Steve Swell’s Fire Into Music | Swimming In A Galaxy Of Goodwill And Sorrow | RogueArt Jazz

This is an album to be cherished because it reaches back and incorporates styles from swing to post-modern free jazz; and because the playing of Steve Swell and the members of his quartet are as near-perfect as you are likely to find; and because the melodies capture the imagination with a complex beauty that hooks into the inner being of soulfulness. It encompasses a unity of elements that comes as close as possible to the transcendental poignancy to which great art often aspires. As a trombonist, Steve Swell is about as good as it gets, and few can match his original fusion of technique and emotion, with obvious influences as diverse as Jack Teagarden, Grachan Moncur, III, and Roswell Rudd… …Swell’s extended performance here is one of the most impressive on disk by a trombonist in any era. Swell is on to something, though, and so are his colleagues, because unsung alto saxophonist Jemeel Moondoc is unassailable and on top of his game, his original, searing sound fused to an architectural structure reminiscent of Georges Braque; and percussionist Hamid Drake and bassist William Parker constitute the ultimate rhythmic pair, New Trier seizes Bed-Stuy with nary a missed beat. It does mean a thing, Duke, and it swings and it doesn’t, and Agnon might say it laughs when it speaks and it speaks when it laughs – but the point ain’t about theorizing, anyhow, but enjoyment here and there, and there and here. — Steven Loewy, excerpt from the liner notes Continue reading

The Resonance Ensemble | What Country Is This? | Not Two Records

In mid December of 2004for some completely unknown reason, a complimentary issue of Time Magazine showed up in my mailbox. I hate the periodical, never read it except when I’m at the dentist, so I have no idea why it arrived. On the front cover was George W. Bush’s face, he had been selected as “Person of the Year” by the magazine’s editors after his reelection as president. Just one more reason to hate the publication. As I flipped through the pages with masochistic curiosity while drinking my morning coffee, I came across the following, an excerpt from Late Ripeness, written by Czeslaw Milosz, a poet I had never heard of. — Ken Vandermark Continue reading

The Resonance Ensemble | Kafka In Flight | Not Two Records

Magnus Broo – trumpet (Stockholm) | Michael Zerang – drums (Chicago) | Ken Vandermark – tenor saxophone, Bb clarinet (Chicago) | Mikolaj Trzaska – alto saxophone, bass clarinet (Gdansk) | Mark Tokar – bass (Kiev) | Steve Swell – trombone (New York) | Dave Rempis – alto & tenor saxophones (Chicago) | Per-Âke Holmlander – tuba (Stockholm) | Tim Daisy> – drums (Chicago) | Waclaw Zimpel – Bb & bass clarinet, taragato (Warsaw). All compositions by Ken Vandermark (Twenty First Mobile Music / ASCAP). Recorded in concert at the Philharmonic Hall, Gdansk, Poland, by Piotr Traszkiewicz on October 31, 2009. Mixed by Bob Weston and Ken Vandermark at Chicago Mastering Service. Cover design by Marek Wajda. Thanks to the musicians, Marek Winiarski, Marek Wajda, Ola Trzaska (who made the concert in Gdanks possible), the presenters who took a chance on the band (except for the organizer in Szekesfehervar, who never paid us), and of course – the listeners. Continue reading

Sabir Mateen | Frode Gjerstad feat. Steve Swell | Sound Gathering | Not Two Records

Saxophonist Sabir Mateen is one of those musicians who have been playing free jazz since the seventies, playing with all the icons of the genre such as Cecil Taylor, William Parker, Daniel Carter, Steve Swell and Frode Gjerstad, to name just a few. With the latter two he recorded a new album on Not Two, and a solo album on RogueArt. He is a frequent player in the free jazz mini big bands, like the Little Huey Orchestra, Gjerstad’s Circulasione Totale, and Earth People. On this album Sabir Mateen is co-leader with Norwegian saxophonist Frode Gjerstad, and with Steve Swell on trombone, Clif Jackson on bass and David Gould on drums. On the long first track, Swell’s trombone is one of the strongest voice, both in volume and presence, wailing in all emotional registers, from distress to sadness, with the two saxes adding appropriate background support, but the piece becomes strongest when the saxes do their solo-thing. Otherwise there are lots of dialogues and trialogues, and as the title of the album indicates, this is more about sound that about lyricism. That changes with the second piece, when Mateen picks up his flute for a hesitant, almost fragile slowly moving forward tune. With the third piece we’re back in high intensity territory, a kind of jubilant blowing fest. You get the gist: wild interaction reigns, lots of dense interplay, but in my opinion a little lacking in focus and real musical vision.–Stef Continue reading

