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John Yao and His 17 Piece Instrument: Points In Time
by Jack Bowers
The insuperable spirit of swinging big-band jazz is everywhere apparent on Points in Time, the seventh recording by New York-based composer, arranger and trombonist John Yao, and the second with his marvelous 17-Piece Instrument, a decade after its well-received debut, Flip-Flop. (See Tao, 2015). As on that earlier album, the playlist consists of seven of Yao's original compositions (and one outlier) written with the band in mind to exemplify in musical terms experiences and emotions Yao has ...
Continue ReadingJohn Yao and his 17 Piece Instrument: Points In Time
by Pierre Giroux
Trombonist and composer John Yao presents a heartfelt and personal retrospective with Points In Time. This ambitious album delves deeply into the emotional and professional journey he has undertaken over the past twenty years in New York City. Leading his precisely coordinated ensemble, aptly called His 17-Piece Instrument, comprised of talented musicians from various points along Yao's timeline. The eight original compositions in this session stem from key moments in Yao's life and artistic development. This work is not just ...
Continue ReadingJohn Yao: Off-Kilter
by Mark Corroto
In all great ensemble recordings one pays no attention to the compositions and arrangements. The music just seems to dance without inhibitions and flow over the ears. Correction: excellent ensemble performances compel one to recognize and appreciate the compositions and arrangements. With composer, arranger, trombonist John Yao both statements are true and both are in opposition to each other. Proof being Off-Kilter, the second release by his Triceratops ensemble. It follows How We Do (See Tao Recordings, 2019) and includes ...
Continue ReadingRobert Sabin: Humanity Part II
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by Jack Bowers
Although Humanity Part II, the oracular title of bassist Robert Sabin's new album, may summon images of a Mel Brooks parody (Part I must have slipped past us), the music itself is decidedly serious. In the liner notes, wherein he references Albert Camus, Ennio Morricone, John Carpenter, Ingmar Bergman, Maurice Ravel and Dario Argento, Sabin makes it quite clear that he and his tentet are scanning a road map that traverses musical pathways visibly (and audibly) removed from customary ports ...
Continue ReadingRobert Sabin: Humanity Part II
by Troy Collins
Robert Sabin has a dark side. Although the New York-based bassist regularly serves as a sideman to such luminaries as Oliver Lake and Luis Bonilla, Sabin has revealed an abiding fascination with horror throughout his career, as documented on his 2005 Ranula Music debut Killdozer, based on Marvin Heemeyer's infamous armored bulldozer rampage in Colorado the previous year, and his 2007 sophomore follow-up Romero, an ode to George Romero's apocalyptic zombie films. Humanity Part II continues Sabin's investigation ...
Continue Reading"Killer" Ray Appleton: Naptown Legacy
by AAJ Italy Staff
Quanti batteristi vorrebbero un'adolescenza come quella di “Killer" Ray Appleton? Nato a Indianapolis nel 1941, ha iniziato a suonare le percussioni a nove anni, formandosi in quella fervida scena musicale accanto a Freddie Hubbard, James Spaulding, Melvin Rhyne, Larry Ridley e altri protagonisti dell'hard-bop anni cinquanta. In quel periodo Indianapolis era uno dei centri propulsivi del jazz moderno: da lì sono venuti Wes e Buddy Montgomery, J.J. Johnson, Slide Hampton, Pookie Johnson e molti altri strumentisti, che hanno contribuito a ...
Continue ReadingRobert Sabin: Romero
by Troy Collins
Romero, bassist Robert Sabin's rousing and contemplative tribute to director George Romero's famous zombie films, yields an unusual, effective combination of two seemingly disparate disciplines, jazz and horror movies. Drawing inspiration from the classic trilogy of Night of the Living Dead (1968), Dawn of the Dead (1978) and Day of the Dead (1985), Sabin uses Romero's ripe cinematic metaphors assessing the frailty of the human condition as a thematic framework. Like Romero's films, his sophisticated compositions reveal a ...
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