Home » Jazz Articles » Gary Versace
Jazz Articles about Gary Versace
Ellery Eskelin: About (or On), First Visit
by Stefano Merighi
All'interno di un catalogo variegato ma di sicuro assottigliato negli ultimi anni, il tenorsassofonista Ellery Eskelin ha dato prova di controllare una cultura musicale ampia e sofisticata, nutrita sia dalla tradizione gospel e blues che dalle decostruzioni postmoderne. I due dischi di cui la ezzthetics stavolta meritoriamente cura la riedizione, pubblicati nel 2011 e nel 2013 dalla Prime Source Recordings, stanno un po' per conto loro nella discografia del compositore, ma brillano per inventiva, maestria e originale sonorità, ...
Continue ReadingEllery Eskelin Trio New York: About (or On), First Visit
by Mark Corroto
It might be tempted to say that Ellery Eskelin's Trio New York is deconstructing the eleven standards on the two-disc set About (or On) First Visit. But that would be a misreading. This is not a breakdown of classic material in search of alternative meanings or structural analysis. Rather, Eskelin, alongside organist Gary Versace and drummer Gerald Cleaver, channels something more elusive--what ancient philosophy once called the fifth element, or aether. Their interpretations evoke the atmospheric essence of these songs, ...
Continue ReadingChristine Jensen Jazz Orchestra: Harbour
by Scott Lichtman
There's something special about Christine Jensen Jazz Orchestra's Harbour. Foremost, the album builds on Jensen's acknowledged talent as master composer for over 25 years. She writes songs that stimulate the emotions as well as the intellect, and she arranges them using rich, cross-instrumental blends and fresh, punctuated motifs. While Jensen already has won JUNO awards in Canada for best jazz album, Harbour raises the bar. That is because it is inspired by deeply personal themes and because her ...
Continue ReadingRudy Royston: DAY
by Vic Albani
Rudy Royston, batterista di prima classe (Bill Frisell, Dave Douglas, JD Allen, Ben Allison, Rudresh Mahanthappa e molti altri), approda con Day alla sua quinta uscita per l'etichetta del signor Dave Douglas, Greenleaf. Day è la seconda uscita dei Flatbed Buggy, vale a dire dell'avventuroso combo creato dal batterista con l'aiuto delle bass lines di Joe Martin, dei clarinetti di John Ellis, del violoncello di Hank Roberts e della fisarmonica di Gary Versace. L'idea base del lavoro omaggia la giovinezza ...
Continue ReadingLuzia von Wyl Ensemble: Frakmont
by Glenn Astarita
Frakmont, the latest offering from Swiss composer/pianist Luzia von Wyl and her ensemble, stands as a remarkable fusion of avant-garde jazz and classical finesse, crafting a sound universe that is at once groundbreaking and eternal. Each track unfolds like a story, told with meticulous care and fervent emotion, under the ensemble's cohesive unity and von Wyl's inspired direction. The musicians navigate through a variety of emotional terrains and sonic vistas, solidifying the ensemble's expertise in creating music that ...
Continue ReadingJoe Magnarelli: Hoop Dreams
by C. Andrew Hovan
As Duke Ellington would often remind us, music comes in two varieties, that which is good and that which is bad. This suggests that genre and category are really of little concern and that overall quality is really the defining factor in considering the validity of any musical expression. Taking this axiom one step further, let me suggest that good music comes in assorted varieties. On one end of the spectrum you have music brimming with complex structures and technical ...
Continue ReadingAndrew Rathbun: The Speed Of Time
by Dan McClenaghan
Not one to avoid concepts and ambitious outings, Andrew Rathbun's to-date masterpiece, The Atwood Suites (Origin Records, 2018), explored the poetry of his countrywoman, writer Margaret Atwood. In 2023, he tackles time. Time is a funny thing. Its perceived speed is malleable. It tends toward an increasing velocity as one moves into middle age and beyond. It can crawl at a snail's pace (during a root canal treatment, for example) and it can race ahead with wild abandon--that ...
Continue Reading
