Jazz Articles about John Ellis

The Charlie Hunter Trio: Copperopolis

by Doug Collette
February 8, 2006

Of the sessions with his trio that produced Copperopolis, guitar wunderkind Charlie Hunter says, “I was just feeling rocky I guess. Indeed, the first few seconds are the sound of the three players marshalling their collective strength, leader/guitarist at the fore, riffing and rocking to beat the band. In the midst of the shredding, however, the quirky character of the group and its leader remains evident, eventually superseding that unusually violent attack as the nine tracks continue to unfold.

Yet ...

Charlie Hunter Trio: Copperopolis

by Paul Olson
February 5, 2006

Eight-string guitar whiz Charlie Hunter has done some especially interesting work recently--his Groundtruther experiments with percussionist Bobby Previte explored the limits of outside studio improvisation while his playing in the collective band Garage à Trois dug deep into New Orleans third-line groove and stacked rhythms. As good as those projects were, it's nice to see Hunter return to his main gig, the Charlie Hunter Trio, whose last CD, Friends Seen and Unseen (Ropeadope, 2004), seemed to set a standard for ...

Charlie Hunter Trio: Copperopolis

by Mark F. Turner
February 4, 2006

To say that guitarist Charlie Hunter's been busy is an understatement. Constantly touring and collaborating with Garage à Trois and Groundtruther, he still found time to record Copperopolis with a trio that has been together for over five years. This followup to 2004's Friends Seen and Unseen finds Hunter with drummer Derrek Phillips and saxophonist John Ellis exploring a rock-oriented sound. The music still grooves, but with more bite and grit, marked by harder rhythms and edgier ...

John Ellis: One Foot in the Swamp

by Eric J. Iannelli
April 25, 2005

Reedman John Ellis has distinguished himself in recent years as a sideman and collaborator in the renowned Charlie Hunter Trio. One Foot in the Swamp, released on the New York indie jazz label Hyena, marks his third as bandleader--though his two previous albums received only limited distribution, meaning that this may seem like a remarkably confident debut to some, as it did me. The album thrives on the vibrant, often surprising mix of backward-looking, forward-thinking songwriting that listeners might have ...

John Ellis: One Foot in the Swamp

by Joel Roberts
March 30, 2005

If, as the title of his new album suggests, saxophonist John Ellis has one foot in the swamp--meaning the Southern-fried funk of New Orleans, where he spent his formative musical years and recorded his new disc--his other foot is firmly planted in the more adventurous modern jazz scene of his current base here in New York. It's that mix of North and South, Big Easy and Big Apple, funk and futuristic sounds that makes Ellis one of the more exciting ...

John Ellis: One Foot in the Swamp

by John Kelman
March 19, 2005

Coming from a member of eight-string guitarist Charlie Hunter's various bands for the past few years, reedman John Ellis' first release to receive national exposure might be something you'd expect to be filled with infectious grooves and catchy melodies. And, to be sure, One Foot in the Swamp has its share of both. But as much as tunes like “Happy have a joyful New Orleans swagger and singable theme, Ellis--truly a cosmopolitan player who has spent as much time in ...

John Ellis: One Foot In the Swamp

by C. Michael Bailey
February 25, 2005

"Calmette Shawarma" (track 10 on this release) is one of those rare jazz compositions that is beautifully tethered to nothing and makes perfect sense when you hear it. It begins with a “standard" jazz head that is complex in the way Jazz Messengers heads were in the '50s and '60s when Wayne Shorter was redefining the meaning of hard bop. This inspired ensemble playing demonstrates the depth of trumpeter Nicholas Payton's vision. The piece begins in an orderly enough fashion ...