Jazz Articles about Ethan Philion

About Ethan Philion

Album Review

Waypoints, the second recording by Chicago-based tenor saxophonist Arman Sangalang's quartet, continues on a path similar to his first, Arman Sangalang Quartet (Calligram, 2023), leaning on original compositions and closing with a perennially popular standard, Johnny Green's “Body & Soul." Sangalang is a splendid player, blending a strong and persuasive solo voice with precise technique and a bright and pleasing sound. His teammates are similarly adept, lending Sangalang solid and dependable support. The compositional highlight of the program ...

Album Review

Arman Sangalang: Waypoints

Read "Waypoints" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
July 29, 2026

Saxophonist Arman Sangalang released his debut record, Quartet (Calligram Records) in 2023. It was a smoldering sax-and-a-rhythm-section quartet outing that sounded surprisingly fresh for a first recording effort. His follow-up, Waypoints, employs the same format, switching out bassist Matt Ulery for Ethan Philion, while keeping guitarist Dave Miller and drummer Devin Drobka. The sophomore effort careens toward expanded freedom, boldly. “I wanted to give them [his quartet cohorts] the freedom to do what they wanted with the music," ...

Album Review

Kenny Reichert: Live in Chicago

Read "Live in Chicago" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
January 16, 2026

Kenny Reichert has been steadily building his reputation within the modern jazz world, and Live in Chicago stands as perhaps his most revealing statement to date. Recorded at Pro Musica with a hand-picked quartet featuring alto saxophonist Lenard Simpson, bassist Ethan Philion, and drummer Devin Drobka, this five-track collection captures something increasingly rare in contemporary jazz recordings: genuine, unvarnished spontaneity within a live setting. What is immediately striking about this record is its commitment to expansiveness. Each of ...

Album Review

Zachary Finnegan: Guidance and Gratitude

Read "Guidance and Gratitude" reviewed by Nicholas F. Mondello

by Nicholas F. Mondello
July 30, 2024

Guidance and Gratitude from trumpeter and composer Zachary Finnegan delivers nine highly-textured and involving selections. Each selection presents itself with a story background in its title and each is a multi-layered composition, a micro-symphony. It is intelligent music. “Urban Motion" is an energetic, perhaps frantic, landscape with an ostinato six-note bed and a reflective interlude before Finnegan takes off over Camila Minnitte Pereyra's furious drumming that is negotiating with him. There is also an all hell breaks ...

Album Review

Ethan Philion: Gnosis

Read "Gnosis" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi

by Angelo Leonardi
July 15, 2024

L'impronta di Charles Mingus torna a caratterizzare il secondo album di Ethan Philion, il contrabbassista di Chicago che ha felicemente debuttato due anni fa con Meditations on Mingus (Sunnyside). Rispetto a quel progetto dedicato alle composizioni politiche del contrabbassista ci sono differenze formali e sostanziali che rendono la nuova opera diversa e ancor più coinvolgente: le composizioni sono tutte di Philion (eccetto la mingusiana “What Love," già riscrittura di uno standard di Cole Porter); il tentet di allora è sostituito ...

Album Review

Kenny Reichert: Switch

by Mark Corroto
June 23, 2024

Chicago guitarist Kenny Reichert works extremely hard to make his sound come across as casual on Switch. If you do not count the numerous discs with his partner Sara d'Ippolito Reichert, this is his third release as a leader. It follows Deep Breath (Shifting Paradigm Records, 2023) and returning from that previous outing are vocalist Alyssa Allgood and drummer Devin Drobka. Anchored by the rock steady pulse of bassist Ethan Philion, the title track opens with Reichert and ...

Album Review

Ethan Philion: Meditations On Mingus

Read "Meditations On Mingus" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi

by Angelo Leonardi
February 28, 2024

Questa rilettura del songbook mingusiano, conferma la potenza evocativa e l'attualità di quelle composizioni. La scelta da Ethan Philion ha privilegiato brani che testimoniamo l'impegno civile e politico del contrabbassista di Nogales e sono particolarmente d'attualità oggi. Il disco di apre con un brano dal titolo emblematico, “Once Upon A Time There Was A Holding Corporation Called Old America," che Charles Mingus non registrò mai in studio ma è presente nella registrazione live (a lungo introvabile) di At ...