Jazz Articles about Dave Phillips

About Dave Phillips

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156

Album Review

This new set by bassist/composer Dave Phillips' Freedance band documents a 2004 performance at the annual Radio France Festival in Montpellier, France. The longstanding quartet of Phillips, alto player John O'Gallagher, guitarist Rez Abbasi and drummer Tony Moreno doesn't break any new ground here; no one's trying to invent any new forms.With the kind of near-telepathic sensitivity and interplay that only veteran bands attain (and with Phillips' refreshingly openhearted compositions), Freedance doesn't need to reinvent jazz. The six ...

139

Album Review

Dave Phillips: Prayer

by Andrey Henkin
August 25, 2003

The family business of jazz is a perilous one. Expectations come high when a child follows the parent's example. Will the offspring be as productive, or will comparisons undermine their prospects before they mature? Bassist Dave Phillips is the son of improvisatory bass legend Barre Phillips. Such a pedigree is not always a boon. Phillips handles it well by playing much differently than pére, writing his own compelling compositions and, most importantly, assembling a wonderfully cohesive group. The ...

160

Album Review

Dave Phillips & Freedance: Prayer

Read "Prayer" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
April 18, 2003

Bassist Dave Phillips leads his quartet through a loosely climactic venture throughout these nine works. The album title provides a speck of information about the band’s mode of execution. Phillips and company are in no great rush to get to the point, evidenced on pieces such as “Window” and “Prayer,” where the band pursues staggered swing grooves and whispery choruses. Electric guitarist Rez Abbasi’s dark toned lines serve as a near perfect foil for alto saxophonist John O’ Gallagher’s feathery ...