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Jazz Articles about Michael Dease
Tim Mayer: Keeper of the Flame
by Jack Bowers
On Keeper of the Flame, Tim Mayer, a Bostonian who now calls Mexico home, leads a sharp, swinging group of like-minded amigos on a (mostly) octet studio date enriched by Diego Rivera's colorful arrangements. Mayer plays tenor sax on half a dozen tracks, soprano sax on “Bye Bye Blackbird" and “Get Organized," alto flute on “Elusive." Mayer's tenor spans a bridge from early John Coltrane to George Coleman, Joe Henderson, Bob Mintzer and other post-bop patriarchs with a dash of ...
Continue ReadingUlysses Owens Jr. Big Band: Soul Conversations
by Jack Bowers
Drummer Ulysses Owens Jr.'s Big Band comes out swinging on its debut recording, Soul Conversations, thundering through Michael Dease's incendiary arrangement of the Dizzy Gillespie/John Lewis flame-thrower, “Two Bass Hit." For more such heat, however, the listener must move forward to Track 5, John Coltrane's impulsive “Giant Steps," thence to Track 9 for Charles Turner III's earnest homage to “Harlem Harlem Harlem," on which he doubles as vocalist. That's not to say that everything in between is ...
Continue ReadingRodney Whitaker: Outrospection: The Music of Gregg Hill
by Paul Rauch
Bassist Rodney Whitaker grew out of the Detroit jazz tradition, paying dues along the way on the road with the likes of Terence Blanchard, Roy Hargrove, Wynton Marsalis and Kenny Garrett. His hard-driving style personifies modern post-bop jazz, with his dedication to tradition acting as a catalyst rather than a deterrent from innovation. On Outrospection, Whitaker continues his work with under-the-radar, Michigan composer Gregg Hill. The two first collaborated on Whitaker's Common Ground: The Music of Gregg Hill ...
Continue ReadingNew Albums from Dease, Douglas, Pitt, Slagle, Sinclair and Malaby
by Bob Osborne
With today's show we focus on six new albums: Dan Pitt's third release as a leader, easily his most ambitious work yet; Dave Douglas working with Australian musicians to create unique new sounds; poll-winning trombonist Michael Dease shows us what it means to “Give It All You Got" on his eighth release for Posi-Tone; alto saxophonist Steve Slagle delivers brand new sounds with his New York band; and award winning writer Iain Sinclair creates a unique marriage of spoken word ...
Continue ReadingMichael Dease: Give It All You Got
by Kyle Simpler
Jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell once discussed his views on playing music by making a point that, “you are unique, be yourself, put out that thing that is you, then use your work ethic and produce great music." Trombonist Michael Dease embodies the spirit of Burrell's statement. Dease is a dedicated musician who is rapidly making a name for himself as both a recording artist and an educator. He won the Downbeat Critics Poll for rising star trombonist along with winning ...
Continue ReadingThe Jazz All Stars: The Jazz All Stars Volume 1
by Jim Worsley
The gigless times of 2020--the year of the Covid-19 pandemic--could have brought musicians and the industry to their collective knees, gasping for air. Instead, it resulted in more new music than ever before. It filled our lungs with fresh air. It filled our hearts and souls, not to mention our ears. New businesses opening, defying the odds and pursuing their dreams, is a relevant factor. Le Coq Records, emerging in 2020, boldly presents an all-star ensemble—featuring many of ...
Continue ReadingSencalar/Glassman Quintet: Realization
by Hrayr Attarian
Altin Sencalar and Chris Glassman were classmates in graduate school at Michigan State University (MSU) where they were both trombonist MIchael Dease's proteges. When they decided to release their debut, the exciting Realization, their mentor produced the record, contributed a tune and made a guest appearance on the opening track. For this bop-based session Sencalar and Glassman recruited a band of both up-and-coming and established musicians. The result is a very cohesive quintet/sextet which effortlessly, and with supreme ...
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