a sole artist, Gregg Hill. Gregg has published over 160 pieces, so Dease had plenty to choose from.
Dease’s band mates are a mixture of well deserving younger artists, along with veteran pianist, Geoffrey Keezer, who plays on six tracks. Luther Allison takes over the keyboards on four tunes. Clarinetist, Virginia MacDonald, shares the front line with Dease, while Michael broadens the sound palette while playing baritone sax on three tracks.
The track list combines composer Hill’s wide ranging prowess, with compositions ranging from straight ahead and funky blues, to more challenging music motifs.
Opening with “Wake Up Call,” a Monk meets Nola perky tune, Virginia’s sprightly clarinet adds to the vibe. “Scooter’s Dream” begins somber, yet elegant, before it enters avant territory led by Dease’s low register choruses.
“Hello, Blues” is both moody and introspective, driven by Michael’s throaty ‘bone, and highlighted by guest, Rodney Whitaker’s bass, and MacDonald’s blues soaked clarinet. “The Goodbye Blues” has its theme stated by pianist, Luther Allison, and it drips with a late night intimate club vibe.
Geoff Keezer’s piano brilliance is found on the following two tracks, “The Sleeper” and “The Classic,” of course aided by Dease. Both have a polish that just jumps out. Michael’s student, Joel Perez, takes over trombone duties on “Rio Mio,” while Dease is on bari sax. Its Brazilian dance vibe is fully evident, and deeply contagious.
“Shorty’s Tune,” written by Hill for his mother, is a showpiece for Keezer and MacDonald, and has a sophistication that stands out immediately. The title track at nearly 15 minutes, shows Gregg Hill’s compositional brilliance. Luther Allison’s Fender Rhodes adds some “spookiness” that gives an edgy base, coupled with percussion provided by Kevin Jones and Michael’s wife, Gwendolyn. Virginia MacDonald is given free range to blow freely, followed by Dease’s trombone growls. It’s a heady musical stew, and a fitting end to a marvelous release.
Kudos to Dease and company, and a great introduction to the wide ranging jazz writing skills of Gregg Hill.
by Jeff Krow

All About Jazz * * * *
Gregg Hill is a jazz composer favored by several jazz musicians who have recorded entire albums of his work, such as guitarist Randy Napoleon and bassist Rodney Whitaker. Here trombonist Michael Dease joins the party with a full album of Hill pieces arranged for a quintet.
Hill's writing on this album delves into a wide array of conventional forms such as blues, ballads, and Latin jazz, but always with unique twists and ideas present. Some of his compositions sound akin to the early small-group recordings of George Russell. Dease gives these tunes a special atmosphere by using a front line of his trombone and the clarinet of Virginia MacDonald, bringing distinctive high-low harmonies into the music. The two lead instruments blend together especially well on the tempo-shifting conversations of "Scooter's Dream," the serpentine intricacy of "The Sleeper" and the mournful blues roll of "Hello, Blues."
The piano duties in the band are split between Geoff Keezer and Luther Allison, each contributing their own style. Keezer often decorates the melodies, bringing a classy flourish to "Scooter's Dream," bouncing to a ragtime beat on "Wake Up Call" and elaborating the dramatic tone of "The Classic" behind Dease's and MacDonald's weeping interplay. Allison's contributions include honky-tonkish stride piano on "The Goodbye Blues," and rippling free runs which add a sinister tone to the melancholy "Summer Nights." Bassist Liany Mateo and drummer Colleen Clark are very adept at filling in the shifting accents and underlying rhythms which keep this music afloat. Mateo even gets an occasional solo of note, including a strutting turn on "Goodbye Blues."
Other highlights include the polished Duke Ellington-like glide of "Shorty's Tune," where MacDonald sounds as urbane as Jimmy Hamilton and Mateo takes an elegant solo, and the rocking Latin groove of "Rio Mio" with Dease stepping out on baritone sax as well as trombone. Then there is the real surprise, "The Other Shoe" itself. This is a 15-minute work where Allison's trembling electric piano is set against pulsing bass and drums and brooding trombone, clarinet, and baritone lines. The music is reminiscent of Miles Davis' earliest electronic experiments. The instruments weave in and out of each other ominously and everyone gets a chance to stretch out, including drummer Clark.
The music on this album consistently finds new ways of working within the parameters of conventional jazz composition. Gregg Hill's fascinating writing is brought to life beautifully by Michael Dease's arranging, and the playing of an excellent band The end result is one of the best albums of the year so far.
By Jerome Wilson

