Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Owen Howard: Time Cycles

120

Owen Howard: Time Cycles

By

Sign in to view read count
Owen Howard: Time Cycles
Rhythm is all, goes one jazz adage. But when drummer/composer/leaders abuse their privilege, their projects often fall short by grabbing knowing listeners with overly technical and acrobatic demonstrations of mere rhythmic savoir faire. When these performances are thoughtfully conceived and rendered with maturity, such recordings have the potential of winning over audiences. In Owen Howard, the Spanish Fresh Sound New Talent label presents not only a deserving composer, but a first-rate drummer as well.

Time Cycles is a rhythmically luxuriant album with many cutting-edge improvisations. In listening, one travels through an intelligently paced and varied set of contemporary-sounding originals (the only cover is John Coltrane's "Giant Steps ). It is also quite interesting to hear Howard lead the group from behind his kit.

Like Howard, his companions are highly skilled instrumentalists. The New York-based unit, also including free-spirited pianist Gary Versace, stalwart bassist John Hebert, and reedmen Andrew Rathburn and John O'Gallagher, happily hovers between unabashed abstraction and tradition-rooted swing.

What's most striking first compositionally is the use of an overriding melodic phrase across the album. The melody of the triptych "Kalimba 1-2-3, titled after the African idiophonic instrument, is arranged and harmonized differently throughout the recording. The first instalment of the phrase, with its oozing and intertwining superimposed patterns, as well as the first variation's rockier 5/4 beat and the light-headed last variation, act as aural landmarks and help unify the session.

"Slow Day, with its John Scofield/Joe Lovano-like feel, eases its way well into an alto sax/drums duet, O'Gallagher's tearing Coltrane-influenced solo on "Cryptic, and the innovative vamp at the end of "Giant Steps. The pensive melody of "Quiet Peace/Piece showcases the softer side of the unit, especially in the outhead, where Rayburn and O'Gallagher lock horns quite sumptuously.

Track Listing

Derailer; Kalimba 1; Slow Day; Cryptic; Sonny-Side Up; Kalimba 2; Tu-Tone Poem; Giant Steps; Quiet Peace/Piece; Kalimba 3.

Personnel

Owen Howard: drums; Andrew Rathbun: saxophone; John O'Gallagher: saxophone; Gary Versace: piano; John Hebert: bass.

Album information

Title: Time Cycles | Year Released: 2007 | Record Label: Fresh Sound New Talent

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.