Jazz Articles about Mike Reed

Mike Reed: In the Context of

by Paul Olson
March 21, 2006

Pure improvisation can be a challenge for both musicians and listeners. With no compositional road map, the players must enter into a compact of attention and belief that's largely process-based--after all, no one knows where the music's going to go. If they do, they're not improvising, they're assembling already-played licks on the fly. Then there's the question of the listener. In a public performance, an audience member can be pulled into the musical process, or they can feel they're sitting ...

The Treehouse Project: The Picture Show

by AAJ Staff
May 9, 2002

Drummer Michael Reed's Treehouse Project takes a decidedly idiosyncratic turn on The Picture Show. The tunes on this 3-CD set reflect a conscious marriage of image and music (or, in the case of the last disc, words and music). While the idea of tying music to art is not a novel one, this set twists the concept: each tune on The Picture Show has a companion photograph. The photos (mostly of the lo-fi home vintage) show people at various ages ...

The Treehouse Project: The Treehouse Project

by Glenn Astarita
June 1, 2000

Chicago, Illinois-based - The Treehouse Project aims to meld disparate musical forms and methodologies into jazz-based themes and rhythms while instituting somewhat of a grassroots approach. On their debut and independently produced recording, the quartet performs with a slight edge featuring Dave McDonnell's funk/rock saxophone lines, Matt Thompson's pumping bass and George Kalantzis' well-constructed jazz/rock guitar soloing on the opening track titled, 'Ground Run'. With this piece, the musicians establish their respective goods in the customary ' let's introduce the ...

The Treehouse Project: The Treehouse Project

by Glenn Astarita
June 1, 2000

Chicago, Illinois-based, The Treehouse Project aims to meld disparate musical forms and methodologies into jazz-based themes and rhythms while instituting somewhat of a grassroots approach.

On their debut and independently produced recording, the quartet performs with a slight edge featuring Dave McDonnell's funk/rock saxophone lines, Matt Thompson's pumping bass and George Kalantzis' well-constructed jazz/rock guitar soloing on the opening track titled, “Ground Run". With this piece, the musicians establish their respective goods in the customary--let's introduce the band--fashion. Throughout, McDonnell ...