Jazz Weekly
Co-producer Gregg Hill has his compositions interpreted by the bold trombonist Michael Dease and the team of Virginal MacDonald/cl, Geoffrey Keezer-Luther Alison/p, Liany Mateo/b Colleen Clark/dr and a handful of guests. The addition of MacDonald's clarinet makes for rich ideas, as she's featured on the quirky "Wake Up Call" and her vibrato seduces on "Shorty's Tune". Dease has a horn that is big and brassy, going up and sown the scales on "The Classic", teaming up with fellow bone man Joel Perez on the Latin lover "Rio Mio" and sliding around Keezer's stride on "The Sleeper". Dease pulls out the baritone sax for the mood changing opus "The Other Side" which also features Allison bringing in some keyboard concepts and an extra pair of percussive hands. The compositions each have clever mood swings and veer off into various blue highways, making the sonic journey worth paying attention to. Brass tacks!
by George W. Harris

DownBeat
Michael Dease drops The Other Shoe only eight months after his last, Next Best Thing, which was a neat and literate little small-band bouquet. This time, the front line is smaller with Dease on trombone (and occasionally baritone sax) and newcomer Virginia MacDonald on clarinet, an unlikely but compatible twosome.
Focusing on the compositions of Gregg Hill, the program will be unfamiliar to most, giving listeners open-ended expectations and the players few precedents to obey. The result is another fine showcase for Dease, whose instrumental excellence is well known. But MacDonald might have made a bolder debut by jumping into warmer water. She plays with a crisp fluency and has set herself up nicely for a second shot.
Although Dease can slash, swoop and shout with the best ("Scooter's Dream"), his default voice is a more feathery legato elegance that permits him to phrase with unusual precision and detail. His sound recalls Lawrence Brown, whose virtuosity in the pre-war Ellington band became an alternative to Jack Teagarden's suave swagger and pointed a path toward the wizardry of J.J. Johnson and Bill Watrous. Dease rarely uses a vibrato and serves each note clear and clean, permitting him to play free interludes with remark able control and coherence ("The Other Shoe").
Though born in 1945, Gregg Hill's work has only begun to surface. So far it has produced five CDs, including this and two others on Origin Records. His "Wake Up Call" is a bright and catchy stop-time opener that brackets a
swinging sequence of solos. "The Goodbye" is a straight traditional blues. Dease gets a worthy foil in Joel Perez on two tracks, and Geoff Keezer's piano sparkles.
by John McDonough

muzycy:
Michael Dease - trombone (all), bari sax (4,7,10), percussion (4)
Virginia MacDonald - clarinet
Geoffrey Keezer - piano (1,2,3,5,6,9)
Luther Allison - piano (4,7,8), Fender Rhodes (10)
Liany Mateo - bass
Colleen Clark - drumset & cymbals
Rodney Whitaker - bass (3) (2nd bass solo)
Kevin Jones - percussion (5,7,10)
Gwendolyn Dease - percussion (5,7,10)
Joel Perez - trombone (4,7)

utwory:
1. Wake Up Call 3:28
2. Scooter's Dream 6:48
3. Hello, Blues 8:15
4. The Goodbye Blues 5:39
5. The Sleeper 8:11
6. The Classic 5:33
7. Rio Mio 6:04
8. Summer Nights 5:50
9. Shorty's Tune 4:25
10. The Other Shoe 14:53

wydano: 05 May 2023
more info: www.originarts.com
more info2: www.michaeldease.com