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Rob Brown / Juan Pablo Carletti: Fertile Garden
by Mark Corroto
Alto saxophonist Rob Brown has always been accompanied by adroit and masterful drummers. Throughout his career he can be heard with the likes of Denis Charles, Jackson Krall, Lou Grassi, Warren Smith, Marc Edwards, Satoshi Takeishi, Whit Dickey, Luther Gray, Andrew Barker, Gerald Cleaver, and Hamid Drake. With the release Fertile Garden, add to that list the Argentine-born, New York resident Juan Pablo Carletti. Carletti can be heard in Rob Brown's quartet, also in duo with cellist Daniel ...
Continue ReadingWhit Dickey Quartet: Astral Long Form: Staircase In Space
by Mark Corroto
As leader of the Whit Dickey Quartet, the drummer placed total faith in his bandmates for this studio session. The accompanying materials quote Dickey, “I asked them all to not think of time too much; I just wanted them to play, not to follow me or each other." Was that instruction made out of confidence or recklessness? One might say reckless if the lineup were other than the seasoned improvisers the leader assembled. Dickey might be best known ...
Continue ReadingMatthew Shipp - Rob Brown: Then Now
by Karl Ackermann
The piano and saxophone duo of Matthew Shipp and Rob Brown has a musical history which dates back three decades to Sonic Explorations (Cadence, 1988) but they have recorded in this formation sparingly, only releasing one other album, Blink of an Eye (No More Records, 1997). The balance which developed at the start of both of their recording careers has not gone out of sync despite the chronological gap between projects. On Then Now, the maturity and accumulated proficiency of ...
Continue ReadingMatthew Shipp / Rob Brown: Then Now
by John Sharpe
Then Now presents a reprise of both pianist Matthew Shipp's and alto saxophonist Rob Brown's debut recording, a duet entitled Sonic Explorations (CJR, 1988). Though they have occasionally collaborated since—last heard together on Magnetism(s) (Rogue Art, 2017) alongside bassist William Parker—this is their first album as a twosome since Blink Of An Eye (No More, 1997). With Shipp so frequently in tandem with Brazilian saxophonist Ivo Perelman, it is almost a shock to hear him in this format in different ...
Continue ReadingRob Brown - Matthew Shipp: Then Now
by Glenn Astarita
Much could be written about pianist Matthew Shipp and saxophonist Rob Brown's respective legacies within progressive jazz and improvisational circles in the US and abroad. Hence, these narratives are well-documented spanning several decades. On this release, the duo aligns for the third time, following Sonic Explorations (Cadence, 1988) and Blink of an Eye (No More Records, 1997). After all these years, their collective creative sparks remain intact as they embark on a continuous construction project without blueprints via spontaneous trajectories ...
Continue ReadingWhit Dickey Trio: Expanding Light
by Glenn Astarita
Highly respected, longtime New York City-based drummer Whit Dickey, frequent collaborator, and laudable alto saxophonist Rob Brown and young bassist Brandon Lopez consummate this trio's debut recording. As most would surmise, the musicians explore and refresh the peripheries of free jazz improvisation. Dickey and Brown's involvement with the always fertile NY improv scene is well-documented. Here, the band takes a democratic approach with close-knit interactions and formidable upfront asymmetrical grooves using space to impart breathing room and gradual ...
Continue ReadingWhit Dickey: Tao Quartets: Peace Planet & Box of Light
by Giuseppe Segala
Possiamo dire che l'assioma secondo il quale tutti i jazzisti sono sottovalutati, non sia poi così paradossale. Parliamo naturalmente dei musicisti che mettono al primo posto del loro operato il fare artistico e non la realizzazione di un prodotto solo ben accetto sul mercato. Spesso ci troviamo di fronte a musicisti che subiscono tale disattenzione in modo ancora più evidente, se confrontata alla mole e alla qualità del loro lavoro. Quest'ultimo concetto è sottolineato da Clifford Allen nelle ampie note ...
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