Steve Swell’s Slammin’ The Infinite | 5000 Poems | Not Two Records

Slammin’ IV – 5.000 Poems The title for this fourth installment of Slammin’ The Infinite takes its name from an essay by Walt Whitman. His theme in this essay, briefly summarized, is that in all art, and life too for that matter, being prolific, hardworking and productive in all you do, including trying those things whose outcome may not be exactly perfect in one’s mind, will eventually lead to that one good idea or work of art. Farmers after all plant many seeds, not just one, in the hope that some of those seeds will yield a nourishing crop. So it is with how I view my own work as an improvising musician and composer. Only by constantly creating can there be any hope that some of that creating will yield something worthwhile. Something that will mean something to someone, making that connection to even that one listener that might be moved and nourished by this most human of endeavors. I am fortunate to have a band that is still working together planting those seeds as a band and as individuals throughout the world always in the hope of creating that one crop of abundance that might fill the listener with strenght and hope and life. Also, there would be no ground to plant these musical seeds if it weren’t for the likes of Marek Winiarski, the wonderful people of Alchemia in Krakow and that most gentle and wisest of gardeners, Barbara Backer Manes. Thanking them all here does not even scratch the surface of their commitment to this music and to me personally. To all of them and the amazing musicians on this recording that I have been fortunate to work with, I am humbly grateful. —Steve Swell Continue reading

Gebhard Ullmann Basement Research | Don’t Touch My Music Vol.1 and 2 | Not Two Records

Multi-instrumentalist and composer Gebhard Ullmann lays down the ground rules without ado with the slam-bang title Don’t Touch My Music. There should be no qualms about that, Ullmann’s music is made to draw rapt attention. The closer one listens, the more there is to discover. Ullmann brings in an evolving, and revolving, cast of characters to give voice to his music. Each ensemble brings certain attributes and direction to his compositions that absorb various strains to enrich them. Basement Research with Steve Swell, Julian Arguelles, John Hebert, and Gerald Cleaver has marked an indelible presence with their earlier work. And there’s no messing around with them this time either. The members of Basement Research have honed empathy to a fine skill. Surprise is the hallmark of their cross-pollination of genres. The band dons and doffs styles in seamless motion, playing in sweet consonance at one moment and taking off at tangents the next. An intimate conversation warps into disparate strain. And with the wit and sly humor they inject, thees CD’s turns out to be quite the excellent entertainer. Continue reading

Ken Vandermark | Resonance | Not Two Records

At the end of the week, music fans from all over the region flocked to the concerts in Lviv and Krakow that the musicians had been rehearsing for over the preceding five days, one group even chartering a jet from Georgia. At the end of the week, when it was time to say goodbye, the bonds formed between some of the musicians were so strong that some couldn’t contain their tears. But for many of these artists it was adieu rather than farewell as many intend to build on their Resonance experience by collaborating with each again in the future. — Philip Palmer, Jazzwise magazine) Continue reading

Steve Swell | Rivers Of Sound Ensemble…….News From the Mystic Auricle | Not Two Records

Steve Swell’s third release on the Polish NotTwo label moves the trombonist into new, though not entirely unfamiliar territory. On this occasion, his regular Slammin’ the Infinite band has expanded with the addition of trumpeter Roy Campbell to become the Rivers of Sound Ensemble. Hilliard Greene, who plays in Swell’s quartet with Gebhard Ullmann, takes over the bass chair from Matt Heyner, with drummer Klaus Kugel and reed maestro Sabir Mateen as holdovers. More significant though is Swell’s dispensation with composition for the three 20+ minute pieces presented here, each sporting group credits suggesting a collective genesis. That’s not to imply that this is merely a set of free jazz blowouts, though there are some cathartic moments to be sure. What’s striking is the restraint on show and the spontaneously conceived arrangements, which conjure a different setting for each horn soloist: evidence of the protagonist’s years of hard won experience on the New York free jazz scene. — John Sharpe, All About Jazz Continue reading

Steve Swell | Live at the Vision Festival | Not Two Records

The opening set of Saturday evening was a killer.Steve Swell’s Slammin’ the Infinite, a working unit now for some two and a half years, hit the Vision Festival fresh from a European tour. This is just one of a number of regular projects for the increasingly visible Swell, but perhaps the one which showcases his writing, organisation and virtuosity to best effect. For this performance special guest John Blum was added on piano. Slum is one of the hitherto overlooked horde of musicians in NYC….but on this showing, wider exposure will surely not be long in coming.” — John Sharpe All About Jazz Continue reading

Steve Swell | Remember Now | Not Two Records

Remember Now is the second release of trombonist’s Steve Swell Slammin’ The Infinite band, and they now sound more like a unit. Rather than two front line soloists with a rhythm section, on this release they seem like a group of four equals. The rhythm section of Matthew Heyner (who is amazing on this disc) and Klaus Kugel (ditto) has really developed into a team that is just as able to step out in front and lead the band as to drive it along from behind. And the material Swell has written takes full advantage of this. The opening track “Antlers” is a good example. Those who think this group as merely an energy blowing band may be surprised by this track. The horns play written material throughout, a series of off kilter phrases that form a springboard for the rhythm section and a feature for Heyner. His arco bass work on this track shows that he’s the heir apparent to Alan Silva, with careening lines flowing effortlessly off his bow. Elsewhere Swell scores out fiery phrases for the horns. MB-1 (for Marion Brown) has the horns stating the theme, jabbing out staccato phrases.– Robert Iannapollo, All About Jazz) Continue reading