Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Greg Howard Band: Lift

Greg Howard Band: Lift

By Jim Santella
March 1, 2001
View read count

Greg Howard's smooth jazz session features saxophone melodies, groove rhythms, and powerful electronic effects. The Chapman Stick, a 10-stringed electric instrument, allows the artist to use both hands, each with a tapping motion. Howard assumes the role of fusion guitarist. Along with Hubert Heeringa's ethereal soprano saxophone lines, he provides a contemporary front line that emphasizes pleasant harmony. Amplified sounds blend across the horizon while bass and drums provide varied textures. Vocal samples add to the fun. From world beat fusion to new age mixtures, Howard's band presents an eclectic program.

"The Offering" wanders off into avant-garde territory. Improvising with creative energy, the artists move toward dramatic tension. Several other pieces contain jazz tinges through their swinging rhythms and limited improvisation. Most of the session drifts through soprano saxophone landscapes which feature repetitive loops and percussive asides. "Blues for Ayman" presents a world view of jazz & blues, with multi-ethnic folkways and the infusion of a common base. It's the album's high point. Heeringa, Wolfkamp and Howard each stretch out with creative solo messages while van Olffen provides the rippled foundation. This one is an album of jazz, funk, experimental, pop and rock. Greg Howard's next one would do well to apply more "Blues for Ayman" across the board.

Track Listing

Dissent; Cross Country; The Offering; Still Water; Chrysalis; The Effect of Marco's First Lekker Bakkie in the Morning; Albatross; Restless; Nord; Blues for Ayman; Experimental Sunrise

Personnel

Greg Howard Band

Greg Howard - Chapman Stick/Synthesizer/Shaker/Rattles; Jan Wolfkamp - Drums/ DDrum/Loops/Timbales/Percussion; Hubert Heeringa - Soprano & Alto Saxophone/ Violin/ Wind-Controlled Synthesizer; Louis Gerrits - Soprano & Tenor Saxophone; Jan van Olffen - Fretless and Fretted Electric Basses

Album information

Title: Lift | Year Released: 2001 | Record Label: Expresso

About Greg Howard Band

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Carla Cook: Just a Swingin' and a Gr...
< Previous

Skyful of Bliss
Next >

Become a Sustaining Member

Since 1995, All About Jazz has championed jazz as an art form and supported the musicians who create it. Over three decades, it has grown into one of the world's leading jazz resources, serving hundreds of thousands of readers, musicians, presenters and industry professionals each month.

Help Build the Future of All About Jazz

Your support helps us continue building All About Jazz for the next generation—expanding our editorial coverage, preserving jazz history, developing new community features and creating better ways to discover the music and the people behind it.

Become a sustaining member for as little as $20 per year and you'll immediately enjoy an ad-free experience along with access to subscriber features and future articles for a full year.

Together, we're not simply sustaining All About Jazz—we're building its future. Thank you for being part of the journey.