Home » Jazz Articles » Drew Gress
Jazz Articles about Drew Gress
Francesca Prihasti: Beneath the Sun
by Jack Bowers
Gracefulness and charm are the order of the day on Beneath the Sun, the fourth recording by Indonesian-born, New York-based pianist and composer Francesca Prihasti. Brevity also plays a small role, as the album's playing time is a relatively concise 36 minutes. To her credit, Prihaski makes the most of them, playing bright and alluring piano on five of her stylish and seductive melodies, Fender Rhodes on the album's warmhearted title song (written for her children, Marie and ...
Continue ReadingFred Hersch: The Surrounding Green
by Doug Collette
Taken together, Fred Hersch's first two albums for ECM Records can be seen as a bid for recognition as the preeminent pianist in contemporary jazz. The solo work of Silent, Listening (ECM, 2024) complements the trio work on The Surrounding Green, their individual and combined impact heightened by release on the vaunted label in successive years. As much as the former depicts Hersch's touch for nuance, the latter is a display of the equally subtle mutual empathy he ...
Continue ReadingFred Hersch: The Surrounding Green
by Jack Kenny
Fred Hersch's The Surrounding Green , his third release for ECM Records, is a testament to the art of the piano trio, combining lyrical introspection with sophisticated interplay. Recorded in May 2024 at Lugano's Auditorio Stelio Molo under Manfred Eicher's meticulous production, the album features Hersch on piano, Drew Gress on double bass and Joey Baron on drums. Their decades-honed chemistry gives the album musical maturity, creating a sound that is both intimate and expansive. The album's seven ...
Continue ReadingFred Hersch: The Surrounding Green
by Neil Duggan
In a world where turmoil arrives almost instantly via notifications on our devices, a Fred Hersch album feels like sanctuary--an invitation to slow down and listen deeply. The Surrounding Green, his third release for ECM, once again finds the pianist in tandem with producer Manfred Eicher, the ideal partner to bring focus to the pianist's gentle improvisational and instrumental artistry. Widely regarded as one of jazz's most distinctive and enduring voices, Hersch's creative vision has influenced the genre ...
Continue ReadingPhil Haynes: Return to Electric
by Glenn Astarita
Phil Haynes, a drummer who possesses an extensive and heralded resume, unleashes Return to Electric, a semiavant-garde fusion-fueled romp that feels like a love letter to the electric guitar's golden era, delivered with a sly wink. This album displays Haynes, guitarist Steve Salerno, and bassist Drew Gress capturing the experimental spirit of 1970s jazz-rock while demonstrating their mastery over modern styles. Haynes provides near-flawless support, punctuated by colorific cymbal accents, off-kilter deviations and polyrhythmic fills. The trio kicks ...
Continue ReadingJason Robinson: Ancestral Numbers
by Vincenzo Roggero
Unica seduta di registrazione dal 23 al 25 agosto 2023, due CD, Ancestral Numbers I e Ancestral Numbers II, usciti a qualche mese di distanza, stessa fonte di ispirazione--il ricordo della nonna materna e la sua influenza nella famiglia--stessa ricerca di relazioni tra numeri, genealogie e storie dettate dallo scorrere del tempo. È questa la prima parte di un progetto musicale pensato da Jason Robinson nel quale una serie di composizioni sarà pensata per appositi organici strumentali. Sassofonista e flautista ...
Continue ReadingPhil Haynes: Return to Electric
by Dan McClenaghan
The band Return to Forever was a seminal jazz fusion group led by pianist Chick Corea. The eponymous first album, on ECM Records, was released in 1972, opening doors for scores of other like-minded ensembles. Electricity was a main aspect of the move away from acoustic jazz. The Fender Rhodes piano and plugged-in bass and guitars of fusion took hold and, to some degree, seemed to be ushering the old (acoustic) guard out the door. But that did ...
Continue Reading
