Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Ryan Keberle: Heavy Dreaming

414

Ryan Keberle: Heavy Dreaming

By

Sign in to view read count
Ryan Keberle: Heavy Dreaming
Brass band-oriented projects seemed to be all the rage in 2009. Dave Douglas, leaning on the work of Lester Bowie and the heritage of the Crescent City, garnered great critical acclaim and artistic success with his Brass Ecstasy project. Saxophonist David Binney created a mysterious and intriguing blend between a guest brass section and his core quartet on Third Occasion (Mythology Record, 2009). Trombonist Ryan Keberle is now hot on their heels with Heavy Dreaming, featuring his Double Quartet—piano, drums, bass and trombone, augmented with a brass quartet. While each of these three individualists presents vastly different music with their groups, their use of brass ensembles binds them. It might even be convenient to assume that Keberle is jumping on the bandwagon with this album, but he actually beat Douglas and Binney to the punch.

Double Quartet (Alternate Side Records), Keberle's debut as a leader, introduced the ensemble in 2007. It might be assumed, with this chosen wording, that clear lines are drawn between the two quartet factions, but this couldn't be further from the truth. While Binney's brass-infused project had a great separation between the two distinct groupings and Douglas' band is one band with a large contingent of brass players, Keberle's work falls somewhere in the middle. The writing is seamless and the brass is used in a natural and organic fashion. Sometimes it serves in a big band-like capacity, moving along together and emphasizing hits in different places, but it also serves other purposes. "One Thought At A Time" gives the brass players a chance to connect their melodic lines and finish each others' thoughts, as jubilant strains of sound pass from one instrument to the next. In contrast, a hymn-like reverie comes forth from the horns as they introduce a gorgeous, gospel and blues-tinged take on Duke Ellington's "I Like The Sunrise."

Bassist Matt Brewer is a scene stealer here, whether providing rock solid support, performing quirky unison lines with pianist Frank Kimbrough, or soloing. Trumpeter Mike Rodriguez puts emphasis on his rich, lower register work and proves to be one of the more potent soloists throughout the album. Marcus Rojas is the common denominator between Douglas' band and this group. His tuba often holds down the fort in a more traditional manner, but he also has a chance to shine on the veritable low-end solo feast that is "The Slope Of A Blues."

The music of The Beatles played an important part on Keberle's debut, with covers of "Norwegian Wood" and "Blackbird." Here, he finishes the record off with a well-crafted arrangement of "Mother Nature's Son." Keberle's broad compositional ideals, along with his superb ability to balance the big and the small within his band, helps place Heavy Dreaming in a class of its own.

Track Listing

If You Want; One Thought At A Time; Heavy Dreaming, Part 1; Heavy Dreaming, Part 2; I Like The Sunrise; The Slope Of A Blues; Early Mourning; Our Love Is Here To Stay; Coolant; Mother Nature's Son.

Personnel

Ryan Keberle
trombone

Ryan Keberle: trombone; Frank Kimbrough: piano; Matt Brewer: bass; Eric Doob: drums; Mike Rodriguez: trumpet; Marshall Gilkes: trombone; John Clark: french horn; Marcus Rojas: tuba.

Album information

Title: Heavy Dreaming | Year Released: 2010 | Record Label: Alternate Side Records

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.