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Markus Rutz: Many Moons
by Jack Bowers
Chicago-based trumpeter Markus Rutz traverses a largely straightforward path on Many Moons, the ninth recording as leader of his own ensembles--on this occasion, his Third Coast Sounds, a sturdy sextet with slightly shifting personnel. Tenor saxophonist Brice Winston shares the front line on five of the album's eleven engaging tracks, alto Sharel Cassity on four, with saxophonist and album producer Greg Ward sitting in on the colorful finale, “Time to Spare," which he also composed. Rutz wrote half ...
Continue ReadingMarkus Rutz: Many Moons
by Ken Hohman
Orson Welles once quipped, “I'm not such a fool as to not take the moon seriously." Journeyman Chicago trumpeter Markus Rutz takes this sentiment to heart with his fine recording, Many Moons, which finds him under the spell of our silvery satellite, leveraging it as a muse for the passage of time and a melancholy reflection of life's varied chapters. Vacillating from judiciously selected covers (Van Morrison's “Moondance"), catchy originals ("Penumbra") and jazz standards ("Blue Moon" and “Blue ...
Continue ReadingChristian Dillingham: Halcyon
by Hrayr Attarian
On the intriguing Halcyon, his second release as a leader, Chicago bassist Christian Dillingham explores folkish motifs in a haunting ambience. The music here is a mix of his own compositions and covers of diverse backgrounds that showcase, once again, his versatility. The band has quite a unique sound, thanks to its collective virtuosity, with guitarist Matt Gold's incandescent pedal steel giving it a rootsy flavor. For instance, singer-songwriter Gillian Welch's “Lowlands" has a buoyant and a tad ...
Continue ReadingChristian Dillingham: Cascades
by Maurizio Zerbo
Questo CD può rappresentare una bella sorpresa per chi non segue i mille rivoli del copioso panorama discografico statunitense. Ne è protagonista il bassista Christian Dillingham, già distintosi per la rara versatilità nel padroneggiare la cultura eurocolta, la tradizione jazzistica e il mondo del gospel grazie alla pluripremiata collaborazione discografica con il cantante Kirk Franklin. Nel brano d'apertura si individuano i principali orizzonti espressivi di un progetto fondato sulla semplicità tematica, sull'esplosione gioiosa e innodica di una musica ...
Continue ReadingNotable Releases from Christian Dillingham and Others
by Jerome Wilson
Here is a look at some notable albums released in the latter half of 2023. Ilya Dynov Bridges Self-Produced 2023 Drummer Ilya Dynov leads a small group session of straight-ahead jazz played with an edge and swinging deftness. The music runs the gamut from the rolling urgency of “Constellation," and the soulful lope of “For Those We Love" to the jagged high-stepping of “Blue." Pianist Jihee Heo consistently breezes nimbly over ...
Continue ReadingChristian Dillingham: Checking in from the Third Coast
by David Bixler
Christian Dillingham: Cascades
by Hrayr Attarian
Chicago bassist Christian Dillingham is a truly versatile musician. In addition to excelling at various genres, including jazz, western classical and gospel, he appeared on singer Kirk Franklin's Grammy winner Long Live Love (RCA 2019). Dillingham is also an accomplished educator, composer and bandleader. He demonstrates these skills as he leads his quartet on his debut Cascades, a cohesive and original work which is intense, thought-provoking, and soulful. A dramatic ambiance permeates the captivating “South State Line Road"; ...
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