Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Mike Reed's People, Places & Things: About Us

434

Mike Reed's People, Places & Things: About Us

By

View read count
Mike Reed's People, Places & Things: About Us
Mike Reed's People, Places & Things was conceived as a band dedicated to reviving and expanding on aspects of the Chicago jazz scene of the late 1950s, bringing a fresh approach and contemporary ideas to the music of that era. About Us continues in that vein, but as the title states, its focus is more on the band itself. Although led by a drummer, this piano-less quartet puts the dynamics in the hands of saxophonists Tim Haldeman (tenor) and Greg Ward (alto).

The tunes generally start with a stated melody and when the saxophones come in they push themselves (and each other) to the limits, straining to reach the next note, struggling and striving to go on the next run. On "It's Enough," it's Haldeman's rough-hewn tenor that does the heavy lifting. On "V.S. #1," the tune ebbs and flows with the momentum of Ward's alto. On "Flat Companion" and the title track, alto and tenor interlace and throw shadows that define the dynamism and excitement pervasive in these compositions.

Reed's concept goes one step further here through the inclusion of three of Chicago's leading improvisers: trombonist Jeb Bishop (former member of theVandermark 5), guitarist Jeff Parker (Tortoise) and tenor man David Boykin (Nicole Mitchell's Black Unstoppable). Each of these players contributes his own composition and brings his individual sound to the record. On Bishop's "Big Stubby," trombone and bass (Jason Roebke) duet before the band joins in, while Parker's "Days Fly By (with Ruby)" carries forward with sharp-edged syncopation. As for Boykin, his swaggering lead on "Big and Fine" links him directly to Chicago's brawny tenor legacy, the track building languorously then growing kinetic in the triple-threat interplay among the saxophones.

Boykin is criminally unknown and under-documented. His presence alone makes About Us a must-have. A third disc is planned in this series of Chicago-related music and Reed's People Places & Things is shaping up to be one of the top working bands around.

Track Listing

It's Enough; V.S.#1; About Us; Big and Fine; The Next Time You Are Near; Big Stubby; Flat Companion; First Reading: Paul's Letter; Under the Influence of Lunar Objects; Days Fly By (with Ruby).

Personnel

Mike Reed
drums

Tim Haldeman: tenor saxophone; Mike Reed: drums, melodica; Jason Roebke: bass; Greg Ward: alto saxophone; Jeb Bishop: trombone (track 6); David Boykin: tenor saxophone (Track 4); Jeff Parker: guitar (track 10).

Album information

Title: About Us | Year Released: 2010 | Record Label: 482 Music

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT



Mike Reed Concerts

Oct 17 Fri
Oct 18 Sat

Support All About 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 make 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.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves 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.

Near

More

Tramonto
John Taylor
Ki
Natsuki Tamura / Satoko Fujii
Duality Pt: 02
Dom Franks' Strayhorn
The Sound of Raspberry
Tatsuya Yoshida / Martín Escalante

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

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

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.