Jazz Articles
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Gene Ess: Apotheosis
by Chris Mosey
The inspiration for Apotheosis, Japanese-American guitarist Gene Ess's fourth album, is taken from mythologist James Campbell's book “The Hero with a Thousand Faces," first published in 1949. In this Campbell describes apotheosis as “the expansion of consciousness a hero experiences when defeating his foe." His theories concerning fictional heroes have been used as a template by many modern writers and artists, including George Lucas, creator of the Star Wars films. Now Ess is applying them to jazz. ...
read moreGene Ess: Absurdist Theater
by Jerome Wilson
On this CD guitarist Gene Ess and his group Fractal Attraction have put together an intelligent fusion of jazz, folk and rock concepts led by the glassy clarity of Ess' guitar and the calm beauty of Thana Alexa's voice. Alexa's rising and falling wordless tones are the first thing heard on the disc and they lead into a pretty, slow theme built on a methodical blend of voice, guitar and Manuel Valera's piano. The quiet mood continues on “Circe's Compassion" ...
read moreGene Ess: Eternal Monomyth
by Geannine Reid
Award winning guitarist, Gene Ess, draws upon a diverse background to form his unique style of playing and writing. Eternal Monomyth is a companion piece to Ess' last album, Fractal Attraction. Ess explains, “the music should be heard in that regard. In a transparent sense, it is a continuation of my exploration with the combined timbre of the female voice and the electric guitar wrapped up in original compositions and supported by a piano trio. But acutely, it is about ...
read moreGene Ess: Fractal Attraction
by C. Michael Bailey
Using the voice as a melodic and harmonic instrument above and beyond scat singing or vocalese is increasing in popularity, as evidenced in recordings like Beata Pater's Red (B&B Records, 2013) and Lola Danza's The Island (Evolver, 2012). Vocalist Thana Alexa joins guitarist Gene Ess for an expansion of Ess' genre-breaking jazz philosophy, using the human voice as instrument, thus broadening its palette of applications in jazz. On the whole, Ess' compositions are angular, with sharp corners ...
read moreGene Ess: A Thousand Summers
by Edward Blanco
In a rare departure for Gene Ess, who has always favored original music and instrumentals, the veteran jazz guitarist has partnered with acclaimed vocalist and bassist Nicki Parrott for A Thousand Summers, a refined album of familiar jazz standards and love songs. When Ess began developing the project, he naturally focused on new material. One day he performed with a singer at New York's renowned Blue Note jazz club. As he so aptly puts it, the experience “seemed to have ...
read moreGene Ess: Modes of Limited Transcendence
by Edward Blanco
An award-winning guitarist and vital part of the music scene in New York city since moving there in 1991, Gene Ess continues his exploration of music with another dose of tasteful modern jazz featuring sophisticated and engaging compositions on Modes of Limited Transcendence. A classically-trained pianist, Ess also plays the electric guitar and is often compared to John Scofield and John Abercrombie in style. Once considered a child prodigy, Ess draws on pop, jazz, and classical influences when composing his ...
read moreGene Ess: Modes of Limited Transcendence
by Dan McClenaghan
Guitarist Gene Ess put together a quartet with saxophonist Donny McCaslin for his Sandbox and Sanctum (SIMP Music, 2005) . On Modes of Limited Transcendence he ups the harmonic ingenuity factor with a different quartet, replacing the horn with a guitar, to craft an often cooking, quartet-of-equals chamber vibe.Ess began his musical journey as a pianist, but left the eighty-eight keys for the six strings. His chording cohort on the set, pianist Tigran Hamasyan, comps behind the leader ...
read moreGene Ess: Sandbox and Sanctum
by Tom Greenland
Guitarist Gene Ess' third effort as a leader is a noteworthy departure from his sophomore release (Sunrise Falling, Amp Records 2003) in significant ways: while the earlier work straddled rock and fusion-jazz sensibilities, forefronting groove and melody with looped electronica and digital pastiche, the latest is leaner, cleaner, and full straight-ahead, underscoring the guitarist's impeccable tone and taste. More importantly, it represents Ess, for the first time, in complete artistic control of compositions, arrangements, recording, mixing/mastering, and production--with admirable results. ...
read moreGene Ess: Sandbox and Sanctum
by Wayne Zade
Guitarist Gene Ess came to jazz via country rock and blues clubs frequented by US service personnel in Okinawa, classical music studies at George Mason University, and performance studies at Berklee before he hit the New York scene. Upon arriving there, he established key contacts with Matthew Garrison, son of bassist Jimmy; Rashied Ali, one of John Coltrane's last drummers; and Ravi Coltrane, John's son. Ess's early jazz listening centered around recordings by John Coltrane. As he revealed in a ...
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