Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Bill Fulton: Time

212

Bill Fulton: Time

By

Sign in to view read count
Bill Fulton: Time
Keyboardist, composer and arranger Bill Fulton has achieved an amazing coup for contemporary jazz with Time. He has successfully broken the curse that has hung over jazz keyboards since the early 1980s, using excellent arrangements and a tight group of performers to give these combo tracks the sense of a larger ensemble. Bright production and a joyously expansive sound, enhanced by his judicious application of keyboard tones, make Time one of the best contemporary jazz albums in recent memory.

Fulton's keyboard parts and band charts are so smartly organized, starting with the instantly engaging "The Land That Time Forgot", these could easily be expanded into highly entertaining big-band arrangements. His compositions are varied and well-constructed, from the pensive "Maple St." (which switches between 4/4 and 3/4) to the acoustic ballad "Anthem" and holy-rollin' gospel of "New Religion", a tune which could truly make the angels sing.

The sidemen are wisely selected and, though not very well-known for now, show considerable promise. Several different groupings of players appear, since not all the tracks were recorded in the same studio. Bassist David Enos and drummer Jason Harnell form an especially good rhythm team, balancing creativity and propulsion on tracks like "Time Squared". Veteran hornman Carl Saunders contributes a marvelous flugelhorn guest spot on "In Your Dreams", and Brian Scanlon's bittersweet soprano sax aptly matches Fulton's lush piano on "Anthem".

All in all, this album represents what the state of contemporary jazz should be; nay, what it should have been for a long, long time. An absolutely magical achievement by an immensely talented performer and writer.

www.rhombus-records.com

Track Listing

The Land That Time Forgot; Maple St.; Cow Poetry; Secrets; Anthem; Time Squared; New Religion; The Force; In Your Dreams; Time & Space.

Personnel

Bill Fulton
keyboards

(Collective:) Bill Fulton, keyboards, piano, composing, arranging; David Enos, Adam Cohen, electric bass; Kevin Axt, acoustic bass; Jason Harnell, Kendall Kay, drums; Lee Thornburg, Mike McGuffey, trumpet; Carl Saunders, flugelhorn (solo on #9 only); Mike Nelson, Brian Scanlon, Tom Buckner, Fred Horn, saxophones.

Album information

Title: Time | Year Released: 2003 | Record Label: Rhombus 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

What Was Happening
Bobby Wellins Quartet
Laugh Ash
Ches Smith
A New Beat
Ulysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y

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.