Jazz Articles about John Ellis

like 595

John Ellis: Emerging

by R.J. DeLuke
June 19, 2006

Saxophonist John Ellis was known as one of the voices of the Charlie Hunter Trio, having toured with the eight-string guitarist in recent years. His searching sound can be heard on Hunter recordings like the recently released Copperopolis. Good years for Ellis, who was able to tour steadily and still work on building a solo career as one of the resourceful players on the scene.

But now appears to be the time for Ellis, 32, a country boy ...

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John Ellis Quartet: Live At Yoshi's - July 18, 2005

by Mark Sabbatini
June 15, 2006

Saxophonist John Ellis' new album By A Thread is “an early runner for one of the best albums of 2006,"according to one AAJ review. Thanks to his free, two-set live performance available free at his Web site, he's got his hat in the download category as well.

This 2.5 hour session is first-rate in personnel, performance and audio quality, easily deserving of album status if Ellis choose to go that route. The unprotected MP3s are easily obtained--no registrations, ...

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John Ellis: By a Thread

by Elliott Simon
May 24, 2006

Over the past several years, tenor saxophonist John Ellis has developed a powerfully funky style. More recently, he has stretched out to bass clarinet and ocarina, releasing two well-received sessions as a leader and maintaining his integral part in guitarist Charlie Hunter's well-known trio. On By a Thread Ellis has brought together a quintet that delivers the funk, but also shines on multifaceted compositions which define a more mature sound. These beautifully melodic pieces serve as springboards to more adventurous ...

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John Ellis: By A Thread

by John Kelman
May 14, 2006

In contrast to the schizophrenic nature of John Ellis' previous effort, One Foot in the Swamp (Hyena Records, 2005), By A Thread is an altogether more coherent affair. The 2005 disc focused on consolidating musical experiences gained with artists as diverse as eight-string guitarist Charlie Hunter, pianist Robert Glasper and drummer Jason Marsalis, shifting from a New Orleans swagger to an urban New York City vibe. Despite being consistently engaging, it felt somehow divisive.

That's not to say there isn't ...

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Charlie Hunter Trio: Copperopolis

by AAJ Staff
April 24, 2006

First-time encounters with Charlie Hunter in a live setting usually leave listeners numb with the realization of how much music Hunter can make with one instrument. It's a sobering experience to see him play melody, chordal accompaniment and bass lines all at once on his custom eight-string guitar--which is obviously a most unnatural feat, even though he's been honing it for quite some time. The way he loses control of his facial muscles in the process, often succumbing to a ...

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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 ...

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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 ...