Jazz Articles about Ben Allison

Ben Allison: Cowboy Justice

by R. Emmet Sweeney
April 16, 2006

Cowboy Justice sticks to the basics. Each tune opens with a repeated riff that is then accented by the other instruments, heavy on layered harmonies. Ben Allison is one of the founding members of the non-profit Jazz Composers Collective, a hub for young, forward-thinking talent, and Cowboy Justice has the feel of a workshop the Collective might put on, a testing ground for basic melodic ideas yet to be fully fleshed out.The first tune, “Tricky Dick," begins with ...

Ben Allison: Cowboy Justice

by Troy Collins
April 11, 2006

From the Jazz Composers Collective to Peace Pipe and Medicine Wheel, bassist/composer Ben Allison has been a force in creative jazz for over a decade. Joined by two Medicine Wheel veterans, drummer Jeff Ballard and trumpeter Ron Horton, Allison also invites adaptable newcomer Steve Cardenas--currently a member of the Paul Motian Band and the first guitarist to play in an Allison group--into the fold. The titular theme seeps through the album, giving it a distinctly American flair. As ...

Ben Allison: Bringing Listeners to the Music

by Joao Moreira dos Santos
November 10, 2005

Ben Allison is a jazz musician you should keep an eye on. Influenced by Charlie Haden, but with a voice all his own, this year seems to be quite a ride for his career. DownBeat magazine selected him as one of the “25 rising jazz stars for the future," and he also won the prestigious “Bird Award" at the 2005 North Sea Jazz Festival, an honor previously awarded to important artists including Misha Mengelberg, Art Blakey and Sonny Rollins. All ...

Frank Kimbrough and Ben Allison

by Sean Patrick Fitzell
July 11, 2004

Frank Kimbrough Lullabluebye Palmetto 2004

For more than ten years, pianist Frank Kimbrough and bassist Ben Allison have collaborated on numerous projects of the Jazz Composers Collective and their own. Despite their frequent appearances together, the two have different approaches as composers and leaders.

On Lullabluebye, Kimbrough explores the classic piano trio, infusing it with a modern sensibility and exciting performances from Allison and drummer Matt Wilson. This limited instrumentation, in less capable hands, ...

Ben Allison & Medicine Wheel: Buzz

by Rob Cline
June 1, 2004

Despite its moderate tempo, “Respiration," the opening track on Buzz, sets an insistent tone that drives the album’s first three tracks. Bassist Ben Allison penned all three charts, which feature tight, energetic ensemble playing by the six-piece band as well as plenty of open space for improvisation, including a textured piano solo by Frank Kimbrough on “Respiration" and a blistering tenor solo by either Michael Blake or Ted Nash (the promo copy of the disc does not specify) on “Buzz." ...

Ben Allison and Medicine Wheel: Buzz

by John Kelman
May 21, 2004

On the fourth album with his group Medicine Wheel bassist Ben Allison continues to push the boundaries of structured music with a programme of six originals and one Beatles cover. With a straightforward sound that belies a richer complexity, Allison continues to present invention masked in simplicity, combining intelligence with emotional depth.

Buzz opens with Allison’s “Respiration,” a 9/4 piece that is insistent, with simple interweaving bass, piano and electric piano parts laying the groundwork for a snake-like horn theme ...

Ben Allison: Buzz

by Jim Santella
May 3, 2004

Ben Allison and Medicine Wheel have a history of going against the grain, with their provocative form of New York jazz. Allison has said that “a composition should create a landscape in which a musician can freely explore and find an individual voice.”

With its fourth release, however, Medicine Wheel turns collective and moves its circle closer to the center. Voices move together as one. Pleasant harmony and smooth rhythms support simple melodies. Their “New York buzz” ...