Jazz Articles about Matt Wilson

Matt Wilson Quartet: Humidity

by David A. Orthmann
April 2, 2003

An eclectic drummer, thinker, and bandleader, Matt Wilson shuns fixed stylistic boundaries. He’s endlessly curious and adventuresome, but invariably backs up imaginative leaps in conception and execution with solid musicianship and organizational skills. Humidity, Wilson’s fourth outing for Palmetto, finds his working quartet (plus violin, trumpet, and trombone on a few cuts) fully inhabiting every one of the twelve diverse tracks. The band invests both a continuous state of flux and sense of methodical development to the spacey, disjointed funk ...

Matt Wilson: Beyond Category

by C. Andrew Hovan
March 27, 2003

The world thrives on order and the type of categorization that is as much a part of everyday life as breathing. Single or married, democrat or republican, each one of us can be pigeonholed into general and then more specific categories. Music is certainly no different, as anyone can tell you if they've found themselves in a store struggling to locate a disc of percussive beats from the Ghanawan musicians of Africa or of the klezmer strains of Mickey Katz. ...

Matt Wilson: Humidity

by Riel Lazarus
March 11, 2003

When the Matt Wilson Quartet (MWQ) first formed in 1996, their goal was to establish a cohesive working unit that would eventually carve out a distinct musical identity. As many would readily attest, the MWQ have done just that - releasing a critically acclaimed CD (1999's Smile ), and establishing themselves as one of jazz music's most energetic live acts. Now, after a three-year recording sabbatical, the group reemerges with Humidity - a heat-soaked, brow-beaten affair that ...

Matt Wilson Quartet: Humidity

by Jim Santella
March 1, 2003

Founded in 1996, the Matt Wilson Quartet took shape in order to explore new and interesting ways of expressing mainstream jazz. Without a piano or a guitar to provide obvious harmonic concepts, the band has to rely on its two saxophonists and bassist for overlaps that carry the mood. Consequently, the song list avoids too many choices from the common formula. Humidity includes two; the others are originals.

Jimmy McHugh’s “Don’t Blame Me” features alto and tenor circling ...

Lee Konitz & Matt Wilson: Gong With Wind Suite

by Derek Taylor
February 25, 2003

In the context of improvised music, few are as adept as Lee Konitz at flying under the critical radar. Based on his longevity alone the man should have a university jazz department named after him- never mind that said career has been marked by an almost uniform standard of excellence. From his early days with the Claude Thornhill Orchestra through flirtations with the Tristano school and free improvisation Konitz has always held melody in high esteem. He’s an expert at ...

Matt Wilson Quartet: Humidity

by C. Michael Bailey
February 18, 2003

Drummer Matt Wilson’s Humidity is somewhat of a free affair. The recording is very much a drummer lead date, with angular, complex rhythms and harmonies, aggressive and assertive tempos, and pile and piles of smart composition. Wilson pays an obvious debt to the late Billy Higgins on the opener, which is essentially a trio between Wilson and saxophonists D’Angelo and Lederer. The piece has a bit of a Middle Eastern flair, a mood that wafts through the entire set. This ...

Falkner Evans: Level Playing Field

by Dave Nathan
October 1, 2002

One of the pleasures of being allowed to review jazz CDs is the opportunity to get a chance to listen to the debut albums of younger artists with uncommon talents. Such is the case with New York pianist/composer Falkner Evans, transplanted from Oklahoma. You get your kicks from two distinct but related lines. The first is how each newcomer to the piano scene reminds one of the influences of the great performers who shaped how the instrument and the music ...