Jazz Articles about Fred Hess

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Fred Hess Quartet: Crossed Paths

by Dan McClenaghan
February 16, 2005

Listening to “On Perry St.," the opening cut on Denver-based saxophonist Fred Hess' Crossed Paths --a song that thumps in on a rock-ish beat (by Matt Wilson) and a big loping bass line (by Ken Filiano), followed by some loose two horn harmony--I'm struck, on Hess's first solo of the disc, by what pretty noise the man makes with his horn. Combining perfect control with a sense of fun and wonder and a Lester Young-ish tone, telling us a facinating ...

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Fred Hess: The Long And The Short Of It

by Mark Corroto
February 2, 2004

Saxophonist Fred Hess writes dreamy music. Not music that is otherworldly or romantic or visionary per se, but dream inducing, at its plain meaning. His compositions beg for improvisation and its players are required to open up to the possibilities.

The right mix of players is a key to making his music work. The Long And The Short Of It is his third quartet record and follows 2002's Extended Family, also on Tapestry Records. Hess’ combination of musicians ...

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Fred Hess Quartet: The Long And Short Of It

by Farrell Lowe
February 1, 2004

The single most striking difference between Fred Hess' latest recording and all of his earlier efforts is the relaxed and joyful feel of the music contained herein. Tyranny to form, an element of Hess' recordings that has caught too much of my attention in the past, is gone, amended by said relaxation and joy. This unassuming release documents a substantial step forward in the realization, if not the compositional understanding of Hess' music by other players. He has chosen an ...

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Fred Hess Quartet: The Long and Short of It

by Dan McClenaghan
January 21, 2004

Appearances, as they say, can be deceiving. On the cover of The Long and Short of It, the grey-haired and bespectacled Fred Hess wears a standard blue dress shirt beneath a conservative sweater vest. It's a look that might make you guess the sounds he's offering up here are a set of time-tested standards, played in a traditional, maybe even tepid, manner.Sometimes you just can't judge a disc by its cover, though. The Long and Short of It ...

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Fred Hess/Marc Sabatella: Right At Home

by Mark Corroto
February 1, 2003

All About Jazz's Dan McClenaghan introduced us to saxophonist Fred Hess last month with his review of his latest quartet date, Extended Family . The Colorado-based saxophonist simultaneously released a duo outing with pianist Marc Sabatella, Right At Home. Where the quartet displays determined bravado, this duo turns inward, taking a more personal approach.

The duo’s influences are many. One hears historic Steve Lacy/Mal Waldron, George Adams/Don Pullen, and Art Pepper/George Cables duos echoed in this recording. Hess ...

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Fred Hess: Extended Family

by Dan McClenaghan
January 16, 2003

Most of you wouldn't pick Boulder, Colorado as a hotbed of progressive jazz activity; or think that the Metropolitan State College in Denver would be a breeding ground for innovative sounds. But last year trumpeter Ron Miles--who teaches at Metropolitan State--put out the gorgeously understated Heaven, a duo outing with high-profile guitarist Bill Frisell--a set that showed up (very deservedly) on several critics' top ten lists for the year.

This year the Rocky Mountain State brings us ...

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Fred Hess Quartet: Exposed

by Derek Taylor
March 1, 2002

Boulder, Colorado doesn’t crop up often in serious conversations about creative improvised music. But based on the serendipitous contents of this new CIMP release perhaps it should. Fred Hess founded the Boulder Creative Music Ensemble at the onset of the Eighties and according to producer Bob Rusch the aggregate of creative improvisers continues to this day. The longevity of the ensemble illustrates a truth that is integral, but often taken for granted- grass roots mobilization and dissemination has always been ...