Jazz Articles about Brian Groder

Brian Groder Trio: R Train On The D Line

by Mark Corroto
July 22, 2016

An album like R Train On The D Line is what separates jazz listeners from non-jazz listeners. The Brian Groder Trio plays the kind of composed yet improvised music that portends to go off the rails at any time, yet never does. And that may be the true definition of jazz. Consider the audiences' double-take when Louis Armstrong put a trumpet to his lips to open “West End Blues." Satchmo broke all the musical commandments with his improvised ...

Brian Groder Trio: R Train On The D Line

by Karl Ackermann
March 10, 2016

A New York City jazz scene regular, the trumpeter and flugelhorn player Brian Groder returns with the trio that helped make Reflexology (Latham Records, 2014) such a highly satisfying recording. Bassist Michael Bisio and drummer Jay Rosen are well-suited to supporting Groder's flexible, energetic and probing objectives. Following their previous work together, their mutual empathy of free-form approaches, combined with uncompromising melodies, the trio has proven to be an ambitious unit with a truly different sound.The title--R Train ...

Brian Groder Trio: Reflexology

by Eyal Hareuveni
September 15, 2014

The cover of trumpeter Brian Groder new trio tells much about his aesthetics. He is well-versed with the compositional ideas of the great American jazz masters and their improvisation strategies--Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, including trumpeters as Woody Shaw and Freddie Hubbard. But in the same manner that these innovative and creative muscians marked their sonic footprint in the rich legacy of the genre, Groder not only reflects on past achievments but wants to take this genre a step ...

Brian Groder: Reflexology

by Karl Ackermann
August 25, 2014

A long-time fixture in the his native New York City jazz scene, trumpeter and flugelhorn player Brian Groder has devoted a considerable part of his career to the frequent use of free-form approaches. His previous trios have included bassist Dominic Duval and drummer Newman Taylor Baker. Groder has also worked with trumpeter Taylor Ho Bynum and many others. On Reflexology he surrounds himself with very like-minded improvisers in bassist Michael Bisio and drummer Jay Rosen. Bisio has led virtually every ...

Brian Groder: Reflexology

by Hrayr Attarian
August 22, 2014

Trumpeter Brian Groder distinctive style marks his intelligent versatility and superlative musicianship. This is, of course, not news for those familiar with his work. Whether in electronically tinged improvisational ensembles like Confusion Bleue, large orchestras or intimately small groups Groder's unconventional yet always engaging approach morphs to fit the setting while remaining singularly recognizable.His trio outing Reflexology is a sparse, haunting exploration of hard bop motifs that is simultaneously provocative and endowed with a visceral rhythmic sense. The ...

Brian Groder / Tonino Miano: FluiDensity

by Eyal Hareuveni
March 27, 2013

The duo of trumpeter Brian Groder-- known for his collaborations with iconoclastic improvisers, saxophonist Sam Rivers (Torque, Latham, 2006) and pianist Burton Greene (Groder & Greene, Latham, 2009)-- and classically-trained pianist Tonino Miano attempts to bridge the 21st improvisational techniques with the innovations of 20th century contemporary music. These two like-minded musicians draw inspiration from diverse and influential composers, Duke Ellington, Cecil Taylor, Arnold Schoenberg, Béla Bartók and Frederic Rzewski and transcend their influence into a set of lyrical, carefully ...

Brian Groder: Groder & Greene

by Mark Corroto
November 5, 2009

Trumpeter Brian Groder has a talent for creating combinations of players to achieve certain musical outcomes. This instinct is especially important when the territory traversed is free jazz , where the mixtures of players are indispensable if the music is to be coherent. On Groder & Greene, the free jazz is indeed cogent and compelling.

This disc follows Torque (Latham Records, 2006), where Groder was paired with free jazz legend/octogenarian Sam Rivers. Here he invites Burton Greene, the Chicago jazzman ...