Jazz Articles about Speak

Speak: Speak

by John Barron
June 17, 2010

The Seattle-based quintet Speak explores a multitude of musical moods with their eponymous recording debut. An exemplary model of genre-defying music, the disc features original compositions that delve into odd-metered progressive rock grooves and spontaneous bursts of improvised sound that are at times explosive.

The opening cut “Amalgam in the Middle" makes anthemic pronouncements with an extended section for Aaron Otheim's intensity building piano solo, garnering strength from the free-flowing interplay of bassist Luke Bergman and drummer Chris Icasiano. Trumpeter ...